After more than a week of battling flames, firefighting forces in Santa Barbara County are getting closer to smothering the Gap Fire, thanks, in part, to a recent change in weather conditions.
Beginning July 6, lower temperatures and higher moisture levels helped firefighters keep the fire—which has already burned nearly 9,600 acres—from spreading.
As a result, county officials were able to change mandatory evacuation orders in the Goleta and Painted Cave areas to evacuation warnings.
Fire officials continue to evaluate the remaining mandatory evacuation areas and will downgrade them as soon as it’s safe to do so, according to a press release from the county’s Emergency Operations Center. Residents can get frequent updates about the fire by calling 681-5195 or visiting the county’s Web site at www.countyofsb.org.
According to the release, substantial progress has been made on quelling the north side of the fire, and the east side of the fire has been lined from north to south by firefighting forces. Monitoring and mop-up crews continue to work the south and east flanks of the blaze.
Currently, the U.S. Forest Service, with help from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, is conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire, which is suspected to be human-related.
A 24-hour call-in “tip line” has been established at the Los Padres National Forest headquarters. People with information about the cause of the fire can call 961-5710.
The line will remain open as officials continue moving the Incident Command Post from its current location at Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara to Dos Pueblos High School at 7266 Alameda Ave. in Goleta.
“We’d really like to get anything that anyone thinks might be important,” said Capt. Eli Iskow, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. “Even if someone overheard another person talking about the cause of the fire.”
Also, an American Red Cross evacuation center has been set up at San Marcos High School at 4750 Hollister Ave. in Santa Barbara. An emergency animal shelter, managed by Santa Barbara County Animal Services, is also available at the evacuation center—people staying at the center are allowed to bring their small- to medium-sized pets.
People not staying at the evacuation center can bring their household pets to the Santa Barbara Humane Society at 5399 Overpass Road in Santa Barbara. For more information, call 964-4777.
The evacuation of larger animals, such as horses and livestock, is being managed offsite by animal services. For more information, call 681-4332.
All county residents—animals and humans—should be able to breathe a little easier following the county’s air quality advisory change to a precautionary advisory, according to a press release from the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District.
While air quality in much of the county has improved, air quality in some areas might still be affected by the Gap Fire, as well as the Basin Complex Fire in Monterey County.
The precautionary advisory is expected to be in effect into the weekend, unless conditions change. People living in areas with smoke and ash in the air—especially people with lung and heart disease, older adults, and children—are advised to limit time spent outdoors, and to avoid outdoor exercise.
People who have symptoms of lung or heart disease that might be related to exposure to smoke or ash particles—including repeated coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, or palpitations—are advised to contact their health care providers.
For more information about air quality and health, visit www.ourair.org or call 961-8801.
Also because of the fire, all national forest lands south of Highway 154 and East Camino Cielo (between Gibraltar Road and Refugio Road) are now closed to the public. The area will remain closed until the Gap Fire is suppressed. The closure doesn’t affect Highway 154, East Camino Cielo Road, Gibraltar Road, or Refugio Road.
However, road closures can be expected to change regularly due to changing fire and safety conditions. Visit the county’s Web site for more information about road closures.
“We also want to remind people that we have a lot of fire equipment on our roads right now, not just near the fire areas,” Iskow said. “We want to remind everyone to be conscious of that and remember to give fire vehicles the right of way.”
Also, Southern California Edison recently issued a press release announcing that the Gap Fire could cause extended power outages, warning residents to prepare for that possibility.
In order to provide power to more customers in the area, Southern California Edison has asked customers in Santa Barbara County to conserve electricity.
Customers in the county first reported losing power only July 2. Since then, service has been limited several times due to smoke and ash from the wildfire affecting the transmission lines.
In the release, Southern California Edison officials said that company personnel are currently making repairs in the area, and continue to stand by in the event of any future outages.
Some tips for conserving power include limiting the use of plasma televisions, turning off unnecessary lights, and limiting use of such appliances as dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers. If appliances must be used, customers are encouraged not to use them in daytime or early evening hours.
In the event of a power outage, it’s recommended that people turn off and unplug any unnecessary electrical equipment, especially sensitive electronic equipment.
It’s also recommended that people put together an emergency kit prior to an outage, filling it with supplies such as flashlights, batteries, water, and basic medical supplies, as well as any necessary personal medications. Back-up power arrangements should be made in advance for anyone dependent on medical equipment that uses electricity.
Overall, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department’s Iskow said that it’s important that the public remain vigilant about safety.
“We’re in the middle of fire season,” Iskow said. “Parts of the Gap Fire are winding down and we’ve let most of the people back into their homes, but the public still needs to be prepared at all times and not become complacent.
“We saved over 1,000 homes on [July 3] mainly because of the aggressive actions of fire fighters, but also because the community listened to us and left when we asked them to,” he said.
This article appears in Jul 10-17, 2008.
