Firefighters Battle Blazes Set by Sparks
A fire in the Los Padres National Forest grew to more than 2,200 acres Sunday, advancing over steep terrain packed with thick vegetation that had not burned since the turn of the century, authorities said.
Winds picked up, spewing smoke and ash over Santa Barbara, about 12 miles south.
About 650 firefighters were on the front lines of the fire, authorities said. The blaze began around 2:50 p.m. Friday when a tractor pulling a mower hit a rock, causing a spark.
Meanwhile, about 70 miles south, an errant spark Sunday afternoon from a welder’s torch touched off a fast-moving brush fire in the hills near Piru in Ventura County. About 650 acres were blackened by late Sunday night.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
