La Brea Fire Doubles in Size Overnight

Fire Burns in Remote Part of the Backcountry with Little Threat to Structures

Gusting winds continued through the night on the La Brea fire line, expanding the number of acres burned from 1,300 to more than 2,500 acres. “The fire seemed to want to burn in all directions,” fire information officer Vicki Collins said. There is no word of exactly how far the perimeter has expanded yet, but Collins said that the weather forecast calls for light winds coming out of the west today.

Overview of the La Brea fire zone shows the remote nature of the country in which fire fighters are heading. Though smoke will be seen from many locations, it currently is not a threat to any communities.

If the forecast holds, this will be good news to those who live in the Tepusquet area, but perhaps not so good news for wilderness enthusiasts. Immediately east of the La Brea Canyon area where the fire is burning is Horse Canyon and from there it is less than five miles upstream along the Sisquoc River to Manzana Schoolhouse.

Los Padres Forest issued an emergency closure order in response to the fire, closing the forest from Highway 166 on the south, all of the Sierra Madre Ridge east to McPherson Peak, and to the south, portions of the San Rafael Wilderness down to the Sisquoc River. For now, the section of the Sisquoc from South Fork Station to the Schoolhouse will be closed to use, though Collins wasn’t sure if the Manzana Creek Trail would be as well.