The effort to stop Santa Barbara County’s Lake Fire reached a major milestone Monday: 90% containment.
This blaze has charred 38,664 acres since it started on July 5 near Zaca Lake in the eastern Santa Ynez Valley.
Firefighters are still extinguishing hot spots, with the help of
water-dropping helicopters, incident commanders said. Fire progression
maps show little growth in recent days.
Commanders started demobilizing resources last week
– including hand crews, heavy equipment operators and air support –
according to Garrett Huff, deputy chief of emergency operations for
County Fire.
The firefighting effort grew to about 3,500 people at its peak and that was down to 1,600 personnel as of Monday.
Firefighters are starting to remove hose lines and pump systems
around structures, which were used as protection during the blaze, Los
Padres National Forest officials said.
The fire-resistant foil-like wrapping around historic Manzana Schoolhouse and Dabney Cabin will also be removed, they said.
The fire area has an excessive heat warning in effect through 10
p.m. Thursday, with daytime highs in the 90s in the Figueroa Mountain
area.
That
hot, dry weather could dry out vegetation and cause more activity in
unburned “islands” of vegetation within the fire perimeter, according to
fire officials.
Seven firefighters have been injured, but officials have not
disclosed details. There have been several reports of heat exhaustion
and at least one person was transported to the hospital for treatment.
Fire officials described some injuries as traumatic but not
life-threatening.
Santa Barbara County has lifted most evacuation orders and
warnings but there are some active evacuation zones within or near the
burn area.
Check the interactive map here for the most recent evacuation information and resources for people returning home.
Los Padres National Forest has a closure order in effect for nearby forest areas and associated roads, through Aug. 18.
The cause of the Lake Fire is still under investigation.
No comments:
Post a Comment