New Fire Erupts in Los Alamos

[Update, 4:30 p.m.]: The Drum Fire appears to have been kept to below 14 acres as fire crews are being released from the Los Alamos area blaze back south to fight the Thomas Fire. The Drum’s estimated size was reduced from earlier Saturday afternoon when first responders initially thought up to 100 acres had burned. Full containment is expected later tonight.

Fire personnel from Santa Barbara County, Lompoc, Santa Maria, and Vandenberg Air Force Base attacked it with dozers and hand crews. Air tankers and helicopters swooped in from above. The Drum Fire’s sized matched the scale of the Coast Fire, which sparked Thursday afternoon on San Julian Road off Highway 1, south of Lompoc.

The causes of both fires remain under investigation.

[Original Report]: Amidst the already hellish Saturday of a roaring Thomas Fire, flipped tanker truck on 101, and traffic throughout the region, there’s a new fire just south of Los Alamos on Drum Canyon Road. It’s burning about 25 acres, according to Santa Barbara County Fire public information officer Mike Eliason. It’s burning in “moderate to heavy fuels with a moderate sate of speed.”

Drum Canyon Road connects Highway 246 to 101, and cuts through some of the more rugged country in the county. The area is mostly ranches and not very populated, but could prove tough for firefighting efforts due to its rugged and steep canyons.

The address listed for the fire is 4603 Drum Canyon Road, which appears to be very close to Los Alamos and the small park located just outside of town. Incident command on that fire is calling for a second alarm — recourses will be assigned accordingly. Aircraft and ground resources are on the scene.