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Firefighters Close To Full Containment Of Nearly 700 Acre Brush Fire In Santa Barbara County

(Photo by Mike Eliason, Santa Barbara County Fire Department)
Firefighters at Drum Fire west of Buellton, in Santa Barbara County

Firefighters hope to have 100% containment Tuesday night of a brush fire which at one point prompted evacuation orders for area residents.  The Drum Fire began Sunday afternoon in the hills west of Buellton.  The nearly 700 acre fire burned north of Highway 246, near Drum Canyon Road.

The fire initially created concern for some homes and ranch buildings, prompting evacuation orders.  But, firefighters aided by air tankers and helicopter were able to protect the structures.

The size of the fire went up from 600, to 696 acres because firefighters were able to do a more complete job of mapping the burn area.

There’s no word yet on the cause of the fire.

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.