Fire season hasn’t officially started yet, but the hills above Santa Barbara are burning. What’s now known as the Jesusita Fire began on May 5 at approximately 1:45 p.m. in the Cathedral Peak area.
Fire crews from Santa Barbara Fire Department, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Montecito Fire, and the U.S. Forest Service have been battling the blaze.
Santa Barbara resident Raedine Werthman was coming down Highway 154 at 2 p.m. the day the fire started.
“We saw it actually just starting,” she said. “There was a large amount of smoke coming straight up. Wednesday around noon, there was hardly any smoke, but by 3 it really started up as the winds kicked up. Thursday, coming home, we could hardly see. After 7 p.m., the sky just started getting darker and darker, and it was really smoky.”
As of press time on May 12, the Jesusita Fire had burned 8,733 acres and destroyed 78 homes and 67 outbuildings. Another 22 homes and 69 outbuildings were reported damaged. More than 3,170 personnel were at the scene of the fire, which was under attack from 257 engines, 88 crews, five air tankers, and 13 helicopters.
More than 360 people had evacuated about 145 properties, while 500 residences were still threatened by the flames.
The fire had been 80 percent contained, but some personnel involved were worried about weather conditions that could hasten the blaze’s spread.
During the Zaca Fire of 2007, the fire was nearly contained when moisture levels dropped and high winds whipped up to propel the flames.
According to Cherie Alver, public information officer with Cal Fire, the Oxnard weather service issued a red flag warning because of expected north winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 50 mph below passes and canyons. The service predicted low humidity, too. The warning was to be in effect until May 14 at 11 a.m.
“We’re prepared for the winds,” Alver said. “We have resources staged within a three-minute response time if they’re needed.”
Michelle Mickiewicz with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said they were worried about the projected conditions.
“There are still hotspots in the fire, and [the combination of] very steep terrain and very high winds have us concerned,” she explained.
The Red Cross set up an emergency shelter for evacuees at the Multi-Activity Center center on the UCSB campus. According to the Red Cross’ Lucy Popova, more than 600 people crowded the shelter during the mandatory evacuations on the nights of May 7 and 8.
“Some people were kind of startled and a little disorientated. … That night was really harsh,” Popova said. “We had services, from food and coffee to mental health, and nurses available.”
In addition to the human evacuees, the fire has also forced the relocation of more than 975 animals, including 116 horses, according to the Santa Barbara Humane Society and Equine Evac.
The Forest Service’s incident information website reported that the cause of the fire appears related to the use of power tool equipment used for clearing vegetation. Investigators are requesting the public’s help with identifying the person or people involved in clearing vegetation on May 4 and 5. Unidentified people are known to have been on a nearby trail between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on both days.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Santa Barbara County tip line at 686-5061.
Contact Staff Writer Nicholas Walter at nwalter@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 14-21, 2009.