<P> On December 4 , 2017 , the Thomas Fire was reported at 6 : 26 p.m. PST , to the north of Santa Paula , near Steckel Park and Thomas Aquinas College , after which the fire is named . That night , the small brush fire exploded in size and raced through the rugged mountain terrain that lies west of Santa Paula , between Ventura and Ojai . Officials blamed strong Santa Ana winds that gusted up to 60 miles per hour ( 97 km / h ) for the sudden expansion . Soon after the fire had started , a second blaze was ignited nearly 30 minutes later , about 4 miles ( 6.4 km ) to the north in Upper Ojai at the top of Koenigstein Road . According to eyewitnesses , this second fire was sparked by an explosion in the power line over the area . The second fire was rapidly expanded by the strong Santa Ana winds , and soon merged into the Thomas Fire later that night . </P>
<P> On December 4 , 2017 , the Thomas Fire was reported at 6 : 26 p.m. PST , to the north of Santa Paula , near Steckel Park and Thomas Aquinas College , after which the fire is named . That night , the small brush fire exploded in size and raced through the rugged mountain terrain that lies west of Santa Paula , between Ventura and Ojai . Officials blamed strong Santa Ana winds that gusted up to 60 miles per hour ( 97 km / h ) for the sudden expansion . Soon after the fire had started , a second blaze was ignited nearly 30 minutes later , about 4 miles ( 6.4 km ) to the north in Upper Ojai at the top of Koenigstein Road . According to eyewitnesses , this second fire was sparked by an explosion in the power line over the area . The second fire was rapidly expanded by the strong Santa Ana winds , and soon merged into the Thomas Fire later that night . </P>
where did the fire start in santa paula
where did the fire start in santa paula
near Steckel Park and Thomas Aquinas College
near Steckel Park and Thomas Aquinas College