California Wildfire Reaches 7,000 Acres

June 8, 2004
A wildfire burning in Santa Barbara County that charred 7,030 acres and destroyed one home will take firefighters several more days to control, officials said.

GAVIOTA, Calif. (AP) -- A wildfire burning in Santa Barbara County that charred 7,030 acres and destroyed one home will take firefighters several more days to control, officials said.

The fire was about 40 percent contained by Monday evening, with full containment expected Thursday evening, said Mike Richwine, division chief for the California Department of Forestry.

Firefighters at the north end of the blaze were working to keep the fire from spilling over a steep ridge and further into the forest, said Barry Peckham, spokesman for the Los Padres National Forest.

Residents from the 150-home, gated community of Hollister Ranch who had been evacuated were allowed to return home and one lane on both southbound and northbound lanes of Highway 101 was open from Santa Barbara to Buellton, Peckham said. Officials had closed the highway Saturday night due to nearby flames.

One home was destroyed and three outbuildings were damaged. The Arguello and Shell Oil refineries and a nearby school reported minor damages. Workers were repairing damaged train trestles owned by Union Pacific Railway just south of Gaviota and company officials hoped to resume rail service in a week.

No major injuries were reported. Richwine said two firefighters returned to the fire after being treated for minor injuries.

The fire broke out before noon Saturday in a section of the Gaviota Pass, about 27 miles north of Santa Barbara, and burned across narrow canyons and steep hillsides covered with chaparral.

The cause was under investigation.

In Orange County, firefighters contained 90 percent of a fire that burned 55 acres in Irvine Regional Park, Capt. Stephen Miller of the county fire authority said Monday.

Two firefighters suffered heat-related injuries, he said, and there were no reports of damages. The fire started Sunday and its cause was under investigation.

Related:

California Wildfire Burns 6,000 Acres

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Firehouse, create an account today!