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A man was arrested on suspicion of arson charges after a small brush fire ignited in Santa Paula late July 4, authorities said.
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The fire was reported shortly before 11 p.m. in the hills north of Harvest Loop, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. The area sits near a new housing development on the northeast side of the city.
Around 75 firefighters responded to the blaze, said Andrew Dowd, a department spokesperson. They were able to get hose lines around the flames quickly and contain the fire to a third of an acre, he said. No homes were threatened and no injuries were reported.
Dubbed the Harvest Fire, the small blaze apparently started shortly after the Santa Paula Police Department received a call about a vehicle trespassing on private property in the area, police Chief Don Aguilar said.
When police initially responded, officers did not locate the vehicle, he said. But an officer later saw a fire starting on a nearby hill and a vehicle matching the description of the earlier call leaving the area, according to the chief.
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A short time later, the driver was arrested, Aguilar said. According to police, fireworks may have sparked the blaze, and the 23-year-old from Santa Paula was booked into Ventura County jail on suspicion of arson.
Early on July 5, Santa Paula police arrested another man on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after responding to a domestic violence call, authorities said. A woman had been hit by a vehicle and was in a local hospital for treatment of injuries Aguilar described as not life threatening, the chief said.
Police identified a suspect and later booked a 24-year-old man into Ventura County jail, Aguilar said.
This story may be updated.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Fireworks may have sparked Santa Paula fire, police say
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Reporting by Cheri Carlson, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
This story was originally published July 5, 2026 at 1:29 PM.