Firefighters made significant progress on Sunday in their efforts to corral the Lake Fire burning north of the Santa Ynez Valley, as containment jumped to 34%.

After burning for 10 days, the Lake Fire had blackened 38,523 acres as of Sunday evening, and incident commanders estimated it could be fully contained by July 31.

Meanwhile, some signs of normalcy returned to the community, with the reopening of at least one winery affected by road closures on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail.

The fire broke out on the afternoon of July 5 near Zaca Lake, north of Los Olivos, and as of Sunday night some 3,546 personnel were assigned to the incident.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Increased humidity and cooler temperatures have aided the firefighting effort in both the south and north zones. 

For the north zone, crews conducted firing operations and continued to improve fire lines overnight into Sunday, according to Jason Wingard, operations division chief with Incident Management Team 13.

The fire has entered the San Rafael Wilderness, so hand crews must create fire lines using minimal-suppression tactics, Wingard said.

For the south zone near Figueroa Mountain, crews continued to strengthen and reinforce the control lines moving toward the Happy Canyon area, according to Clint Swenson, operations section chief with the CalFire incident management team. 

Firefighters still must deal with hot weather, as temperatures remain in the mid-80s to lower 90s.

Winds have been out of the west-northwest at 5-10 mph, with gusts up to 15 mph Sunday afternoon.

In addition to the pair of fire camps — at the Santa Maria rodeo grounds near Orcutt and the Santa Maria Raceway near Nipomo — a smaller “spike camp” has been established closer to the blaze.

Meanwhile, Santa Barbara County emergency officials announced Sunday that sheriff’s deputies would be at the intersection of Highway 154 and Roblar Avenue with informational packets and N-95 masks for people returning home after being evacuated.

Historic Manzana Schoolhouse Wrapped

Crews again have taken measures to protect the historic Manzana Schoolhouse located in San Rafael Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest. 

The one-room schoolhouse was built around 1893 and last used in 1901 when a small community lived in the area and farmed along the Sisquoc River. A drought led to the sale of the land to the U.S. Forest Service. 

“The schoolhouse has been abandoned since then and ruins of their old homesteads can be found along the Sisquoc River,” according to LPNF website. 

The schoolhouse has been wrapped with reflective foil-like material to protect it from flames should they get close.

The Lower Manzana Trail intersects with the Sisquoc Trail and reaches the Sisquoc River near the Schoolhouse.

Assorted measures have been taken in the past to protect historic schoolhouse including the Zaca and La Brea fires.

Although the Lake Fire threatened nearly hundreds of structures, officials said three have been destroyed and one has been damaged.

They reportedly included recreational residences and an outbuilding. Additionally, a campground was damaged by the fire.

County Leaders Declare Local Emergency

After county leaders declared a local emergency Friday, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors is expected to ratify the proclamation during Tuesday’s meeting.

“The July 2024 Lake Fire is still burning and continuing to create dangerous conditions to the safety and well-being of persons and property within Santa Barbara County,” said County Executive Officer Mona Miyasato.

“In addition, the longer this emergency goes on the greater impact it will have on the economy of our county.”

Affected Wineries Reopening

The reopening of some roads allowed normalcy to resume for those on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail affected by the fire during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Zaca Mesa Winery, 6905 Foxen Canyon Road, announced its reopening Saturday. 

“Foxen Canyon Road is accessible and walk-ins are welcome, so please come by and say hello!

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the firefighters for their continued work on the Lake Fire and for keeping us safe,” Zaca Mesa representatives posted on social media.

The fire forced Foxen Vineyard and Winery to reschedule its annual wine club member event. Instead of this weekend, it’s now set for Aug. 4.

“To say we are bummed about not being able to host our Annual Anchor Club BBQ this weekend is an understatement (shakes fist in the general direction of the Lake Fire),” Foxen representatives posted on social media.

2 Vegetation Fires in San Luis Obispo County

As crews continue to battle the Lake Fire, two other blazes broke out in eastern San Luis Obispo County on Saturday. 

The Hurricane Fire near Santa Margarita had blackened 12,6780 acres (lower than initial estimates), with 10% containment achieved as of Sunday afternoon. The firefighting effort has been led by the Bureau of Land Management California.

The Soda Fire had burned 161 acres with containment at 50% on Sunday.

Evacuation Orders, Warnings & Road Closures

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