Firefighters have geared up for the potential for strong wind Wednesday night, and Thursday in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties which could impact the Thomas Fire.
The 272,000 acre fire is now 60% contained. A weak cold front created cooler, breezy conditions Wednesday.
The Central Coast actually got some showers, although little if any rain is expected for the South Coast. The gusty west to northwest winds are expected to change directions Wednesday night, setting the stage for some sundowner conditions in Southern Santa Barbara County. By Thursday morning, the wind direction will change again, with conditions easing for Santa Barbara’s front country, and Santa Anas developing in Ventura County.
Firefighters say they have used the last few days of good weather to secure fire lines in the Santa Barbara area, and around Fillmore, which were the hot spots for the fire over the weekend. They’ve again mobilized an army of fire trucks to be ready for structure protection if needed.
Much of the open fire line is now in isolated areas of the Los Padres National Forest.
