Firefighters are making progress in efforts to fully control Santa Barbara County’s Sherpa brush fire, but they are contending with new concerns for the next few days.
A Red Flag alert for sundowner winds, high heat, and low humidity is in place from Sunday night to Tuesday morning.
The fire has burned more than 7800 acres of land near Refugio Canyon, in the mountains west of Santa Barbara, and is 45% contained. No homes have been lost.
After strong wind fanned the fire Wednesday, and Thursday nights, closing Highway 101 for two nights in a row, firefighters got a break with reduced sundowner wind on Friday and Saturday nights. The biggest concern remains the eastern flank of the fire, which is in rugged terrain that’s been difficult for hand crews to reach. The fire is about six miles east of the edge of Goleta.
More than 2,000 people are now involved in fighting the fire, which started just after 3 p.m. Wednesday off of Refugio Road. The cause is under investigation, but it’s not believed to be suspicious in origin.
