Firefighters continued battling a large, fast-moving vegetation fire in the rugged Zaca Lake area of Los Padres National Forest Friday night, as authorities issued evacuation warnings.
Crews from both Santa Barbara County and the U.S. Forest Service were dispatched to the blaze — dubbed the Lake Fire and north of the Santa Ynez Valley — shortly before 3:45 p.m.
The Lake Fire burning near Zaca Lake had blackened an estimated 400 acres by Friday evening. Credit: Ray Ford / Noozhawk photo 
A helicopter drops retardant on the fire burning near Zaca Lake on Friday afternoon. Credit: Ray Ford / Noozhawk photo 
Flames burn along the top of a ridge near Zaca Lake on Friday afternoon. Credit: Ray Ford / Noozhawk photo 
A helicopter drops retardant on the fire burning near Zaca Lake on Friday afternoon. Credit: Ray Ford / Noozhawk photo 
Flames burn along a ridge top near Zaca Lake on Friday afternoon. Credit: Santa Barbara County Fire Department photo 
A large head of smoke is visible from a vegetation fire burning Friday afternoon in the Zaca Lake area north of the Santa Ynez Valley. Credit: Ray Ford / Noozhawk photo 
A large head of smoke is visible from a vegetation fire burning Friday afternoon in the Zaca Lake area north of the Santa Ynez Valley. Credit: Bryan Murray photo 
The Lake Fire rages in a view across the Santa Ynez Valley from Coyote Ridge Ranch on Oak View Road. Credit: Cassandra Grant photo
As of 10:50 p.m., the fire had blackened an estimated 4,673 acres, according to Capt Scott Safechuck of the county Fire Department.
As the fire continued to burn late Friday night, Santa Barbara County authorities issued an evacuation warning for residents along Figueroa Mountain Road — from the Forest Station to the Chamberlin Ranch.
A second evacuation warning was issued early Saturday for areas north of Zaca Lake Road, east of Foxen Canyon Road, and south of the Sisquoc River.
A large fleet of firefighting aircraft — both fixed wing and helicopters — also was assigned to the fire, which responding crews said appeared to have started behind Grass Mountain.
The flames were threatening the Zaca Lake Resort, and county fire officials said the resort had been evacuated.
Temperatures in the area were in the 90s and above, with wind gusts to 21 mph, and very low relative humidity.
“The fire has been reported to be burning with a rapid rate of spread. A significant amount of resources have been ordered for the incident,'” according to an update on the Incident Information System or InciWeb.
As the sun set, California Highway Patrol emergency dispatchers received multiple calls from drivers reporting a fire burning in the area, but authorities determined callers could see the Lake Fire’s flames.
State workers were preparing to activate electronic signs recommending people avoid taking Highway 154 as a precaution due to the Lake Fire and to help reduce calls, according to CHP emergency dispatch reports.
The fire ignited 17 years and one day after the massive Zaca Fire, which started in the same vicinity, and blackened more than 240,200 acres.. It burned for months, and was the state’s larger wildfire in 2007.
It also became the second largest fire for California, but has since fallen to 12th.
Check back with Noozhawk for updates to this story.
Noozhawk North County Editor Janene Scully contributed to this report.