Rattlesnake bites woman along hiking trail in Ventura County

Paramedics airlifted a woman to a local hospital after a rattlesnake bit her along a Simi Valley hiking trail on Thursday. 

The Ventura County Fire Department said the woman was walking along Long Canyon Trail in Wood Ranch when the snake bit her. Firefighters sent crews on the ground and in the air before airlifting the woman in a stable condition. 

Ventura County Fire said this is the seventh rattlesnake bite reported since mid-March. 

The recent heatwaves and uncharacteristically hot winter kicked off the rattlesnake season earlier this year.   

"As temperatures rise, rattlesnakes become more active in the forest," the U.S. Forest Service said in a social media post last month. "Stay alert, watch where you step and keep pets close."

The Forest Service urged hikers and nature enthusiasts to be wary as they explore the outdoors. Experts said rattlesnakes are often found on or near trails, in brush and around rocks and logs. 

Ventura County Fire urged hikers to remain on marked trails, wear boots or long pants and to look before stepping over rocks or logs. 

"In the event of a rattlesnake bite, it is critical to remain calm, limit movement, and immediately call 911. Do not apply a tourniquet or attempt to remove venom—these actions can cause more harm," VCFD wrote. 

Last month, two people in Southern California, a woman in Moorpark and a man in Orange County, died after being bitten by a rattlesnake.