Firefighters say they now hope to have total containment of the Whittier brush fire south of Lake Cachuma by the end of the month.
Containment is now up to 75% on the blaze, which has charred more than 18,000 acres of land. Ground crews are trying to build fire lines in areas they can reach, while an aerial armada of 16 helicopters is focused on remote spots.
There’s been very little growth of the fire since Saturday.
It started July 8th. 16 homes, and 30 other structures have been destroyed by the blaze. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Most of the evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted, and the Red Cross has closed the two emergency shelters it had operated.
Meanwhile, mopup efforts on the 29,000 acre Alamo brush fire northeast of Santa Maria are also expected to continue for the next few weeks. It’s 98% contained. About 150 firefighters are still assigned to the blaze, with the big focus on patrolling for hot spots. The Alamo Fire destroyed one home, and damaged a second structure.
