SBC Fire - Evacuations, Warnings, Orders and Information - Zaca Fire

A Precautionary Evacuation has been issued for residents along the west side of Highway 33 from the Ventura/Santa Barbara County Line to Pine Mountain Summit

• Information meeting 2:00 pm Sunday at Matilija Junior High in Ojai
• Highway 33 closed to thru traffic as of 10am Sunday

If you need more information please call the Zaca Fire Information Line (linea de informacion) at 805-961-5770 for current conditions.

Updated 08/19/07 10:00 a.m.

PRECAUTIONARY EVACUATION ISSUED
The Zaca Fire has moved east towards Highway 33 and has become established in Deal and Rancho Nuevo Canyons in the Dick Smith Wilderness. This has prompted the Ventura County Sheriff to issue a Precautionary Evacuation for residents along the west side of Highway 33 from the Ventura/Santa Barbara County Line to Pine Mountain Summit that began on Saturday, August 18th at 6:00 pm.

more photos...

Warnings and Orders

The Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Department and fire authorities have issued an “EVACUATION WARNING” for East Camino Cielo Road from Gibraltar Road east to the Ventura County Line including Gibraltar Reservoir and Jameson Lake effective August 17, 2007 8:00pm.
Residents of these areas should consider what they need to take and be prepared to leave upon notice of the Sheriff’s Department, as they may not be able to come back to retrieve personal items due to potentially rapidly changing fire conditions. This “EVACUATION WARNING” is to alert community members in the area of a potential threat to life and property. An evacuation order may follow as a result of the threat. Please monitor your local public safety warning systems and local radio and television news as conditions could rapidly change.

Although Hwy 154 is reopened, the public is encouraged to continue to take US 101 and stay off Hwy 154 unless absolutely necessary Please. For those who do use Hwy 154, delays can be expected due to the reduced speed limit and the continuous movement of slow-moving firefighting vehicles. Visibility may be reduced as a result of smoke.

A EVACUATION WARNING remains in effect for residents of the Paradise Road community, Los Prietos Boys Camp, Paradise Store and the Rancho Oso Guest Ranch, effective Sunday, August 12 at 7:00 p.m. The Lower Santa Ynez River Recreation Area campgrounds, day use areas and trailheads will remain closed.

SMOKE AND ASH MAY BE VISIBLE OVER A WIDE AREA. The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District have issued a health advisory. People who are at risk, including children and the elderly who are more susceptible to smoke may need to take precautions.

backfire...

