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.
Lake Fire Still California’s Largest of the Year
The Lake Fire is the largest wildfire in California so far this year, a designation it hit only a few days after it started on July 5.
At a wildfire prevention and response event, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state is seeing bigger fires this year than the last few years. Heavy rains led to lots of grass and other light vegetation, which fuel brush fires, he said.
As of this week, the state has reported 4,213 wildfires and 270,278 acres burned. That’s 670 more fires than CalFire reported on July 10.
Besides the Lake Fire, Santa Barbara County has reported several wildfires in July including a Santa Maria riverbed fire, a vegetation fire off Paradise Road and Highway 154, and a 50-acre wildfire in the Cuyama Valley.
Community Resources
Santa Barbara County officials encouraged residents to sign up for emergency alerts and report property damage or economic loss from the fire.
Damage reports will help the county advocate for state and federal grants, said Kelly Hubbard, Office of Emergency Management director.
- For farm or agricultural damages, visit the Agricultural Commissioners Disaster Resources or submit a report directly to USDA here.
- For private property and business owners, complete the Private Property & Business Disaster Damage Report Form.