22 residents displaced by Oxnard fire amid string of blazes

Three unrelated structure fires ignited in Oxnard in the space of about 70 minutes Thursday night, including a residential blaze that displaced 22 people.

The third and most serious incident erupted shortly before 7:10 p.m. in the 2400 block of El Dorado Avenue. It turned into a second-alarm fire, said Oxnard Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike McCaslin, with crews from Ventura County and the city of Ventura assisting. Federal firefighters and an ambulance crew also responded, he said.

The block is located in the Lemonwood Eastmont neighborhood, situated north of Channel Islands Boulevard and generally east of Oxnard Boulevard in the city's southeast. El Dorado Avenue serves as the neighborhood's east boundary and edges up to agricultural fields.

The blaze broke out in a two-story multifamily building with five units, McCaslin said.

Three of the units were damaged by fire. Residents of two other units were displaced because power and gas were lost for the entire structure. Building and safety officials were working with utility companies so residents of those two units could possibly return Friday, McCaslin said.

All five units shared a common attic.

"That was the challenge we had," McCaslin said. "Fire did get in the attic."

Crews on scene also worked to find hidden fires in the walls, he said.

As of midday Friday, no cause had been determined, he said, although investigators believe the fire was accidental.

Red Cross personnel came to assist the 22 displaced adults and children.

The El Dorado fire came on the tail of two others.

At around 6 p.m., fire was reported in a city housing building in the 400 block of South C Street.

That incident turned out to be an accidental fire caused by a resident, McCaslin said, and ended up being minor. No one was displaced.

At around 6:40 p.m., a structure fire broke out at a large manufacturing facility at the northwest corner of Camino del Sol and North Del Norte Boulevard.

Some machinery had caught fire, McCaslin said. Employees at the site had extinguished it. Firefighters handled smoke removal and ventilation of the large warehouse, he said.

No residents, workers or firefighters were injured during any of the three incidents, McCaslin said.

Hot, dry winds expected to kick up in the area Friday night and Saturday could cause some chaos for firefighters.

"Tonight we're anticipating action for sure," he said.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oxnard residents displaced by fire amid string of blazes