Update: Fire Near New Cuyama Reported at 5,460 Acres with 60 Percent Containment as of Sunday Evening
Plant Fire Evacuation Orders Lifted, Highway 166 Reopened
[Update: Sun., Aug. 20, 2023, 4:45 pm] On Sunday evening the Plant Fire near New Cuyama was reported at 60 percent containment, according to Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesperson Scott Safechuck. Evacuation orders for Aliso Park Road to Cottonwood Canyon have also been officially lifted, and resources have been released from the area. For updates, see Cal Fire’s incident update page or follow Safechuck’s updates on social media.
[Update: Sun., Aug. 20, 2023, 8:45 am] As of Sunday morning, the Plant Fire near New Cuyama was reported at 5,460 acres with 5 percent containment according to Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesperson Scott Safechuck. Evacuation orders remain in effect from Aliso Park Road to Cottonwood Canyon, but Highway 166 is reopened to traffic. Over 430 personnel have been called in to assist with the fire.
[Update: Sat., Aug. 19, 2023, 10pm] The Plant Fire off Aliso Park Road and Foothill Road near New Cuyama remains at around 5,500 acres and 0 percent containment as of 10 p.m. on Saturday, according to Cal Fire, which is in unified command with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and Los Padres National Forest. Evacuation orders are in effect from Aliso Park Road to Cottonwood Canyon. Highway 166 remains closed in both directions.
[Update: Sat. Aug. 19, 2023, 5:30pm] The Plant Fire near New Cuyama has grown to 5,500 acres, up from around 400 acres just two hours ago, according to an update from S.B. County fire spokesperson Scott Safechuck at 5:19 p.m. As a result, the evacuation orders have increased from Aliso Canyon Road to Cottonwood Canyon.
[Original Story] Santa Barbara County Fire responded to two vegetation fires near Lompoc and Buellton Saturday afternoon, with one fire reported near Hapgood Road and Highway 246 near Buellton and another reported in the Aliso Canyon area near New Cuyama. As of 3:30 p.m, County Fire spokesperson Captain Scott Safechuck said forward progress for the Hapgood incident has been stopped with 50 percent containment while sources are being diverted to the plant fire near New Cuyama, which is reported at “300-400 acres and growing.”
The incidents come as the county is preparing for the potential for heavy winds and rains from Hurricane Hilary, which was making headway up the Pacific Coast Saturday.
Safechuck reported the Hapgood vegetation fire just before 1:30 p.m. via social media, saying that a one-acre fire with “potential for 10 acres” had been called in, and that the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office would be evacuating several residences along the 5000 block of Hapgood Road near Highway 246.
As crews were responding to the initial fire report and were near 10 percent containment, Safechuck reported that air support units saw “heavy smoke” coming from more inland in the Aliso Canyon area.
By 2 p.m., Safechuck reported that crews had stopped the forward progress of the Hapgood incident at 50 percent containment with a bulldozer line around the fire, and that while some resources would remain on scene for complete containment and mop up, additional resources would be diverted to the Aliso Canyon Fire, which had spread to at least 50 acres and forced evacuation orders for the areas Aliso Canyon to Wasioja Road south of New Cuyama and Highway 166.
At 3 p.m, Safechuck had reported that the Plant Fire near Aliso Canyon was expected to surpass 400 acres.
With heavy winds expected over the weekend as Hurricane Hilary creeps up the coast, authorities are on alert for additional fire spread. At least six air tankers and one “very large air tanker” were ordered to the scene of the Aliso Canyon fire. No updates were available as of 3:30 p.m.
You must be logged in to post a comment.