Santa Ana winds up to 50 mph expected in L.A., forecasters say

Powerful Santa Ana winds are expected to begin blowing Wednesday night across Southern California, heightening the risk of wildfires, forecasters said.

Wind gusts from 30 mph to 50 mph are expected expected across a wide swath of the region, including the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys and along the Grapevine , according to the National Weather Service. The dry northeast winds, coupled with low humidity, are expected to last until Friday evening.

"The state will be set for potentially bringing the strongest and most widespread Santa Ana wind event so far this season," the agency said in a statement Tuesday evening. "Dry fuels will bring the potential for critical fire weather conditions."

The agency issued fire weather watches, which signal elevated brush-fire danger, from San Luis Obispo to San Diego counties. 

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Crews hope to contain Santa Barbara County fire by Friday

 

Firefighters expect to fully contain a brush fire in the rugged mountains above Santa Barbara by Friday evening, officials said Thursday.

The Lookout fire has scorched about 44 acres since it broke out near Highway 154 and Painted Cave Road at about 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. David Sadecki said. The acreage was originally reported between 20 and 25 acres, but officials said better mapping led to a more accurate estimate.

Crews managed to stem "significant" activity overnight and doubled the containment to about 75%, Sadecki said. The plan for Thursday is to finish control lines, keep the fire from growing and begin mop-up efforts with hopes of fully containing the fire by 6 p.m. Friday.

The fire is burning in a steep, rugged area Sadecki described as a "bowling alley" given the number of rocks coming down the hillside.

At its height, the fire forced mandatory evacuations of about 40 homes and threatened an additional 60, but no structures have been lost, Sadecki said. One firefighter suffered a minor leg injury; another was treated for dehydration.

Officials have yet to determine what sparked the blaze — downed power lines were found in the area, but Sadecki said investigators do not believe they were to blame.

The Painted Cave area was the site of a devastating arson fire in 1990 that killed a 37-year-old woman. That $250-million fire burned 427 homes and 11 other buildings in about two hours.

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Santa Barbara County brush fire 75% contained

Crews made progress on a slow-moving brush fire in Santa Barbara County overnight, constructing control lines and nearly doubling the containment to 75%, officials said.

Burning above Santa Barbara near Highway 154 and Painted Cave Road, the Lookout fire held to about 20 to 25 acres overnight, Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. David Sadecki said. About 150 firefighters battled the blaze overnight — a "pretty dangerous" task, Sadecki said, given the darkness and steep terrain in the area.

The fire broke out about 7:45 a.m. Wednesday.

PHOTOS: Fire hits Santa Barbara County

The plan for Thursday is to finish control lines and prevent the fire from growing, Sadecki said. Officials would also continue their investigation into what sparked the fire — downed power lines were found in the area, but Sadecki said investigators do not believe they were to blame.

Evacuation orders lifted in Santa Barbara County brush fire

Mandatory evacuation orders affecting about 40 homes were lifted Wednesday evening as firefighters continued to battle a brush fire in Santa Barbara County that at one point threatened about 100 homes.

Containment of the Lookout fire, which broke out about 7:45 a.m. near California 154 and Painted Cave Road, remained about 45% at 7 p.m., though it had grown to 20 to 25 acres, Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. David Sadecki said.

No structures had been lost or damaged, but one firefighter suffered a minor leg injury, Sadecki said. The evacuation orders were lifted at 5 p.m., he said.

PHOTOS: Fire hits Santa Barbara County

The blaze burned through steep, rugged terrain, which made it difficult for firefighters to get near the blaze, Sadecki said. Officials said about 250 fire personnel were on the scene. Several agencies from Santa Barbara County and the U.S. Forest Service were on hand, along with seven air tankers and seven helicopters.

Temperatures in the mid-80s and breezy conditions that were expected to intensify later in the day never materialized, fire officials said.

“There’s no wind at all, which is a good thing,” Sadecki said Wednesday evening.

Downed power lines were found in the area, but Sadecki said investigators do not believe they sparked the fire. The cause of the blaze remained unclear late Wednesday, and Sadecki said the investigation was called off as of about 4 p.m. It will resume Thursday morning, he said.

The Painted Cave area was the site of a devastating arson fire in 1990 that killed a 37-year-old woman. That $250-million fire burned 427 homes and 11 other buildings in about two hours.

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Photo: Firefighters work to safeguard a home from the Lookout fire. Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

Santa Barbara County brush fire is 45% contained, officials say

A brush fire in Santa Barbara County that threatened around 100 homes and has forced dozens of mandatory evacuations was 45% contained as of about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, officials said.

The Lookout fire, which broke out about 7:45 a.m. near California 154 and Painted Cave Road, has scorched about 15 acres, Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. David Sadecki said. No structures had been lost or damaged, but one firefighter suffered a minor leg injury Wednesday, Sadecki said.

The blaze burned through steep, rugged terrain, which made it difficult for firefighters to get near the blaze, Sadecki said. Late Wednesday afternoon, Sadecki said more than 300 fire personnel were on scene. Several agencies from Santa Barbara County and the U.S. Forest Service were on hand, along with air tankers and helicopters.

