The Whittier Fire grew by 800 acres overnight Tuesday, expanding to nearly 12,000. But at the same time, firefighters tightened its northern boundary and cooler edges elsewhere, bumping overall containment to 48 percent as of this morning. Fire experts briefed day crews heading out from the command center at Dos Pueblos High School, explaining that overnight efforts and a much-welcomes marine layer had shut down the fire’s southern edge, near the crest of the Santa Ynez range.
A slight warming trend is in the forecast, however, and crews are also minding the westerly wind flow that blows through the basin around Cachuma Lake, causing the Whittier to creep east.
The estimated cost of the suppression effort so far is $4.8 million. There have been no reported injuries.