Humidity, drizzle help firefighters increase Alisal fire containment to 93%
Oct. 20—Humidity and drizzle on Monday helped more than 900 firefighters increase containment of the Alisal fire to 93% as weather continues to aid efforts against the blaze, which no longer poses a threat to the public, U.S. Forest Services officials said Tuesday.
The fire has burned 17,254 acres since sparking on Oct. 11 in the area of Refugio Road and West Camino Cielo in the Santa Ynez Mountains, near the Alisal Reservoir.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman Mike Eliason.
Low cloud cover and decreased temperatures have aided fire suppression efforts, as crews secure a few remaining hot spots near Arroyo Hondo canyon to the west and the Sherpa fire burn to the east, according to Forest Service spokeswoman Jennifer Gray.
Crews and other firefighting resources are still assigned to the east, where a small patch of heat remains in the 2016 Sherpa fire burn scar, the fire's northern edge beneath the Reagan Ranch and into Refugio Canyon, and along the southern border near Highway 101.
Cooler weather conditions are expected over the weekend, with a chance of rain on Sunday afternoon or evening. Full containment is expected to occur by Oct. 25.
With the chance of rain, though, comes the possibility of flash flooding and debris flow. Santa Barbara County officials on Tuesday issued an advisory for downhill areas near the fire that are susceptible to flooding. Flood protection information can be found on the Public Works website at https://www.countyofsb.org/pwd/floodprep.sbc.
Efforts have now transitioned to repair as personnel begin assessing damage.
On Tuesday, Cal Fire's Damage Inspection Specialist Team started a thorough assessment of the fire, including damaged and destroyed structures and residences, according to Gray.
Up to 439 structures were threatened, and three were damaged by the fire, including three residences and two outbuildings, Eliason said Friday.
Evacuation orders issued last week for the area west of Arroyo Hondo canyon to the intersection of highways 101 and 1, Arroyo Hondo canyon, Refugio Canyon and the area between El Capitan Beach State Park and West Camino Cielo have since been lifted.
Highway 101 was reopened to traffic Thursday, but motorists along the route still are being urged to exercise caution when driving, while also giving firefighters and their equipment wide berth when passing, according to Gray.
Portions of the Los Padres National Forest remains closed, including the Santa Barbara Ranger District in the area surrounding the fire, until Nov. 16, according to officials. A map of the closed area can be found at www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf.
Incident information on the Alisal fire can be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7862. More information can be found at https://readysbc.org, https://bit.ly/AlisalFire and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LosPadresNationalForest.
