Crews fight fire in Simi building, 1 injured in Oxnard fire and 1 arrested after pursuit

Simi Valley building with books inside catches fire

Dozens of firefighters helped battle a blaze in a large commercial building on Simi Valley's west side Monday afternoon.

The fire was reported at 1:12 p.m. on West Easy Street, near the Iceoplex skating rink. The fire started outside the warehouse and moved inside, said firefighter Andy VanSciver of the Ventura County Fire Department.

Firefighters put out the main fire around 1:49 p.m., but crews stayed on scene for hours to ensure the blaze didn't smolder within the structure. VanSciver said he was not sure what the business was but the site appeared to have a substantial amounts of books inside on racks up to the ceiling.

"(They're) moving books around and making sure the fire is completely extinguished," said VanSciver about the several hours of work.

As many as 51 firefighters and 22 fire apparatus responded to the fire, he said. No one was injured.

Portions of Easy Street were closed until about 5:45 p.m., according to the Simi Valley Police Department.

Car chase ends in Port Hueneme with 1 arrest

A 55-year-old man from Pasadena was arrested Monday morning in Port Hueneme after a brief car chase that started in Camarillo.

Camarillo police attempted to pull the driver over around 9:30 a.m. but he just kept going, said Ventura County Sheriff's Capt. Ken Truitt. The city contracts with the sheriff's office for police services.

Truitt said the driver headed to Central Avenue, then to Rice Avenue, through Oxnard and ultimately into Port Hueneme. Deputies pursued the vehicle for a time, but a helicopter eventually took over the chase, he said.

The driver ultimately stopped his car at East Scott Street and North Ventura Road in Port Hueneme where he was arrested on supsicion of felony evasion and misdemeanors for DUI while under the influence of drugs and possession of drugs.

Truitt said the chase reached moderate speeds with the driver going about 10 mph over the limit. During the chase, the man violated several vehicle codes, driving through red lights and stop signs.

1 taken to hospital after fire at Oxnard senior-living facility

One person at a senior-living community in Oxnard's Wilson neighborhood was taken to the hospital Monday afternoon after a small apartment fire.

The Oxnard Fire Department responded to the blaze around 1:30 p.m. in the 300 block of North F Street. An alarm within the building alerted the department of a problem, said Battalion Chief Aaron Baker.

Crews spent a short time trying to find smoke coming from a third-floor unit of the five-story Sycamore Senior Village, he said. The fire was still under investigation, but the smoke appeared to come as a result of burning paper, Baker said.

One person was taken to the hospital for smoke-related injuries, he said.

The building was never fully evacuated but residents near the affected unit left the building on their own when they discovered the smoke. Crews stayed on scene for about 90 minutes to assist residents in their return to their apartments, the battalion chief said.

Sycamore is for residents age 55 and older who live independently, according to the facilty's website.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Crews fight fire in Simi building, 1 injured in Oxnard fire and 1 arrested after pursuit