No Christmas Day chestnuts roasting on an open fire but plenty of heat
December 27, 2013
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula Times
There were no chestnuts roasting on an open fire Christmas Day although there was a fire in Simi Valley, an incident that could have been caused by Wednesday’s high heat and high winds.
In Santa Paula, Christmas Day was a warm 79 degrees but the City of Ventura hit 82. Also seeing Christmas heat was Camarillo at 81 degrees and Fillmore that booked a high temperature of 80 degrees.
Winds started early Christmas Day right after midnight at a velocity that could have knocked Santa Claus off course: in Santa Paula winds were measured at 25 miles per hour with gusts of up to 40 miles per hour.
Gusty northeast winds in parts of the county were measured from 30 miles per hour to 60 miles per hour in some areas.
The fire in Simi Valley caused a major road closure in the Santa Susana Pass area where it started, closing its namesake road between Box Canyon and Rocky Pass roads overnight. Santa Susana Pass Road is an alternative route to and from Simi Valley and Chatsworth when motorists want to avoid the 118 Highway.
As of Thursday morning the fire was 80 percent contained at 10 acres.
The windy but not winter weather was expected to continue through Thursday but warmer temperatures of 75 degrees and up to mid-80s are forecast through next week.
