A fire smoldered and burned 35 acres Sunday in the hills and canyons north of Santa Rosa Road, an area dotted with million-dollar estates in a semi-rural area of unincorporated Ventura County.

By 8 p.m., the fire was 60 percent contained, with full containment expected this morning.

The cause of the fire was still being investigated Sunday evening. About 150 fire personnel worked to suppress the fire south of Moorpark.

By nightfall, the fire was burning deep in the canyons, where the ridge line sheltered the flames from the whipping wind, said incident commander Scott Hall.

A precautionary evacuation along Santa Rosa Road, north of Las Posas Road, was lifted around 9 p.m. Roadblocks set up in the area earlier in the day had been taken down by 8 p.m.

No injuries were reported, but the roof of one home burned in Lexington Hills, the gated community off Moorpark Road where the fire was spotted Sunday morning.

On Sunday afternoon, the Rathje family overlooked the charred hills where what is being called the Nightsky fire had gotten dangerously close to their home hours earlier.

Before that fire began, another smaller one in the same area started but was quickly extinguished by firefighters, they said.

Lars Rathje, 20, said two power lines were pushed by strong winds and collided. Sparks flew, and the hills below their home on Nightsky Drive were set ablaze, he said.

With the help of neighbors, Lars Rathje and his 15-year-old brother, Hans, helped squelch hot spots by shoveling dirt onto them. Charred lavender could be seen at the Rathje family's home.

The brothers' mother, Vicky Rathje, is a commercial lavender grower and said about 2 1/2 acres of lavender were destroyed.

"The most important thing is that everyone's safe," said Vicky Rathje, 46. "Things can be replaced."

Several Santa Rosa Valley residents, including Vicky Rathje, said the community came together to help each other put out fires near their properties.

Resident Andy Marsh, who also lives on Nightsky Drive, said a row of his avocado trees was destroyed. Marsh's home was not damaged, though, and he stayed to protect it, hosing down smoldering land.

No fire had ever come "this close to my house," said Marsh. "We were concerned."

Resident Bob Chapek was concerned enough to help fight the fire near his home, but none of his property was damaged.

Chapek said the fire almost jumped Nightsky Drive.

"We just didn't want it to spread," said Chapek, 48.

Chapek said he's seen four fires during the eight years he's lived in the neighborhood.

"We have so many fires here, this is almost a way of life," Chapek said.

County Fire Chief Bob Roper, who toured the fire scene Sunday afternoon, said the biggest problem was smoldering shredded bark used in landscaping around homes. The bark was catching fire and flowing downhill, starting new fires.

"The ember gets in there and sits there and smolders," he said.

Earlier in the day, the winds also hampered water drops from firefighting helicopters, Hall said. Fixed-wing planes had to drop fire retardant.

Rick Shurtz and his wife, Karen, were staying put in their home on Presilla Road but were watching to make sure the fire didn't flare up too close to their home. They had already sent their children to a friend's home in Camarillo.

Shurtz said they see fires every year but this was the closest.

Residents, some who live miles from the fire, were driving up to the command station at Santa Rosa School to see if they should evacuate. Many were keeping in touch through an active phone network of community residents.

"Everyone calls around to find out what's going on," said resident Chuck Matthews. "They stay pretty well informed. The valley is a pretty close-knit area."

Dee Van Daalenwetters, who collects classic cars, including a World War II-era Bugatti, said she was "trying very hard not to panic."

Van Daalenwetters and her husband had put their cat in a box and gathered up their photos after being told by firefighters they could be evacuated.

"These are the things that are important to us," she said. "It's important that we just get out — no casualties."

Carolin Migliazzo, wearing a surgical mask as she stood in front of her house, was ready to evacuate her horse from her backyard in the Bridlewood neighborhood. She also had pointed her car facing the road, as directed by firefighters, "so they know you're home."

Jessica Douglas, a single mother of three, said she was across town at her niece's birthday party when "the sky went black."

"This is scary," she said after speaking with officials at the command station.

On Ridge Drive, a contingent of firefighters was calming homeowners and watching for spot fires in the valley beneath. They helped residents move lawn chairs and firewood and create 360-degree clearance zones around the homes.

Conditions were "very, very dry" with winds in the canyons gusting up to 80 miles per hour, said Vern Alstot, strike force leader with the Ventura City Fire Department.

Fire officials said winds were expected to continue through Tuesday.