For the third time in less than a year, South Coast residents were transfixed Tuesday by a scene playing out against the majestic backdrop of the rugged Santa Ynez Mountains. Visible from every vantage point around, thick smoke and flashes of flames captured the attention of a fire-wary community still reeling from last year’s Tea and Gap blazes.
Tuesday’s wildfire broke out at 1:50 p.m. in thick brush in the Cathedral Peak area above San Roque Canyon. Winds blowing at 10-15 mph in early afternoon gradually picked up, reaching 30-40 mph as the sun set. While Santa Barbara County fire Chief Tom Franklin said gusty winds and temperatures in the mid-80s are expected until Wednesday afternoon, relative humidity of about 35 percent was helping the cause.
A mandatory evacuation order was in effect for all neighborhoods north of Foothill Road, east of Ontare Road and Morada Lane and west of El Cielito and Gibraltar roads to East Camino Cielo. Franklin told a Tuesday night news conference that nearly 2,000 homes are threatened by the 425-acre fire, which was about a half-mile away from the nearest structure. He said 1,000 homes have been evacuated and that his department’s priority is keeping residents safe and helping them get out.
“If you don’t have to be home, don’t be,” he said. “Be ready to go.”
The origin of the fire had not been determined by late Tuesday. Authorities are asking anyone with information to call the county’s confidential tip line at 805.686.5074.
Franklin said water-dropping helicopters would be flying all night as crews try to contain the blaze.
“Expect to hear the sounds of the helicopters through the night,” he said. “If you don’t hear them, that means the wind has picked up, which we don’t anticipate.”
More than 80 firefighters from the county, city of Santa Barbara and Los Padres National Forest fire agencies were battling the blaze. Another 14 strike teams and 70 fire engines were dispatched from outside the area. In all, about 280 personnel are expected on the fire lines by dawn Wednesday, officials said.
A state of emergency was declared for Santa Barbara County, a designation that clears the way for federal aid. The effects were felt almost immediately with a small fleet of fire retardant-dropping air tankers flown in from Arizona, which is grappling with wildfires of its own.
With the smell of smoke and blowing ash stirring still-fresh memories of the Gap and Tea fires, many residents in the threatened areas weren’t waiting to be told to leave. Vehicles packed with belongings and pickup trucks towing horse trailers were streaming out of canyon neighborhoods throughout the afternoon.
View Jesusita Fire in a larger map
Residents and staff of Wood Glen Hall senior facility, 3010 Foothill Road, were evacuated across town to Valle Verde Retirement Community, 900 Calle De Los Amigos. Nearby Gracious Living of Santa Barbara, 2790 Foothill Road, moved eight clients to a sister facility. Marymount of Santa Barbara, 2130 Mission Ridge Road, closed early as did the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol Road.
The American Red Cross-Santa Barbara County Chapter opened an emergency shelter on the campus of Dos Pueblos High School, 7266 Alameda Ave. Click here for more information or call 805.687.1331.
A large animal evacuation center has been opened at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real. Small animals can be taken to the Santa Barbara Humane Society shelter, 5399 Overpass Road.
Thick smoke was interfering with Southern California Edison power lines as the blaze burned near Inspiration Point, and intermittent power outages were expected overnight. Just before 6 p.m. the power went out to a wide stretch of downtown and Santa Barbara’s Eastside and Montecito for about 20 minutes.
The fire response is being administered by a unified command consisting of the Santa Barbara city and county fire departments, the U.S. Forest Service and the Montecito Fire Department. Officials will hold a news conference at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday; check back with Noozhawk for details.
Officials said a number of schools will be closed Wednesday:
» Cesar Chavez Charter School, 1102 E. Yanonali St.; Cleveland School, 123 Alameda Padre Serra; Franklin School, 1111 E. Mason St.; Peabody Charter School, 3018 Calle Noguera; and Roosevelt School, 1990 Laguna St., in the Santa Barbara School District.
» Hope School, 3970-A La Colina Road, and Monte Vista School, 730 N. Hope Ave., in the Hope School District.
» Marymount of Santa Barbara, 2130 Mission Ridge Road.
» Both San Roque School campuses, the lower school at 3214 Calle Cedro and the middle and upper school at 2300 Garden St.
» Santa Barbara Middle School, 2300 Garden St.
» California Learning Center, 350 S. Hope Ave., Suite A104
» Sunrise Montessori School, 1201 E. Yanonali St.
» Little Angels Preschool, 909 N. La Cumbre Road
» Parma Children’s Center, 915 E. Montecito St.
» Notre Dame School, 33 E. Micheltorena St.
Westmont College, whose campus was devastated by the Tea Fire, is not in danger from the Jesusita Fire and remains open, officials said.
About 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, authorities ordered the mandatory evacuation of Holly, Spyglass Ridge and Tunnel roads, north of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Road. About an hour later, that order was expanded to include all locations north of Foothill Road between Ontare and Gibraltar roads.
Evacuation warnings were issued from Coyote Road, the eastern boundary, south to Sycamore Canyon Road, west from Alameda Padre Serra to Los Olivos Street, west on Constance Avenue to State Street, west on State to La Cumbre Road, the western boundary, and north to East Camino Cielo. Click here for more information on road closures, or call 805.568.3006.
Foothill, also known as Highway 192, has been closed between El Cielito and La Cumbre roads, Caltrans spokesman Jim Shivers said. All construction on Foothill near Mission Canyon Road has been suspended to allow for residents and emergency vehicles to pass through.
Authorities have established numerous traffic control points along Highway 192:
» La Cumbre Road
» Morada Lane
» Ontare Road
» San Roque Road
» Laurel Canyon Road
» Alamar Avenue
» Glen Albyn Road
» Tye Road
» Cheltenham Road
» Mission Canyon Terrace
» Tunnel Road
» Foothill Road
» Mountain Drive
» El Cielito Road (two locations)
Click here for a related Noozhawk story.
Click here for running citizen reports from City2.0. If you have fire photos to share with Noozhawk, e-mail them to news@noozhawk.com.
Click here for additional information and fire resources at sbparent.com.
Click here for additional information from the city of Santa Barbara or turn to City TV-Channel 18. Radio updates can be found at KCSB-91.9 FM; KRAZ-105.9 FM; KSYV-96.7 FM; KTYD-99.9 FM; KSBL-101.7 FM; KTMS-990 AM; KUHL-1410 AM; KINF-1440 AM; and in Spanish at KSPE-94.5 FM and KIST-107.7 FM.
— Noozhawk publisher Bill Macfadyen can be reached at wmacfadyen@noozhawk.com. Noozhawk staff writer lcooper@noozhawk.com contributed to this report.
(Jack Kimball / Noozhawk video)
