Point Mugu News

An additional 700 military personnel will come to Naval Base Ventura County to operate a unit of the Navy's first large drone system, the base commander told a gathering of business leaders in Thousand Oaks on Thursday.

The blaze swept through canyons and hillsides from Camarillo Springs to the Pacific Ocean, scorching 28,000 acres, burning almost 25 buildings and threatening 4,000 homes since it started just after dawn Thursday.

Calmer winds and a big cool-down in weather are helping firefighters gain control of a huge wildfire burning in Southern California coastal mountains.

A major change in weather calmed a huge wildfire burning in Southern California coastal mountains Saturday, and firefighters were hopeful that a predicted chance of rain would become reality during the weekend.

A Los Angeles-area wildfire exploded from 10 acres to 28,000 acres in less than a day and a half, and threatened 4,000 homes, fire authorities said Friday.

The wind-driven Springs Fire raged out of control early Friday, threatening 4,000 homes, 300 businesses and heading toward the Point Mugu naval base as it blackened more than 10,000 acres from Newbury Park toward Malibu and the Ventura County coast.

People look over the unmanned drone called Fire Scout at the establishment ceremony for the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 35 at NAS North Island on Friday in San Diego, California.

File: Mike Reagan prepares to launch the Wasp, AeroVironment's full-scale drone with a range of 5 kilometers, at an undisclosed location in Ventura County.