ojai news at The Ojai Post :: blog, newspaper, events in Ojai, California

From the VC Star (hat tip to Kate):

As of Monday afternoon, the fire was about 17 miles north of Ojai, said Victor Gutierrez, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service. The fire is ranked as the third largest in the state's recorded history. The fire is nowhere near being under control, said Capt. Barry Parker, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department. It was 77 percent contained on Monday evening. Firefighters hope to have the blaze fully under control by Sept. 7. But Parker said much could happen between now and then.

Parker said it would be impossible to predict exactly what the fire is going to do next given the difficult and very steep terrain in which it is burning, along with the lack of rain and very low humidity. "It could easily go in the direction of Ojai." Parker urged residents to be alert and prepared to leave at a moment's notice should the fire get closer.

A temporary staging area has been created just north of Lake Casitas, where large helicopters take off and land. Large buckets capable of carrying more than 1,000 gallons of water or fire retardant material are tethered to the helicopters. While helicopters help a lot, ultimately it takes "boots on the ground to get the job done," Parker said.

My suggestion: stay tuned, be prepared and don't panic. As I wrote yesterday, there are trigger points set up where if the fire were to break towards Ojai, we would have at least 72 hours. Much of this information from the VC Star came from the same conference call I was on, and this information was omitted from the article.

The VC Star also has a discussion going on - Ed, I think its a conversation you should participate in. Check it out.