Firefighters continued to gain ground overnight in the battle with a vegetation fire that has charred 632 acres in Miguelito Canyon south of Lompoc.
Thousands of homes and others structures were threatened at one point, but none was damaged by the blaze, which was 90 percent contained as of Thursday morning, according to Capt. David Sadecki of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Containment lines were holding, aided by lower-than-expected 10 mph winds, and San Miguelito Road was expected to reopen by 7 p.m. Wednesday, he said.
Tuesday’s gusty winds somewhat subsided as 550 personnel worked to put out the blaze on foot and via air tankers and helicopters amid warm and dry conditions in heavy brush. By Thursday morning, many crews were being released, often to go assist with other Southern California wildfires.
No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the fire remained under investigation.
The fire began shortly before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 2500 block of San Miguelito Road, Sadecki said.
Flames threatened hundreds of area structures, and large-scale evacuations were ordered throughout Miguelito Canyon, using a reverse notification call through the 9-1-1 system.
More evacuations were also ordered in Lompoc, and Sadecki estimated that 1,200 residences and commercial properties were affected, including the Superior Court building in Lompoc.
Sadecki said officials were most concerned about structures to the north of the blaze, including in the city of Lompoc.
Total costs to combat the fire were estimated at $225,000, he said.
“Santa Barbara County Fire Department is working closely with Cal Fire to manage the fire and its resources,” Sadecki said. “Local operational area resources, along with resources throughout Southern California, are fighting the fire.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.