Brush Fire Rages in Los Padres Forest
An out-of-control brush fire consumed 600 acres Monday and forced evacuation of campers and picnickers in the Los Padres National Forest, authorities said.
Nearly 400 firefighters, aided by six air tankers, battled the blaze, but there was no word on when it would be contained.
The fire was on the other side of the Santa Ynez Mountains from where the devastating Santa Barbara-Goleta fire erupted last month, destroying more than 400 homes. No structures were threatened in the latest fire, and it was moving northeast, away from populated areas.
“Weather is no problem. Winds are calming down and the humidity is going up,” forest spokesman Earl Clayton said.
The blaze forced the evacuation of the Santa Ynez Campground and the Redrock day-use area, he said.
One injured firefighter was flown from the forest for medical treatment, but his condition was not immediately known, Clayton said.
The fire started at 3:45 p.m. near a road in a canyon north of Goleta and quickly moved up a hill, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Joe Pasinato.
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