GAVIOTA The Santa Barbara County Fire Department is expecting full containment of the Real Fire by Monday morning.
The fire broke out Thursday afternoon on the northbound side of Highway 101 near El Capitan Canyon. The blaze, which has charred an estimated 420 acres, was considered 80 percent contained Saturday night, fire officials said.
The fire prompted a full closure of the 101 and several evacuation orders.
Fire officials anticipated 90 percent containment by this evening and full control by 6 a.m. Tuesday.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for the South Coast and local mountains. The warning went into effect Friday and was expected to remain in place until 10 p.m. tonight. North wind gusts up to 70 mph are expected, according to weather officials.
More than 20,000 Southern California Edison customers in Santa Barbara County are being considered for the power company’s Public Safety Power Shut-off.
Power outages may occur through this evening, with target areas including portions of Goleta, Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, State Route 154 and other unincorporated areas, according to Edison officials.
For more information on potential outages, visit www.sce.com/safety/psps or call 800-611-1911.
