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Full Containment Of Santa Barbara County's Sherpa Brush Fire Now Projected For After Fourth Of July

It could be days still before Santa Barbara County’s Sherpa brush fire is declared fully contained.

The 7400 acre blaze has officially been at 93% contained for the last few days, but a number of hot spots, as well as rugged terrain on the northeastern side of the fire have hampered full containment. The fire started June 15th in Refugio Canyon, threatening some 270 structures. No homes were ultimately lost.

All mandatory evacuation orders were lifted over the weekend, and Refugio State Beach reopened Saturday. El Capitan State Beach will remain closed at least through July 15th, as the result of the park’s water filteration facility being destroyed by the blaze.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The latest estimate of full containment is now for the middle of next week.

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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