Wildfire Nears Chabad Center

by Sandy Eller, VIN News

A California Chabad Center is just one of the many buildings that was evacuated today after a raging brush fire that began this morning in Ventura County.

According to reports on CNN several hundred fire fighters were battling the blaze, dubbed the “Springs Fire”, with helicopters dropping water on the area in attempt to douse the flames. Dry conditions, low humidity and strong Santa Ana winds have only exacerbated the situation and fire officials estimate that 2,000 acres have been burned.

The fire was first reported at approximately 6:30 this morning near the 101 Freeway northwest of Los Angeles and has continued to burn throughout the day.

Officially have imposed a mandatory evacuation of both the California State University Channel Islands campus as well as the Dos Vientos neighborhood, a massive housing development in Newbury Park that is home to Chabad-Lubavitch of Newbury Park.

“You see the flames going and a lot of fire engines going by,” Rabbi Aryeh Lang, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Camarillo, located just a few miles from Newbury Park, told VIN News.

“My neighboring rabbi, Rabbi Schneur Schneerson in Newbury Park was one of those who was evacuated.”

Rabbi Lang reported poor air quality and very high winds in Camarillo and said he is making plans to open up his pre-school to the public should the winds blow the fire in the direction of his community.

“We don’t know yet if the fire has gotten to the Chabad Center in Newbury Park,” said Rabbi Lang. “We are just davening that everything should be okay.”

No injuries have been reported as of yet in the fire and two Red Cross evacuation centers have been set up in the area.

The Springs Fire is one of two wildfires currently burning in the Los Angeles area, with another blaze in Riverside County having consumer close to 3000 acres. Firefighters estimate that blaze to be 40% contained as of this afternoon.