USAF Crews Battle Brush Fire

Firefighters from Vandenberg AFB, Santa Barbara County crews, USFS and CALFIRE responded to a fast-moving brush fire on Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Vandenberg AFB firefighters found a fire in medium to heavy brush, threatening several buildings.

Mutual aid was quickly requested, and resources began to pour in from the Central Coast to assist in containing this swift-moving fire.

Thick manzanita, oak, pines and dense brush were some of the types of fuel feeding the fire. High winds also fanned the flames, and power lines in the path of the fire made firefighting difficult.

Power was shut off before crews moved into the burn area. Several air tankers, including a drop from the DC-10, and helicopters aided in knocking out the fire.

Traffic on Highway 1 was quickly shut down by CHP to allow resources rapid access to the fire.

The fire burned throughout the day, and into the night as firefighters made good progress to contain the blaze. The fire was fully contained by Saturday.

Crews remained on the fire for several days mopping up, and ensuring all hot spots were out.