ojai news at The Ojai Post :: blog, newspaper, events in Ojai, California

Is the Zaca Fire winding down (for us)? Looks like the weather is favorable, and firefighters are in control of the areas most threating to Matilija Wilderness, and the greater Ojai Valley. But we are still getting a lot of smoke, and conditions can change. Thanks for tuning in. For more info, check out our Zaca Fire Information and Resource page.

area: 225,568 acres
increase, last twelve hours: 2,661
fireline to build: 9 miles (way up from yesterday)
containment: 81% (continued improvement)
personnel: 2,711 (reduction by over 300 from yesterday)
cost: $93.0 million

From the Joint Unified Command this evening:

Highway 33 from Ventucopa to Ozena remains closed, except to residents. Tentatively, fire officials hope to reopen Highway 33 to thru traffic by Friday, August 24.

Firing operations continued today north along the Highway 33 corridor from Ozena to Rancho Nuevo Creek. Winds within the Brubaker Canyon stopped firefighters from completing the remaining fireline into the Cuyama River drainage. Light fire activity within the northwestern fire area in the San Rafael Wilderness created favorable conditions for crews to begin building handline south from the Sierra Madre ridge into the Sisquoc River Canyon. Additional crews will be flown into the wilderness late this afternoon and tomorrow morning to assist with handline construction adjacent to the fire edge.

Although, there are still some fuel islands burning out in Little Pine Mountain, the Live Oak Zone of the Zaca Fire has reached full containment. As a result the Live Oak Zone is now gearing into rehabilitation and restoration of those areas affected by fire suppression activities. Crews are being demobilized or transferred to the Richardson Zone of the fire or other active fires across the nation.

Weather conditions tomorrow are expected to range from 70 to 80 degrees with relative humidity above 14%.