Firefighters are now very close to fully containing Santa Barbara County’s Sherpa brush fire, with firefighting efforts moving into a mop-up mode.
Containment stands at 93%, with the amount of acreage unchanged at just over 7900 acres.
Full containment is expected by early tomorrow.
Much of the focus Wednesday was on the northeast corner of the fire, which has been difficult to reach because of rugged terrain.
Almost all mandatory evacuations have been lifted, with the exception of El Capitan Canyon, and parts of Refugio Canyon. It’s expected those canyons will fully reopen this weekend.
Refugio State Beach will reopen to the public on Saturday. However, El Capitan State Beach will remain closed at least through July 15th.
The number of people involved in fighting the fire has dropped to just over 1600, down from a high of more than 2,000 during its peak.
Nine minor injuries have been reported. While some 270 structures were threatened, no homes were lost.
