Ventura County Sheriff – Incident Press Release
Investigators arrested three juveniles after they started a brush fire in the hills near Westlake High School, in the City of Thousand Oaks, on April 29, 2021.
On April 29th, 2021, at about 3:22 PM, the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) received a call of a brush fire, south of the 500 block of Country Valley Road, in Thousand Oaks. VCFD personnel quickly arrived on scene with five water dropping helicopters, and four fixed wing aircraft that drop fire retardant. Deputies from the Thousand Oaks Police Department (TOPD) also responded to assist with possible evacuations in case the fire threatened structures. Due to the quick actions by the Ventura County Fire Protection District along with other resources and proper clearance, the fire was contained to the brush only and no structures were damaged during the incident.
Three juveniles were detained by residents after they were seen exiting the brush, shortly after the fire started. Arson Investigators from the VCFD and Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene and initiated an investigation into the cause of the brush fire. They contacted witnesses on scene and interviewed the three juveniles. After the juveniles were interviewed, they were released back to their parents, while the cause of the fire remained under investigation.
It was determined the brush fire was caused by human activity. The three juveniles originally detained on the date of the fire, were identified as suspects in the crime. On May 4th, 2021, all three juveniles were arrested and cited and released to their parents for 13001 HS Reckless.
The Ventura County Fire Department and the Thousand Oaks Police Department would like to thank the citizens who quickly reported the fire and acted swiftly to help identify the suspects.
Due to low fuel moisture and drought conditions, extreme fire behavior is expected to continue throughout the year. Always be prepared for emergency evacuation. We would like to remind the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
A reminder that all required brush clearance must be completed by June 1st. For more information on brush clearance and structure hardening please visit
https://vcfd.org/fire- prevention/fire-hazard-reduction-program-fhrp/.
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Make them AND their parents PAY for the cost of the entire firefight!!!
All of it!!!