Brush Fire Burns 1,800 Acres Near Condor Sanctuary
A fire in Santa Barbara County, fueled by high temperatures and low humidity, burned about 1,800 acres of brush in Los Padres National Forest on Saturday night and caused concern about a nearby condor sanctuary, fire officials said.
“It’s burned pretty quickly,” said Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Andy Rosenberger. “It’s arid and hot up there.”
The fire, which began about 11:25 a.m. in the town of New Cuyama, was being battled by more than 300 personnel, he said.
Four air tankers hovered over the blaze, dropping fire retardant, said Ron McClain, incident commander of Los Padres Forest Fire Management Team.
McClain said the state Department of Fish and Game had been notified because of concerns that smoke from the fire might harm condors at a nearby sanctuary in the forest. But he said the sanctuary was not in any immediate danger of being burned.
No injuries were reported, and authorities said no evacuations had been required. The fire was burning about two miles north of California 166, Rosenberger said. The cause of the blaze had not been determined.
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