Authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders for Refugio Canyon, Las Flores Canyon and Venadito Canyon Road areas, including the oil and gas processing plant, and warnings for El Capitán Canyon and El Capitán State Beach about 5 p.m. Wednesday.
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The fire was reported about 3:30 p.m. near the freeway off of Refugio Road, said Andrew Madsen, a spokesman for the Los Padres National Forest.
Exxon operates a 149,500 barrels-per-day refinery at its refinery in Torrance. It was burning in the Las Flores Canyon toward West Camino Cielo.
Emergency notifications through the 911 system were made to 235 phone lines in the mandatory evacuation and warning areas.
About a dozen homes are threatened but are being protected, and the oil refinery has a cleared buffer zone around it, county fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni said.
According to the Los Padres National Forest Service website, there are eight air tankers, three heavy helitankers, three medium helicopters and two separate airplanes fighting the fire.
The Scherpa Fire, which by 6 p.m. Wednesday forced residents from four Gaviota canyons to evacuate. “We’ve got a full response”.
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Multiple fire agencies were battling the blaze from both ground and air, KEYT reported. A unsafe wind advisory was in effect until 6 a.m. Thursday, though the gusts are expected to diminish somewhat as the night goes on.
