Winds Fan Wildfire North of Santa Barbara

Hot, dry conditions and tricky winds hampered firefighters Saturday as they tried to encircle an 11,700-acre wildfire in northern Santa Barbara County.

Winds reached only up to 12 mph but pushed flames in different directions as ground crews tried to form lines around the blaze 30 miles north of Santa Barbara.

The 1,780 firefighters on the front lines also contended with temperatures as high as 93 degrees and humidity as low as 18%, said Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Charlie Johnson.

The fire was 62% surrounded, with full containment expected by 6 p.m. Monday, a day later than previously estimated, Johnson added.

On Friday afternoon, 20-mph winds carried embers over fire lines, starting another blaze west of the main body of the fire that burned 2,000 acres and briefly threatened homes in the Russell Ranch area.

“[It] is still very much of a concern,” Johnson said. “The focus . . . is to put a line around the part that blew out . . . and tie it back into the main fire.”

Friday’s flare-up damaged some Pacific Gas & Electric Co. power lines, but only minor outages resulted, company spokesman Jonathan Franks said. Officials plan to check the equipment early this week.

The New Cuyama fire has been burning for a week. It began July 18 after a tractor hit a rock, causing a spark.

Meanwhile, a stubborn 320-acre blaze near the airport on Santa Catalina Island was brought under control.

About 150 firefighters assigned to the blaze were mopping up and getting ready to leave, Los Angeles County fire spokeswoman Diana Aronson said.

Firefighters blamed embers from an unattended campfire for the blaze, which broke out Tuesday in dense brush in a remote area.