The Whittier fire had a major flareup Thursday night with flames visible on the South Coast, but fire officials say it didn’t posing an immediate threat to homes.
The flames were slowly backing down Santa Ynez Peak, but were more than two miles from the closest homes.
Concerned people flooded 911 with telephone calls. Firefighters have been busy for the last few days creating fire lines at the base of the mountain on the South Coast side, to insure the fire wouldn't reach homes if it made it down the mountains.
Containment went up slightly on Thursday, from 48% to 52%, with the acreage at just over 12,000 acres, although that number is expected to rise when the statistics are updated later this morning.
The weather forecast calls for a slight warming trend Friday and Saturday, but nothing as hot as last weekend. We could see some sundowner winds on the South Coast Friday night.
Firefighters continue to make progress with the Alamo brush fire northeast of Santa Maria, with the acreage burned holding at around 29,000 acres, and containment now at 85%.