Firefighters have fully contained a five-acre fire off Paradise Road in Los Padres National Forest, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Joe Pasinato said.
The blaze started about a half-mile from the Los Prietos Ranger Station by a trailhead just off Highway 154. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
The Forest Service and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department arrived within minutes of the fire starting. Aerial assistance — including helicopters and air tankers — was ordered, but Pasinato wasn’t sure how extensively aircraft were used.
The temperature was hot, about 100 degrees, and there was low relative humidity. Two firefighters were treated for heat-related injuries, Pasinato said.
The hot, dry weather is expected to continue for the next few days, and Pasinato urged people to stay well-hydrated and watch fire usage very carefully, especially with vegetation being tinder dry.
Although the fire started across the road from structures, none was threatened as the fire moved in the opposite direction, Pasinato said.
Fire crews will remain on the scene until midnight and firefighters will patrol overnight. Crews will return Saturday to mop up the rest.
— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com.
