Efforts to fully contain Santa Barbara County’s Rey wildfire will continue through the Labor Day weekend.
The 32,000 acre fire is now 96% contained, but officials now predict it will be September 5th before mopup work is complete. Cooler weather is helping the more than 200 people still involved with dealing with the fire.
Crews aided for a helicopter are trying to hit remaining hot spots, and there could still be some visible smoke still for the next few days.
Firefighters had originally hoped to have full containment of the blaze in the Los Padres National Forest by the middle of this week.
The cause of the fire, which began on August 18th, is still under investigation. No structures were damaged.