Dangerous 'sundowner' winds made Montecito fire explode

The fire in the hills of Montecito destroyed dozens of homes in what seemed like a flash Thursday evening, fanned by a weather pattern unique to the Santa Barbara area.

Firefighters say the Tea blaze was fanned by "sundowner winds." The "sundowners" have been the cause of numerous devastating fires along Santa Barbara's mountainous east-west coastline, bringing heavy Santa Ana-like winds -- in the case of Montecito, blowing up to 80 mph -- around sunset. "Sundowners" caused a 1990 blaze that destroyed hundreds of homes in Santa Barbara County.

The sundowner effect can be so destructive because of the violent clash of hot air from the Santa Ynez Mountains and the cool air of the Pacific Ocean. According to Accuweather, "This katabatic [downhill] wind warms and dries out the air as it descends the mountains and displaces the usually cool, moist air at the coast. When the wind is funneled through the passes and coastal canyons it can cause wind gusts of tropical storm of hurricane force. Two cities, Goleta and Montecito, are places where the strongest winds can usually be found."

UCLA professor Warren Blier described the weather event this way:

Called Sundowner winds because they often begin in the late afternoon or early evening, their onset is typically associated with a rapid rise in temperature and decrease in relative humidity. In the most extreme Sundowner wind events, wind speeds can be of gale force or higher, and temperatures over the coastal plain, and even at the coast itself, can rise significantly above 37.8°C (100°F). In addition to causing a dramatic change from the more typical marine-influenced local weather conditions, Sundowner wind episodes have resulted in significant property and agricultural damage, as well as extreme fire danger. They have, in fact, been associated with many of the most destructive conflagrations that have occurred in the Santa Barbara region.

Sundowners are similar to the Santa Ana winds that have fueled many brush fires around Southern California. Both are formed by strong surface high pressure over the great basin, according to the Montecito Fire Department:

Sundowners are also formed by building high pressure, however, this high pressure is much weaker but much closer to the Santa Barbara South Coast. Usually when the winds are fairly strong along the Central Coast of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties to the north, high pressure builds near Santa Maria behind the Santa Ynez range. As this high pressure builds, the same rule comes in play ... air flows from high to low pressure. Air pushes through the passes and canyons of the Santa Ynez Range, especially through the Gaviota Pass, San Marcos Pass, Montecito foothills, and some smaller canyons. The wind that results is more of a northwest to northeast wind and is usually quite strong.

-- Shelby Grad

Photo: Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times

Click here for more photos from the fire area.

Comments

[William Graves]

Extremely tragic that so many homes were burned. It is a blessing to know that there was no loss of life. I guess most of the homes are like vacation homes for people that live in the Mid-West and East Coast. I am a big fan of Oprah Winfrey I hope one of her homes was not destroyed. I heard story of how she was looking at real estate in Montecito and fell in love with a property. The property was not for sale but she offered the owners around $50 million dollars to purchase it. (Must be nice) So I guess it was a win win situation. Be kind of nice to know who the couple was that sold the house. Also what they are doing now with the additional funds. Its also interesting to note that near that area Michael Jackson deeded over Never Never land to a corporation. The big question there is he a on the board of the corporation. I imagine could make great profits with a gated community built on 2,500 acres of prime California real estate. Oh well so much for speculation about other peoples money. I wish all effected by these events the best. If you have any comments please email me at geedollaz@gmail.com put LA times in the subject so that it will stand out from all the spam I get.

[Mary]

I attended first grade at Our Lady of Mt Carmel in 1964-65.

I have very vivid memories of the fires that year that hit Montecito and the surrounding area, threatening the school, my friends' homes, and our apartment in Summerland.

My mother has Alzheimers and still worries about wildfires and earthquakes even though we've been on the East Coast for decades now.

Keep safe, everyone!

[Sophia Davidson]

Mr. Graves I really hope you delete your comment. Many of my friend's homes burned that they live in YEAR ROUND and had been for over 30 years. You are talking about Oprah's 50 million deal and how it was a win win and then Michael Jackson. This is a tragedy, people lost everything and you commenting for self promotion. This is disgusting.

[monica Ashton]

Does anyone know if Casa de Maria burned? I went there for a retreat once. Beautiful spot. Hope its ok...

[Lisa]

Actually, the neighborhood the fire is in contains mostly homes that people live in every day. They are not vacation homes. The section the fire is in is burning middle class (for Santa Barbara) homes far more than the few mansions that get the attention.

[Jennifer]

Anyone hear if the Brooks Institute of Photography's original campus was effected?

[Kate]

Jennifer -

My husband, a Brooks grad, is up in Santa Barbara today. There is no report that the original campus has any harm. However, my friend (also a Brooks grad), who rented a place up in Montecito, just lost everything except her 5D, laptop, and puppy dog.

[Ruthie Kosh]

We live around the "corner" from original Brooks school. We did have to evacuate last night, but we are basically all fine and untouched other than smoke so far. Brooks is a beautiful place and so happy it has not been destroyed by fire.

[Bill]

Simoom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Simoom (Arabic: سموم‎ samūm; from the root سم s-m-m, "to poison") is a strong, dry, dust-laden local wind that blows in the Sahara, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and the deserts of Arabian Peninsula. Alternative spellings include samiel, sameyel, samoon, samun, simoun, and simoon. Its temperature may exceed 54°C and the humidity may fall below 10%.

The storm moves in cyclone (circular) form, carrying clouds of dust and sand, and produces on men and animals a suffocating effect. The name means "poison wind" and is given because the sudden onset of simoom may also cause heat stroke. This is attributed to the fact that the hot wind brings more heat to the body than can be disposed of by the evaporation of perspiration.

A 19th-century account of simoom in Egypt goes:

Egypt is also subject, particularly during the spring and summer, to the hot wind called the "samoom," which is still more oppressive than the khamáseen winds, but of much shorter duration, seldom lasting longer than a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. It generally proceeds from the south-east or south-south-east, and carries with it clouds of dust and sand.[1]

United States:

A Simoom also struck Santa Barbara, California in 1859 bringing the local morning temperature from a cool 77 degrees to 133 degrees within a couple hours. The temperature stayed in around 130 degrees for the majority of the day and left as quickly as it came leaving many animals dead and people fearing the end of the world had come. This temperature of 133 degrees held the record for a long time.

[Joanna Pauli Hussey]

Does anyone know if the home at 1111 Alston Road in Montecito was affected?
I used to live there many years ago.

[Lynnette Cabrera]

Does anyone know how North Sierra Vista Road is faring during the fires. My partner's childhood home at 335 N. Sierra Vista Road burnt down in the 70's and his father rebuilt the same house on that site. They have since sold it and we can see it on street view google, but hope it's ok. Our thoughts go out to the fire victims!

[Marcee]

Please update readers if anyone knows about Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and the Casa de Maria Retreat House. I cannot find any current status information.Please advise if you know anything. (Saturday 1:00 pm)

[david medina]

i hope brooks burns down!!!! they dont even own anymore. they sold it!!!! 40 years of excellence and in 4 years the school goes completely downhill, i wish they never sold it and it burns

i truly feel sorry for everyone else that lives around that forsaken place, i wish the best for your homes

[mary]

Have heard form La Casa folks and Immaculate Heart. Both are ok, but all guests and staff did evacuate. Keep praying. Mt Carmel is ok, too.

[sandra weisz]

the house on 1111 altson rd was not an affected part of montecito. i asked someone who lives up there to look. and it's o.k