On Monday, October 16th, 2023, at 2:47 p.m., Fillmore City Fire Dept. and Ventura County & City Fire Depts. were dispatched to a reported structure fire in the 1800 block of Grand Avenue, unincorporated area west of Fillmore. The one-story cinder-block home was fully engulfed when crews arrived. The location of the home, surrounded by orchards, presented fire crews with the challenge of difficult access. Several trees and farm equipment near the home were also scorched. Additionally, downed power lines caused concern, along with the collapsing roof and side walls of the home. There was a fire hydrant nearby and Fillmore Fire Chief Keith Gurrola stated they were able to knock down the main fire “pretty fast” with the number of agencies on-scene. “But there was a lot of exterior storage that the fire had already spread into, so it was taking a lot of time to put out that fire,” said Gurrola. The owner of the home was present at the time of the fire but was not inside the structure when it started. It is not clear whether the downed power lines had fallen as a result of the fire or had been on the ground beforehand. The structure and the majority of its contents appeared to be a total loss. No one was injured. Cause of the fire is under investigation and its starting point and cost of damage are yet to be determined. Photo credit Angel Esquivel-AE News.