Around 7,500 Ventura County residents were under mandatory evacuation orders Nov. 1 after a Santa Paula area brush fire erupted overnight to more than 8,500 acres, threatening agricultural, power, petroleum and communication infrastructure. 

More than 500 firefighters were working to contain the blaze between South Mountain Road in Fillmore and Highway 118, but the fire was still zero percent contained as of 10:30 a.m. 

Dubbed the Maria fire, the incident threatened agricultural areas of Camarillo, Somis, Santa Paula and East Ventura, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. 

A shelter was opened to support fire evacuees at the Camarillo Community Center.

• Contact Marissa Nall at mnall@pacbiztimes.