Firefighters are close to extinguishing a wildfire that started burning on May 15 five miles west of New Cuyama along Highway 166. Bureau of Land Management officials reported the Cotton Fire at 100 percent containment as of press time.
More than 300 fire personnel from as far away as San Diego have been working around the clock to quell the blaze, which was last mapped at about 2,044 acres. Bureau law enforcement officers are still investigating the exact cause, fire information officer Debbie Santiago said.
Crews are currently finalizing mop up efforts, thanks in part to cooler temperatures and rainy weather.
“It takes a large fire family to put this kind of thing out,” Santiago said. “It could have been a lot uglier … but the fog and rain [from the coast] really helped.”
The Cotton Fire was the largest of three wildfires that broke out on bureau land over the last few days. The Wash Fire threatened the administrative site at Washburn Ranch on the Carrizo Plain National Monument, but is now fully contained. Another fire broke out near Lake Isabella, Santiago said.
At a press conference on May 18, Santiago and representatives from a handful of other fire agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, officially declared the beginning of the 2010 wildfire season.
The trio of wildfires, she added, is a strong reminder that full-blown fire season is just around the corner.
“We need to remind people that tall grass equals lots of fire,” Santiago said. “People need to prepare for a long summer, especially in Santa Barbara County.”
For more information about how to prepare for the fire season locally, visit sbcfire.com.
This article appears in May 20-27, 2010.