Alisal Fire containment up to 78%
A blue jay stands on rocks above Refugio Canyon in the Alisal Fire burn area on Friday.
The Alisal Fire spans 17,254 acres, and firefighters have contained 78% of the fire’s perimeter as of Sunday evening’s update.
The remaining gaps in containment are steep, hard-to-reach areas, such as one stretch above Las Flores Canyon. Firefighters are monitoring the uncontained perimeter.
As of 1 p.m. Sunday, all evacuation warnings and orders were lifted.
The fire area located south of W. Camino Cielo, east of State Route 1 and west of El Capitán State Beach is limited to residents and those on official business. Those in the area without proof of residency or not on business may be cited by law enforcement.
Southern California Edison employees will be replacing power poles in the area.
Los Padres National Forest Supervisor Kevin Elliott signed an order Saturday prohibiting the entrance into forestlands, including roads and trails, west of Brush Peak, approximately.
The order is effective until Nov. 16, or further notice. A map of the closed area is available at fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd962168.pdf.
Residents of the area may enter the closed area to go home.
First responders are utilizing El Capitán State Beach, Refugio State Beach, Gaviota Beach and associated campgrounds for staging, housing and access. These beaches and campgrounds are closed until Oct. 24.
Motorists on Highway 101 should leave ample room for firefighters and their equipment and focus on the road, warns Los Padres National Forest officials.
Firefighters faced “minimal to moderate” fire activity Sunday with cooler temperatures and increasing humidity. Crews focused on an uncontained stretch on the northwest corner. Spot fires flared up in areas of unburned vegetation and burned out.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined.
Sunday’s wind remained in single digits, though firefighters prepared for overnight gusts of up to 20mph.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles forecasts stronger winds today of 15 to 20mph with gusts as high as 30mph. The relative humidity will be as high as 71%.
A VISION OF TEAMWORK
The California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 has been in command since Wednesday evening. Kristen Allison, a public information officer for the team, said they arrived to a collaborative group of departments.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department has started to create a combined dispatch center that would remove boundary lines between jurisdictions and instead send the closest resources.
The Santa Barbara City Fire Department, Santa Maria Fire Department, Montecito Fire Protection District and the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District have signed onto County Fire’s proposal.
“If there was a question about whether or not we could work together … (the Alisal Fire) confirmed the fact that we can work together,” Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig told the News-Press. “We can look past boundaries and jurisdictions; we’re doing it now.”
The Loma Fire in May also showed inter-departmental cooperation. Santa Barbara City Fire Chief Chris Mailes was out of town, and surrounding departments offered support.
email: ahanshaw@newspress.com
