Before extra equipment and personnel could arrive on Wednesday, firefighters concentrated on creating a “box” around the blaze – clearing the selected areas around the fire of brush and fuel on all sides, the Lompoc Record reported.
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A massive brush fire burning in Santa Barbara County has expanded to 2,000 acres and remains at zero percent containment, officials said Friday.
The fire started Wednesday afternoon and burned 250 acres.
Depending on which way the winds end up blowing, up to 140 homes and risks are now at risk.
This area hasn’t see a major fire in decades, making the vegetation quick to light up.
Wildfires are burning in four USA states as temperatures are threatening record highs, with mass evacuations having taken place in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
Several campgrounds and canyon areas were evacuated when the fire erupted Wednesday afternoon.
“They’re working on painting the ridgeline with retardant to the west of us to give the boots on the ground, or our hand crews who are working to actively fight the fire, a stronger chance at slowing the fire from moving east, which is the direction it’s predicted to go later today”, explained Amber Anderson of the Santa Barbara City Fire Department. There have been no reports of any structures being damaged.
According to CBS News, the fire began on Wednesday near Santa Barbara and has prompted ExxonMobil to evacuate non-essential staff from the Las Flores Canyon refinery.
The fire has no containment so far, but no injuries or buildings have been lost.
Some structures burned near the small community of Chilili, but it was not clear whether they were homes. Officials also told thousands of residents in Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside and three other communities Wednesday to prepare for possible evacuations. It’s charred almost 2 square miles of dry canyon brush, and there’s no containment.
“This is a significant and hard incident”, Santa Barbara County Fire Department Chief Eric Peterson told KTLA. Authorities evacuated 400 homes and businesses, Reuters reported.
Winds were expected to push the blaze to the east and southeast, away from more heavily populated areas on the northwest flank of the burn area, Helmich said. Officials are concerned “sundowner” winds could pose a danger to Refugio Canyon, where 60 homes are located, and El Capitan Ranch, where 80 homes are located.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Hundreds of people have been forced to leave their homes in California over the threat from a huge wildfire to an oil processing terminal.
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The blaze burned down to US 101 overnight, forcing closure of one of California’s major north-south highways from 8:30 p.m. Thursday until it was reopened shortly before dawn Friday.
