Fears of another Valencia brush fire spiked late Friday afternoon when residents on the west side of Santa Clarita Valley reported heavy smoke and soot in the area.
Fire officials were clear that there’s been no new reports of a brush fire in the Santa Clarita Valley as of Friday evening.
“It is residual from the Thomas Fire in Fillmore,” Supervisor Cheryl Sims of the Los Angeles County Fire Department told The Signal at 4:15 p.m Friday.
The Thomas Fire which began Dec. 4 continues to burn in northern parts of Santa Paula and Fillmore, according to officials at Calfire.
The fire, with only 35 percent containment, has burned more than a quarter of a million acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
“It is very hazy,” one Castaic resident told The Signal.
“The sun is orange and it smells like smoke – a lot,” she said.
The Rye Fire which began a day after the Thomas Fire burned more than 6,000 acres between the west side of Valencia into Ventura County. It was fully contained — officially — Friday.