Firefighters Mount Attack Against Sherpa Fire Burning on the Gaviota Coast

At midday June 18, the 4-day-old Sherpa Fire had burned more than 7,600 acres along the rugged Gaviota coast west of Goleta. Officials say the wildfire is 45 percent contained. (Tom Bolton / Noozhawk)
(Tom Bolton / Noozhawk)
Firefighters tend to spot fires and sparks while crews conduct back-burning operations to clear vegetation ahead of the Sherpa Fire, currently burning toward Las Llagas Canyon, about six miles west of Goleta. (Tom Bolton / Noozhawk)
Pretty impressive. (Ron Williams photo)
Smoke billows from the Sherpa Fire Friday morning. (Urban Hikers / Noozhawk)
The Sherpa Fire had burned 4,000 acres as of Friday morning. (Urban Hikers / Noozhawk)
Fire crews work to control the Sherpa Fire Thursday night. (Ryan Cullom / Noozhawk)
How close did the Sherpa Fire come to El Capitán State Beach the night of June 16? Too close. (Ryan Cullom / Noozhawk photo)
Smoke from the Sherpa Fire filled the sky Thursday night, seen from Eagle Canyon Creek Road. (Fritz Olenberger)
(Steve Kennedy)
Vehicles are stopped northbound on Highway 101 in front of El Capitan Canyon prior the freeway being closed Thursday night. (Brian Olmstead / Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department photo)
Flames approach Calle Real near El Capitan State Park Thursday night and officials decide to close Highway 101 between Goleta and Buellton for second night in a row. (Ryan Cullom / Noozhawk)
(Paul Otte)
A skycrane helicopter makes a drop on the Highway 101 center divider at El Capitan State Park. (Mike Eliason / Santa Barbara County Fire Department photo)
(Steve Kennedy)
A tractor-trailer drives by a fire in the center median of Highway 101 near El Capitan State Park Thursday night. (Mike Eliason / Santa Barbara County Fire Department photo)
Firefighters shelter behind an engine as flames from the Sherpa Fire approach Calle Real west of Goleta in June 2016. (Mike Eliason / Santa Barbara County Fire Department file photo)
Sherpa Fire smoke seen from Foothill Road near Santa Barbara. (Ann Shaw)
An air tanker drops flame retardant on the east flank of the Sherpa Fire Thursday afternoon. (Mike Eliason / Santa Barbara County Fire Department)
The Sherpa Fire could be seen from Solvang on Thursday. (Shelley Garvey )
The Sherpa Fire grew to more than 1,200 acres overnight and a full air attack continued Thursday. (Ryan Cullom / Noozhawk)
Firefighters keep an eye on the fast-growing Sherpa Fire that started Wednesday afternoon near Refugio Road on the Gaviota coast. (Urban Hikers / Noozhawk)
Firefighters set back fires to burn vegetation before the Sherpa Fire arrives to the area. (Ryan Cullom / Noozhawk)
Firefighters set back fires to burn vegetation before the Sherpa Fire arrives to the area. (Ryan Cullom / Noozhawk)
A bear heads away from the smoke of the Sherpa Fire Thursday morning. (Urban Hikers / Noozhawk)
A Santa Barbara County Fire Department vehicle is speckled with fire retardant at the Dos Pueblos High School base camp in Goleta. (Giana Magnoli / Noozhawk)
The Goleta hills are partially obscured by the smoke from the Sherpa Fire Thursday morning. (Giana Magnoli / Noozhawk)
CalFire Unit Chief Scott Jalbert and Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Eric Peterson answer questions about the Sherpa Fire Thursday morning. (Brooke Holland / Noozhawk)
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown says the department sent out emergency notifications to more than 400 homes and businesses, including mandatory evacuation and warning notices. (Brooke Holland / Noozhawk)
Flames from the Sherpa Fire, which began in Refugio Canyon, approach the oil and gas processing plant in Las Flores Canyon late Wednesday night. (Mike Eliason / Santa Barbara County Fire Department)
The Sherpa Fire approaches the ExxonMobil Las Flores Canyon oil and gas facility late Wednesday night. The facility has been idle since last year’s Refugio Oil Spill and offshore oil platform shutdown. (Ryan Cullom / Noozhawk )
(Diego Topete / Noozhawk )
The smoke from the Sherpa Fire could be seen from Farren Road west of Goleta. (Susan Deacon)
An air tanker makes a drop of fire retardant on a vegetation fire burning Wednesday in Refugio Canyon near Gaviota. (Ryan Cullom / Noozhawk)
A aerial view of the Sherpa Fire burning Wednesday night in Refugio Canyon near Gaviota. (Mark Nunez / Air Attack 07)
(Mike Eliason / Santa Barbara County Fire Department )
Fire agencies responded to the Refugio Canyon area Wednesday for a vegetation fire that burned quickly through heavy chapparal. (Ryan Cullom / Noozhawk)
(Diego Topete / Noozhawk)
Smoke from the Sherpa Fire seen from Noleta Wednesday evening. (Lauren Hanson)
Smoke from the Sherpa Fire was visible from miles away on the Gaviota Coast Wednesday. (Ryan Cullom / Noozhawk)
A giant DC-10 air tanker drops a load of retardant on the vegetation fire burning in Refugio Canyon. (Mike Eliason / Santa Barbara County Fire Department )
An air tanker makes a drop of fire retardant on a vegetation fire burning Wednesday in Refugio Canyon near Gaviota. (Ryan Cullom / Noozhawk)
The U.S. Forest Service, Santa Barbara County Fire Department and other agencies worked together to fight a vegetation fire near Gaviota Wednesday. (Ryan Cullom / Noozhawk)