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Sherpa Brush Fire In Santa Barbara County Now At 200 Acres

(Photo by Mike Eliason-Santa Barbara County Fire Department)
Wednesday night view of Scherpa Fire

A brush fire in the Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara County has now topped 200 acres of land burned, and forced some evacuations. The fire, which is being called the Sherpa Fire, was discovered just after 3:30 Wednesday afternoon off of Refugio Road in the Gaviota area. The fire on the ocean side of the mountains grew quickly, with flames and a huge plume of smoke visible for miles. Air drops by helicopters, airplanes, and a giant converted DC-10 jetliner slowed the spread of the flames during the daylight hours. The fire has burned near some ranches in the area, but so far there are no reports of damage. A mandatory evacuation order was issued for Refugio Canyon, Venadito Canyon, and Las Flores Canyon. Those areas are sparsely populated. An evacuation site was opened at the Wake Center in Goleta, and a livestock evacuation center was set up at the Earl Warren Showgrounds. The fire is in rugged terrain which is difficult for firefighters to reach on foot, and in spots where chaparral hasn't burned for years.There’s no word yet on possible containment.

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. 
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