Wildfire burning in Santa Barbara County 100% contained despite high winds, tornado

Sara Kassabian
·1 min read

A wildfire burning in northern Santa Barbara County was 100% contained as of Wednesday morning, according to Cal Fire.

The Plant Fire, which started Saturday at Aliso Park Road and Foothill Road in New Cuyama, burned a total of 5,464 acres and destroyed eight structures, according to the Cal Fire incident page.

Firefighters from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and Los Padres National Forest spent a total of three days battling the blaze.

Rain from Tropical Storm Hilary helped tamper the blaze, but the storm also brought high winds, funnel clouds and a tornado to the burn area Monday, Santa Barbara County Fire public information officer Scott Safechuck said via Twitter.

The cause of the wildfire is still under investigation, Cal Fire said.

Smoke rises from the Plant Fire burning in the Cuyama Valley in northern Santa Barbara County on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023.
Smoke rises from the Plant Fire burning in the Cuyama Valley in northern Santa Barbara County on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023.
The Plant Fire reached 5,460 acres on Sunday, as 430 personnel were on scene, on August 20, 2023.
The Plant Fire reached 5,460 acres on Sunday, as 430 personnel were on scene, on August 20, 2023.