Auto fire in Ventura County is small but 0% contained

Firefighters are tracking a new fire in Southern California Car firewhich started burning Monday night in Ventura County, northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

From 4 Eastern time Tuesday, it had spread to 56 acres and was 0 percent contained, although its progress had been halted, according to Cal Fire.

The fire’s name comes from its origin, near Auto Center Drive in the city of Ventura, about 60 miles from downtown Los Angeles. That’s significantly smaller than the large fires that have burned in the Los Angeles area in the past week, the 23,000-acre Palisades Fire and the 14,000-acre Eaton Fire.

The auto fire appears to have started in the bottom of the Santa Clara River. This is according to the Ventura County Fire Department that the fire “was confined to the riverbed and no structures were threatened,” adding that the cause was under investigation.

There were no immediate reports of injuries caused by the car fire. But with winds picking up across Southern California, officials have warned that the risk of new fires starting or existing ones spreading will be high for the next few days.