Mandatory Evacuation: North of Cathedral Oaks to Patterson

Though it has yet to be confirmed by the county yet, the mandatory evacuation warning area is being reported by KEYT to have been extended all the way to Patterson Avenue north of Cathedral Oaks. Independent.com will be confirming this as soon as possible.

UPDATE: A mandatory evacuation order is now in effect for all areas north of Cathedral Oaks Drive west of Highway 154 to San Jose Creek (Near Patterson Avenue), all areas north of La Colina Road between Highway 154 and La Cumbre Road, and all areas north of State Street between La Cumbre Road and San Roque Road. An evacuation warning has been issued for the area south of Cathedral Oaks Drive, west of Highway 154, east of Turnpike Road, and north of US Highway 101.

New areas under evacuation: westbound State Street from Constance to La Cumbre, north on La Cumbre to La Colina Road, west to Highway 154, 154 to Highway 192 (Foothill and Cathedral Oaks), west to Patterson, north on Patterson to San Jose creek to Camino Cielo.

New Red Cross Shelter Established

A new Red Cross shelter has been established at UCSB’s Thunderdome. Better known to some perhaps as the events center, this location is now accepting evacuees – and likely will be, as a result of new mandatory the evacuation notices. The existing shelter at Dos Pueblos High School is reportedly full.

UPDATE: Subsequent reports indicate the new shelter is actually located at the Rec Cen, the student gymnasium, which is on the UCSB campus on Mesa Road. Will confirm soon.

Ray Ford on Northridge Road

Indy outdoors reporter Ray Ford phone in from atop Northridge Road, off Foothill. He said he was standing with fireman at a home, waiting for the fire to come up the hill and make a strike against these homes. “The hillsides on both sides [of Northridge] are glowing,” he said of the situation. Ford explained that a truck was stationed at nearly every house. “We’re looking at 10-20 percent of the canyon glowing right now: It’s burning down in the canyons but not up at the houses,” he said. In his estimation, the fire would be coming up the hill.

At the particular house he was at – the address unknown – Ford said that the area had been weedwhacked pretty cleanly, though not every house in the area had been so well prepared for the fire.

Ford and the firemen weren’t alone – a black bear that he estimated to be about 300 pounds strolled by, escaping from the fire just like human evacuees.

10:45 p.m. Press Conference

Chris Meagher is attending the current press conference. Information available as soon as possible. He related over the phone that the total of evacuated people is now estimated at 20,000. The three firefighters who suffered burns are still being treated at the burn center in Sherman Oaks, but their prognosis is good. Though Sheriff Bill Brown said that Jesusita had in fact jumped over the Highway 154, a representative of Cal Fire later said that this was unconfirmed.

Chatter From the Scanner

Indy editor Matt Kettmann has been listening to a scanner of emergency transmissions. Among points of interest in the last hour:

No structure fires on Las Canoas, just burning bushes and trees.

There was a fire at 1144 East Mountain Drive that may have either been a brush fire or one caused by power lines.

The Isla Vista Foot Patrol is moving into Goleta, presumably to help control commotion resulting from the new evacuations. UCPD is moving into Isla Vista to maintain order there. Officers are also apparently moving into the La Cumbre Mall area to aid evacuations.

Reports indicated a possible brush fire 1150 San Roque Road.

Spoken over the scanner: “I think we’re gonna lose the homes on the upper side of 154, but we got to keep this from crossing and getting into the homes in the San Antonio tract… Let’s just try to hold it from going into San Antonio, past 154.”

A somewhat panicked voiced noted that people were still in homes at San Antonio Creek Road and Via Clarice and that these people needed to clear out as quickly as possible. At least one elderly person refused to leave.

There’s another reported firefight below Lauro Dam, more or less at Foothill and San Roque. If the fire jumps Lucinda Lane and Marilyn way, Jesusita will be into San Roque.