Temperatures in the mid-80s and breezy conditions that were expected to intensify later in the day never materialized, fire officials said.

Downed power lines were found in the area, but Sadecki said investigators did not initially believe they sparked the fire. The cause of the blaze remained under investigation. Officials said they might have additional information at a 4:30 p.m. press conference

An evacuation center has been set up at the Wake Center on the campus of Santa Barbara City College. The center is located at 300 N. Turnpike Road.

The Painted Cave area was the site of a devastating arson fire in 1990 that killed a 37-year-old woman. That $250-million fire burned 427 homes and 11 other buildings in about two hours.

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One firefighter injured in 15-acre Santa Barbara County brush fire

 

A firefighter suffered a minor leg injury Wednesday while attacking a slow-moving brush fire in Santa Barbara County that threatened about 100 homes and forced mandatory evacuations, officials said.

The Lookout fire, which broke out about 7:45 a.m. near Highway 154 and Painted Cave Road, has scorched about 15 acres, Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. David Sadecki said. At least 40 of the threatened homes were evacuated, but no structures had been lost or damaged.

The blaze burned through steep, rugged terrain, which made it difficult for firefighters to get near the blaze, Sadecki said. Several agencies from Santa Barbara County and the U.S. Forest Service were on hand, along with air tankers and helicopters.

Also complicating efforts were temperatures in the mid-80s and breezy conditions expected to intensify later in the day, Sadecki said.

Downed power lines were found in the area, but Sadecki said investigators did not initially believe they sparked the fire. The cause of the blaze remained under investigation.

The Painted Cave area was the site of a devastating arson fire in 1990 that killed a 37-year-old woman. That $250-million fire burned 427 homes and 11 other buildings in about two hours.

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100 homes evacuated in Santa Barbara County brush fire

About 100 homes were being evacuated in Santa Barbara County on Wednesday as a 15-acre brush fire burned in the mountains near Highway 154.

The Lookout fire broke out about 7:45 a.m. near the highway and Painted Cave Road, Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. David Sadecki said. Sheriff's deputies were going door to door to evacuate residents and a reverse 911 system was being used "to get some of those residents out," he said.

The fire burned through steep, rugged terrain, which made it difficult for firefighters to get near the blaze, Sadecki said. Several agencies from Santa Barbara County and the U.S. Forest Service were on hand, along with air tankers and helicopters.

Also complicating efforts were temperatures in the mid-80s and breezy conditions expected to intensify later in the day, Sadecki said.

The Painted Cave area was the site of a devastating arson fire in 1990 that killed a 37-year-old woman. That $250-million fire burned 427 homes and 11 other buildings in about two hours.

The cause of the Lookout fire was still under investigation.

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15-acre brush fire prompts evacuations in Santa Barbara County

Several homes were being evacuated Wednesday in Santa Barbara County after a brush fire broke out in a mountaintop community near Highway 154.

The Lookout fire broke out about 8 a.m. near the highway and Painted Cave Road, burning about 15 acres in the first hour, according to the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management.

It was not immediately clear how many homes were threatened by flames, but Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. David Sadecki said officials used a reverse 911 notification system and went door to door "to get some of those residents out."

Several agencies are on hand from Santa Barbara County and the U.S. Forest Service, and Sadecki said air tankers had been requested to help fight the blaze. There are also several live power lines down in the area.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation, Sadecki said.

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Map: Approximate location of fire shown in red. Credit: Google Maps

Fire on 405 off-ramp near Getty Center closes two southbound lanes

Two southbound lanes on the 405 Freeway by Getty Center Drive were closed as firefighters contain a quarter-acre fire Monday evening, officials said.

Lanes Nos. 4 and 5 by the Getty Center Drive off-ramp will be closed for about an hour, California Highway Patrol officers said. Traffic is backed up to at least the 101 Freeway.

Authorities were alerted to the fire at 4:26 pm, said Erik Scott of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The cause of the fire is still known, he said, and the first 20 firefighters to arrive were able to get the flames under control.

Firefighters are still on scene, and officials caution evening commuters of additional rush-hour traffic. 

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Target shooting started Shockey fire in San Diego County

Target shooting caused the Shockey fire that burned 2,556 acres in eastern San Diego County near the Mexican border and was responsible for the death of a resident in rural Boulevard, Cal Fire said Monday.

The fire erupted Sept. 23 east of Campo on the Campo Indian Reservation and destroyed 11 homes, 14 out buildings and 11 vehicles before nearly 1,000 firefighters were able to bring it under control five days later.

Carson Jay Robison, 69, was killed by smoke inhalation after he refused to heed orders to evacuate his home. His charred remains were identified by dental X-rays, according to the county medical examiner.

The fire's origin was on the Shockey Truck Trail. Anyone with information about target shooting in the area is asked to call (800) 468-4408.

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Photo: Troy Stewart, left, is consoled by his lifelong friend Dave Hendry as they walk through the ruins of Stewart's parents home in Campo on Sept. 24. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times