Despite initial concerns that there might have been someone inside the outbuilding at the time the fire broke out, it was found to be unoccupied and there were no injuries.The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, according to the Ventura County Fire Department spokesman, although “having a fire of this size in the rain isn’t all that unusual, and sometimes the rain can actually be a contributing factor.”Friday’s fire was the first major blaze in the city since early this year.
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SPFD: Despite rain, Grant Line outbuilding destroyed in Friday fire
November 13, 2002
Santa Paula News
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula TimesNo one seems to think too much about fire when it rains, except perhaps for a cozy fire in the fireplace, but a towering blaze destroyed a two-story outbuilding behind a Grant Line Street house despite the help of Friday’s steady downpour.The fire was reported November 8th at about 8 a.m. in the 400 block of Grant Line near Saticoy Street, in an area just outside city limits, according to a Ventura County Fire Department spokesman.Santa Paula Fire Department personnel were the first on the scene of the outbuilding, which due to its size was first believed to be a residence. The Ventura County Fire Department also responded to the fire, which despite the rain flurry drew a crowd of umbrella carrying neighbors outside to watch the fire fight.It took about 40 minutes to fully extinguish the blaze, and firefighters stayed on scene to make sure the rubble didn’t contain any hot spots that could flare up later.Damage was estimated at about $30,000 to the structure and about $5,000 to the contents.
