Holiday Fire Mandatory Evacuations Downgraded to Exclusion Zone
Only Residents Who Show Identification Permitted to Return
Effective 6 p.m. on Sunday, Santa Barbara County officials downgraded areas under mandatory evacuation to an exclusionary zone. Only residents of the area are permitted to enter. Areas previously under evacuation warning are now open. The Holiday Fire, now in its third day, remains at 80 percent containment. Firefighters and law enforcement will remain on the scene through the night, mopping up hot spots. Electric power is yet to be restored in the area.
The fire began on the 1500 block of Holiday Hill Road in Goleta on Friday. As of Sunday, the 100-acre fire had destroyed 28 buildings, including 13 homes and another 15 buildings that included sheds, workshops, and barns. Three houses were damaged. In a press conference held at Dos Pueblos High School on Saturday, County Fire Chief Eric Peterson thanked residents for their cooperation. “Fast compliance with mandatory evacuations helped avoid fatalities, and it allowed our firefighters to focus on the fire-fighting operations,” Peterson said.
Full containment of the fire is expected by July 11. The cause of the fire remains undetermined.
