This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/26/santa-barbara-fire-california-los-padres

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
California: thousands flee from fire burning near Santa Barbara California: thousands flee from fire burning near Santa Barbara
(about 3 hours later)
Up to 6,300 people evacuated and 2,400 homes threatened by wind-driven wildfire that erupted Monday afternoon in Los Padres national forestUp to 6,300 people evacuated and 2,400 homes threatened by wind-driven wildfire that erupted Monday afternoon in Los Padres national forest
Thousands of residents in Southern California have fled their homes because of a wind-driven wildfire burning in mountains near Santa Barbara. Thousands of residents of southern California have fled their homes because of a wind-driven wildfire burning in mountains near Santa Barbara.
As many as 6,300 people have been evacuated and about 2,400 structures were threatened early Tuesday, Santa Barbara county fire spokesman Mike Eliason told KEYT television. Santa Barbara county officials declared a “local emergency” early on Tuesday morning, as the Cave fire spread through the Los Padres national forest.
The fire erupted Monday afternoon in Los Padres national forest, but evacuations were ordered in the town of Goleta, north of Santa Barbara. The fire has grown to about 3,000 acres (1,214 hectares). The fire had erupted Monday afternoon in the forest and quickly spread to about 3,000 acres (1,214 hectares), raising fears for the town of Goleta, north of Santa Barbara.
Weather forecasts have predicted winds with gusts of 60 to 70 mph at times into Tuesday morning but rain is expected later in the day. As many as 6,300 people were evacuated and about 2,400 structures were threatened early on Tuesday, the Santa Barbara county fire spokesman Mike Eliason told KEYT television.
Residents of a local mobile home park evacuated in the middle of the night, but many residents had not left the area, authorities said.
The fire was “causing conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within Santa Barbara county”, officials said, adding: “These conditions are beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of the combined forces of the county’s Operational Area to combat.” Weather forecasts have predicted winds with gusts of 60 to 70 mph at times into Tuesday morning.
The cause of the blaze was unknown, and authorities have not reported injuries or damage as of Tuesday morning.
Daniel Bertucelli, Santa Barbara county fire captain, told the Los Angeles Times that the area’s steep, rocky terrain was creating challenges for crews, and that firefighters were expecting increasing difficulties as winds picked up speed throughout the day.
The Cave fire was also threatening the main transmission lines of Southern California Edison, which provide power to the southern part of the county, officials said, noting that there had been periodic power outages.
An incoming storm was expected to drop an inch of precipitation on the fire area later in the day, which could help stop the blaze. It could also create new challenges, with possible debris flow and roadways being washed out.
Fire officials said the area had not received any rain in 180 days and that the vegetation was ready to burn, causing the exponential growth in early hours. There were also some rugged areas that were too narrow for firefighters’ engines.
The threat of fires has long been a fact of life in the area – in 1990, a major wildfire in the area destroyed more than 400 homes.
But the risk has recently become more intense and more frequent. After a fire in January 2018, devastating mudslides in the Santa Barbara region ravaged the town of Montecito, killing 23 people and destroying 130 homes.
California as a whole has suffered from progressively worsening wildfire seasons in recent years, with the climate crisis exacerbating these threats and fires burning larger areas for longer periods and causing greater damage.
The fires this year in northern and southern California were marked by unprecedented blackouts, with the state utility companies proactively shutting off the power for millions when the risks of fires burning and spreading were high. The overall damage this year, however, has been significantly less severe than the previous two years.