Firefighters are making major headway in efforts to contain the Alisal wildfire in Santa Barbara County, with containment growing to 78% Sunday. The fire has burned just over 17,200 acres of land, with only minimal growth in its size over the weekend.
At its peak, more than 1700 firefighters battled the blaze, but some are now being set home.
While Highway 101 has been open again since Thursday night, three state parks in the area remain closed. Gaviota, Refugio, and El Capitan will be shut down to the public until October 24, because they are being used as staging areas for fire crews.
There's still no word on the cause of the fire, which began near Alisal Reservoir last Monday.
