Zaca Fire: 8/21 Tuesday Evening Thread
From the Joint Unified Command of the Los Padres National Forest and Santa Barbara County Fire Department this evening...
area: 222,577 acres
increase, last twelve hours: 1,694
fireline to build: 2 miles
containment: 79%
personnel: 3,090
Hwy 33 between Wheeler Gorge and Ventucopa will remain closed until Friday due to firefighting equipment and heavy smoke. Residents will be allowed to enter but must carry identification to access areas within the road closure.
On the northwest perimeter, the fire is well established in Foresters Leap Canyon on the north rim of Sisquoc Canyon. Today, firefighters continued a backfiring operation along the Sierra Madre Ridge to contain the northern progress of the fire. Air tankers dropped retardant in the area to slow the progress of the fire. Contingency plans are being developed to determine a course of action to stop the progress of the fire northwest down the Sisquoc drainage. On the northeast and east perimeter, the fire has moved to the boundary of the Dick Smith Wilderness near Highway 33. Firefighters continued a backfire operation from Cuyama Peak Road in Dry Canyon down Brubaker Canyon to Highway 33. On the east perimeter, firefighters have successfully completed the backfire operation from Highway 33 through the switchbacks to Ozena and continue to monitor the area for spot fires.
On the southeast perimeter, hand crews constructed fireline directly next to the fire's edge northeast of Agua Caliente Springs. Good progress was made on this line and as a result, the Live Oak Zone of the Zaca Fire is now approximately 97% contained. Focus is now shifting to patrol and mop up, and rehabilitation of firelines, contingency lines and roads.
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