Good progress is being made in the effort to secure the fireline around the remaining southeastern fire perimeter. Reinforcement of the old fuel breaks in the front country above Montecito and Carpenteria are expected to be completed in the near future.
On the northwest perimeter, the fire became well established in Sweetwater and Foresters Leap Canyons above Sisquoc Canyon and today, for safety reasons, firefighters will not be put into this dangerous area. Contingency plans are being developed to contain the fire along the Sierra Madra Ridge. On the northeast perimeter, the fire continues to be active in the Deal and Rancho Nuevo Canyons in the Dick Smith Wilderness, three miles west of Highway 33.
Backfire operations have held the fire west of the Potrero Seco Ranch. Firefighters will continue to work their backfire operation from the Potrero Seco Ranch northeast towards Highway 33. A good secure fireline is also in place from Potrero Seco Ranch to Hildreth Jeep trail on the westside of the Matilija Wilderness. Later today, when and if the winds are favorable, a backfire operation will be conducted from Highway 33 at Pine Mountain Summit Road north towards Ozena.
The fire kept active last night into the early morning hours in the Live Oak* zone and firefighters held the fire along the Monte Arido fuel break and the Pendola Jeepway. Farther north in the Richardson Zone* burnout operations continued towards Hwy 33. Favorable winds have provided firefighters great progress with their backfiring operations. As long as conditions are favorable the firing operations will continue along the Pendola Jeepway and the Olgivy Ranch area. A continuous fuel bed loaded with heavy, dead brush lies ahead of the fire and in several areas firefighters are burning out the fuel from in front of the fire as it tries to continue pushing east.
Firefighters are expecting that increasing fire activity through out the day will try to push the fire northwest of Potrero Seco and eastward into Ventura County. On Saturday the fire made a large run to the east in the Lizard Head area, bringing the fire to within 3 miles of the residences on the west side of Highway 33 and triggering a Precautionary Evacuation which is being coordinated with Ventura County Sheriffs and assisted by Santa Barbara Sheriffs.
The fire became extremely active in the Sisquoc Canyon on Saturday and firefighters were pulled out of the Sweetwater Ridge area due to safety concerns. On the east perimeter, a backfire operation was successful in holding the fire west of the Matilija Wilderness. On Saturday night, firefighters began a backfire operation from Three Sisters Peak northeast to Highway 33.
In the Live Oak Zone* backfiring operations kept the fire north of the Ogilvy Ranch road yesterday while major runs were observed in Diablo Canyon when the winds aligned with the Canyon. Flames were over 100 feet high and spread very rapidly in some areas. Firefighters were successful in the Monte Arido Fuel Break firing operation Saturday and held the fire within the containment lines. Successful firing operations are proceeding along Pendola road and the Hildreth Jeepway where firefighters continue to backfire southward and force a change in the direction of the fire.
In the Richardson Zone to the north, fire activity increased throughout Saturday with sustained runs as it pushed northwest of Potrero Seco and eastward into Ventura County.
The fire has burned intensely throughout the evening in areas within the southern divisions. The fire made a hard push towards the junction of Pendola Road and Monte Arido Road continuing to threaten the Mantilla Wilderness. Heavy smoke conditions have continued to hamper the visibility for firefighters and aircraft.
In the Live Oak Zone* the fire was well established in Mono Creek Canyon, Agoura Alienate Canyon, and north of Diablo Canyon and that triggered the predetermined plans to begin firing operations in the eastern area along the contingency lines. Firing operations will also continue in other areas depending on favorable and safe conditions. Firefighters were able to keep pace with the fire in the Ogilvy Ranch area, keeping it north of the ranch road and east of the ranch on Saturday.
On Friday, along the northern perimeter, firefighters successfully completed 20 miles of backfiring to remove vegetation between the indirect fireline and the active portion of the fire in Sisquoc, Cliff and Sweetwater Canyons and firefighters continued to construct line down Sweetwater Ridge towards Sisquoc Canyon in order to stop the northwest progress of the fire in the San Rafael Wilderness.
On Friday night firefighters began a backfire operation near Three Sisters Peak in order to stop the forward progress of the fire into the Matilija Wilderness.
Over a dozen contingency lines and fuelbreaks have been completed and improvements are still being performed including the fuelbreaks that run west to east from Romero Canyon to Lake Casitas. These lines will also provide firefighters with the backup options that may be needed in the event of changing conditions. In the Live Oak Zone firefighters are performing backfiring operations so they may may bring the fire south into better terrain. Commanders between the two zones are coordinating their backfire operations very closely as they try to wrangle the fire into a more defendable situation.
Inaccessibility is still requiring crews and equipment to be shuttled in by helicopter and the heavy smoke has not only hampered the ground attack on the fire but it has impeded air operations as well.
The fire is expected to follow topography predominantly to the north and east, however the possibility exists that if winds change, it may overcome the topography and push the fire south.
Firefighters had a very slight break in the daytime temperatures that were in the 90's again yesterday and they continue to hope for favorable weather.
Containment has increased to 75%.
The size of the fire is now 188,035 acres. The last estimated cost was at 82 million dollars. Over 2,987 personnel are currently working on this fire.
*Incident Command has divided the fire into 2 closely coordinated zones. The northern portion will be the Richardson Zone" and the southern portion will be the "Live Oak Zone"

Closures

Highway 33 between Wheeler Gorge and Ventucopa has been closed except to local traffic only.
Beginning at 10:00 am on Sunday, August 19th , this section of Hwy 33 will be closed to all traffic, including residents. The closure is required to safely conduct a backfire operation planned along Highway 33 from the Pine Mountain Road to Ozena. Travelers on Hwy 33 will continue be impacted while firefighters conduct firing and supression operations and to secure the firelines on the eastern perimeter of the fire.
All or portions of Highway 33 between Ojai and Cuyama may close at any time due to changing fire and weather conditions. When conditions warrant, the Highway will be closed by authorities until it can safely be reopened to thru traffic. Closures may change at any time.

Happy Canyon Road is closed at the Los Padres NF boundary.
Figueroa Mountain Road is closed at the Los Padres NF boundary.
East Camino Cielo is closed between Painted Cave Road and Gibraltar Road due to fire equipment traffic.
Paradise Road is within the Evacuation Warning Area and is currently open to residents only.

Additional areas in Los Padres National Forest are now closed due to the Zaca Fire emergency. This is due to the difficulty of evacuating forest visitors from remote areas should the fire spread and concerns for the firefighters while they build contingency lines several miles from the active fire. The closure now affects approximately 888,000 acres.