“OJAI, Cal., June 16.—A forest fire sweeping the Ojai valley is threatening the complete destruction of this town. Several valuable homes on country estates have been burned. “People are fleeing from the valley and a call for automobiles to carry refugees from the danger zone has been sent out by citizens. The temperature in Ojai today reached 128 degrees.
Re- ports received here late tonight were that the entire town of Ojai was burning, Arrangements had been made here to care for between 150 and 200 refugees from the Ojai valley.
The absence of serious fires in this region within the last two or three years has permitted a heavy growth of underbrush which burned furiously and contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.”
