Firefighters worked overnight to "get a handle" on a 170-acre wildfire that began on a hillside in the southern California community of Fillmore and burned two homes amid strong wind gusts.
The fire started before 5 p.m. and prompted a 400-firefighter response overnight that threatened about 100 homes and prompted evacuations. Containment was at 80 percent early Tuesday and the evacuation order was lifted.
Calm winds and temperatures in the 50s were reported early Tuesday in Fillmore.
"We've had a good night," said Capt. Mike Lindbery, of the Ventura County Fire Department. "It has given us a chance to get in there and get a handle on this thing."
"It burned with high intensity and a lot of energy. We had a few things work for us, and we were able to reduce the losses."
Part of what Lindbery described as "a very large house" was saved after firefighters entered the burning structure. He estimated that about 50 percent of the home burned.
"We had some firefighters get in there and make a very aggressive interior attack," said Lindberg.
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"A couple years back we had some pretty bad fires, but nothing that came close to homes like this," said Fillmore Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Minjares. "This is pretty significant."
