Springs Fire
{{Short description|2013 wildfire in Southern California}}
{{About|the wildfire in Ventura County, California|a novel released by Vin Packer|Spring Fire|the wildfire in Costilla County, Colorado|Spring Creek Fire}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox wildfire
|title= Springs Fire
|image= File:Map of the Springs Fire.jpg
|caption= A map of the footprint of the fire
|location= Camarillo, California
|date= {{Unbulleted list|{{Start date|2013|05|02}} – |{{End date|2013|05|06}}}}
|timezone=
|acres= {{convert|24,251|acre}}{{cite web|title=Springs Fire|url=http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=780|website=CAL FIRE|access-date=12 August 2015}}
|structures= 15
}}
The Springs Fire was a wildfire in Ventura County, California in May 2013. Although the fire burned only 15 homes,{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/06/rain-california-wildfire_n_3223196.html |title=Rain Helps and Hurts California Wildfire Containment|date=May 6, 2013 |website=Huffington Post |access-date=9 June 2013}} it threatened 4,000. This threat passed when rain shower from few narrow cold-frontal rainbands moved through the California area because of a low-pressure system off the coast. Some places got more than half an inch of rain.{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-storm-rain-la-area-20130506,0,3145716.story|title=Storm drops more than half an inch of rain across LA area|date=May 6, 2013|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|first=Robert|last=Lopez|access-date=21 July 2013}}
The fire started at 6:45 AM on May 2, 2013, in Camarillo, California near U.S. Route 101 and burned across Pacific Coast Highway to the Pacific Ocean.{{cite news|url=http://ktla.com/2013/05/03/brush-fire-burning-off-101-in-camarillo/#axzz2ZgigOQ3P|title=Springs Fire Grows to 28,000 Acres, Only 20% Contained |date=May 3, 2013|work=KTLA|access-date=21 July 2013}} Several neighborhoods were evacuated, along with the campus of California State University Channel Islands.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fire-california-idUSBRE9410XY20130507|title=Firefighters, helped by rain, mop up California wildfire|last=Bernstein|first=Sharon|date=May 6, 2013|work=Reuters|access-date=21 July 2013}}{{cite web|last=Lopez|first=Robert J.|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-wildfires-springs-fire-reaches-pch-in-ventura-county-20130502,0,6811963.story|title=California wildfires: Springs fire reaches PCH in Ventura County|work= Los Angeles Times| date= May 2, 2013|access-date=2013-05-04}}
Effects
The fire burned around {{convert|24,000| acres}} of brushland along coastal Ventura County and into the Santa Monica Mountains.Carlson, Cheri [http://www.vcstar.com/news/2014/feb/12/glass-beads-point-to-significant-archaeological/ "Glass beads point to significant archaeological find in Rancho Sierra Vista"] Ventura County Star February 12, 2014 Weather conditions made favorable conditions for brush fires.{{cite news|url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/special-reports/outdoors/2018/05/02/springs-fire-blackened-bare-hillsides-drought-california-wildfire-mugu-wildflowers-santa-monica/546906002/|title=The Springs Fire left blackened, bare hillsides in a drought. Then the rain started.|newspaper=Ventura County Star|first=Cheri |last=Carlson|date=May 2, 2018|access-date=19 July 2018}} The Santa Ana Winds were blowing at {{convert|40 |to |50 |mph}}, spreading the fire; single-digit humidity added to the problems. By May 3, the fire was only 20 percent contained; on May 4, higher humidity made firefighters jobs easier; and on May 5 the fire was 60 percent contained.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fire-california-idUSBRE9410XY20130505|title=Cooler temperatures help to tame southern California wildfire|date=May 5, 2013|work=Reuters|access-date=21 July 2013}} On May 6, 2013, the fire was almost extinguished as rain fell in the area.{{cite news|url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/special-reports/outdoors/2018/05/02/springs-fire-blackened-bare-hillsides-drought-california-wildfire-mugu-wildflowers-santa-monica/546906002/|title=The Springs Fire left blackened, bare hillsides in a drought. Then the rain started.|newspaper=Ventura County Star|first=Cheri |last=Carlson|access-date=6 May 2018}}
Scientists are concerned about the impact of the fire on Dudleya verityi, a rare species of succulent plant known by the common name Verity's liveforever. Endemic to Ventura County, this species is only found on one edge of the Santa Monica Mountains, where it occurs in coastal sage scrub habitat. The dominant plants are California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) and purple sage (Salvia leucophylla). At least two occurrences are within the campus bounds of California State University, Channel Islands where faculty and students are tracking sites where the plant exists and studying it.{{cite news|last=Carlson |first=Cheri |date=September 29, 2013|url=http://www.vcstar.com/news/scientists-keep-eye-on-rare-plant-burned-in-fire |title=Scientists keep eye on rare plant burned in Springs Fire]|newspaper=Ventura County Star|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809192239/http://www.vcstar.com/news/scientists-keep-eye-on-rare-plant-burned-in-fire|archive-date=2014-08-09}}
See also
{{Commons category|Springs Fire}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{2013 California wildfires}}
Category:2013 California wildfires