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Red Cross shelter set up for Santa Barbara's Lake Fire closes: Officials say it isn't needed

Shelter in Solvang used by only a handful of people.

The American Red Cross has shut down an evacuation shelter set up for potential evacuees from Santa Barbara County's Lake wildfire.

As the fire exploded in size last weekend, the shelter was set up at the Solvang Veterans Memorial Building. But, with the fire mostly burning in remote areas of the Los Padres National Forest, there haven't been large scale evacuations.

Many of those impacted were campers who went home after being forced to leave by the blaze.

The Red Cross had staffed the shelter 24/7 since Sunday, but they had only one person stay there for a brief period. But, Red Cross officials say should the situation change, they are ready to reopen if needed.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral.