Part of the Rancho Alegre Boy Scout Camp near Lake Cachuma lies in smouldering ruins after the Whittier Fire surged through the facility. 
Flames from the Whittier Fire near Lake Cachuma burn through a ranch on the south side of Highway 154. 
Charred terrain in the Santa Ynez Valley Sunday in the wake of the Whittier Fire. 
Flames burn intensely Saturday in the area of the Circle V Ranch Camp in the Santa Ynez Valley. 
An out-building burns at Camp Whittier in the Santa Ynez Valley on Saturday. 
Fire was burning Saturday afternoon in the area of Camp Whittier in the Santa Ynez Valley. 
A view of the Whittier Fire from Santa Ynez Peak. 
A Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department vehicle is destroyed by the Whittier Fire Saturday. 
A plume of smoke from the Whittier Fire near Lake Cachuma is visible from western Goleta. 
Crews responded Saturday afternoon to a vegetation fire burning in the Camp Whittier area near Lake Cachuma. 
Crews responded Saturday afternoon to a vegetation fire burning in the Camp Whittier area near Lake Cachuma. 
A Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department vehicle is destroyed by the Whittier Fire Saturday. 
A Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department vehicle is destroyed by the Whittier Fire Saturday. 
The Whittier Fire burns Saturday. 
The Whittier Fire burns near Lake Cachuma Saturday. 
A Santa Barbara County firefighter works during the Whittier Fire Saturday. 
Firefighters prepare to battle the Whittier Fire Saturday. 
Smoke from the Whittier Fire fills the sky, as seen from the Lake Cachuma kiosk. 
Roadways are clouded with smoke from the Whittier Fire Saturday. 
Roadways are clouded with smoke from the Whittier Fire Saturday. 
Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Eric Peterson responds to the Whittier Fire Saturday. 
A helicopter picks up a load of water at Lake Cachuma while battling the Whittier Fire. 
Flames from the Whittier Fire near Lake Cachuma burn toward a ranch on the south side of Highway 154. 
About 12 minutes later, flames burn through the ranch land on the south side of Highway 154. 
Flames from the Whittier Fire near Lake Cachuma burn through a ranch on the south side of Highway 154. 
Flames from the Whittier Fire near Lake Cachuma burn through a ranch on the south side of Highway 154. 
A Santa Barbara City Fire Department vehicle drives on Highway 154 toward flames burning east of Lake Cachuma Saturday. 
Search and Rescue team members respond to the Whittier Fire. 
Smoke from the Whittier Fire as seen from Cachuma Lake Recreation Area. 
Fire personnel at the scene of the Whittier Fire Saturday. 
The Whittier Fire burns east after starting near Lake Cachuma Saturday. 
People worked to evacuate themselves and their animals during the Whittier Fire Saturday. In this photo, zebras can be seen in the background. 
The Whittier Fire burns Saturday. 
The Whittier Fire burns across the roadway Saturday. 
Smoke from the Whittier Fire seen from a ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley area. 
Smoke plumes from the Whittier Fire seen Saturday. 
A Chumash Casino & Resort bus was used to help evacuate campers from the fire. 
A Santa Barbara City Fire Department crew helps battle the Whittier Fire. 
Santa Barbara City Fire Department crew helps battle the Whittier Fire.
A vegetation fire near Lake Cachuma in the Santa Ynez Valley remained “completely out of control” on Sunday, and residents and campers were evacuated throughout the area, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
The most recent size-up indicated the wildfire that started along Highway 154 near Lake Cachuma had blackened more than 7,800 acres, a number that undoubtedly will continue to grow as the blaze burns.
Containment was at 5 percent as of the Sunday morning brief.
“We’ve got air tankers really hitting it hard at the head on the east and on the south edge, to keep it from going over the ridge (toward the South Coast),” fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni said Saturday, before the fire crested the ridgeline.
The south side of the blaze, where the flames went up the Santa Ynez range and breached the ridge in the area of Condor Ridge, charring some 1,500 acres, will be the priority on Sunday.
“That's the priority today,” Zaniboni said. “The aircraft will be hitting it hard.”
Flames were clearly visible from western Goleta above Tecolote, Eagle and Las Varas canyons.
Winds in the area were light.
Just before 10 p.m., an evacuation warning was issued for the area north of Highway 101, from Winchester Canyon Road west to Las Varas Canyon. Residents in the area were encouraged to prepare for possible evacuation.
Shortly before midnight, the residents at the upper end of Farren Road were ordered to evacuate.
The blaze started at about 1:40 p.m. Saturday near Camp Whittier, at 2400 Highway 154, and may have been sparked by a car fire, according to the California Highway Patrol.
At Circle V Ranch Camp & Retreat Center, 2550 Highway 154, some 90 children and 50 staff members were unable to be evacuated because of the fire’s erratic conditions, Zaniboni said.
He said they were sheltering in place at the camp, protected by U.S. Forest Service firefighters who were with them.
After several hours, the group was able to leave safely, Zaniboni said. Buses from the Chumash Casino Resort brought them to Mission Santa Inés in Solvang, where they were reunited with their families.
Several structures in the area of the camp were damaged or destroyed by flames, Zaniboni said.
There also were reports that many of the buildings at Rancho Alegre Boy Scout Camp, 2680 Highway 154, were destroyed by fire. The Outdoor School at Rancho Alegre serves as the home for science camp for many sixth-graders in the county.
A sheriff’s patrol vehicle broke down along the highway, and was destroyed by the fire.
Nearby Camp Whittier, which gave the fire its name, was evacuated, and Highway 154 was shut down between Highway 246 and Santa Barbara, the CHP said.
The Sheriff’s Department issued an immediate evacuation order of the Highway 154 corridor in the Lake Cachuma area, including Paradise Road and West Camino Cielo.
The Lake Cachuma campground also was being evacuated, Zaniboni said.
Evacuation centers were opened at San Marcos High School, 4750 Hollister Ave. in Santa Barbara, and Santa Ynez School, 3325 Pine St. in Santa Ynez.
Flames were moving in an eastward direction, and burning on both sides of Highway 154. By 5 p.m., they had traveled about three miles from where the fire started.
As of 5:30 p.m. flames had reached Live Oak Camp, but the rate of spread had slowed considerably.
Temperatures in the area of the fire were reported to be around 100 degrees, with west winds of 15-18 mph. Humidity was an arid 18 percent.
The towering column of smoke from the fire was visible throughout Santa Barbara County.
Small animals that owners can evacuate were being accepted at the Santa Barbara Humane Society, 5399 Overpass Road in Santa Barbara, and people with questions or need of assistance evacuating large animals, including horses, were advised to call 805.681.4332.
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— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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