Bad Air Quality Due to Zaca Fire in Santa Barbara County

Bad Air Quality Due to Zaca Fire in Santa Barbara County
Last Edited: Friday, 17 Aug 2007, 4:56 PM PDT
Created: Friday, 17 Aug 2007, 4:56 PM PDT
A massive wildfire burns in Los Padres National Forest near New Cuyama, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 13, 2007. The fire has burned almost 100,000 acres of land since it started on July 4, 2007.    
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Huge Zaca Fire in Los Padres Forest to Cross into Ventura County
Wildfire in Santa Barbara County Flares, Evacuations Ordered
Santa Barbara, Calif.  --  
 
 
Smoke and ash from an enormous Santa Barbara County wildfire dirtied skies for miles around on Friday as the blaze churned through wilderness toward neighboring Ventura County.
 
The fire in Los Padres National Forest was expected to create unhealthful air quality in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties through Saturday, their smog agencies warned.
 
The fire has burned through more than 143,200 acres, or nearly 224 square miles, of wilderness since being ignited July 4 by sparks from equipment being used to repair a water pipe. As winds and terrain changed, the fire has intermittently crept along and flared suddenly across huge swaths of rugged backcountry.
 
It grew by nearly 9,000 acres between Thursday night and Friday, and by afternoon was about four miles from the Ventura County line, fire spokesman Larry Comerford said.
 
No towns were in immediate danger, but Ventura County, state and U.S. authorities planned a community meeting Sunday to brief residents of the city of Ojai and neighboring communities about the anticipated fire activity and possible evacuations or road closures that may become necessary, the county Fire Department said.
 
The meeting was scheduled to be held at a junior high school in Ojai.
 
Comerford said the fire was moving southeast through Diablo Canyon and probably would reach the county line this weekend, Comerford said.
 
Fire crews prepared firebreaks well ahead of the flames, which were moving relatively slowly.
 
"There's no winds pushing it. It's just following the terrain right now," he said.
 
However, Comerford said there was the "potential to have extreme fire behavior."
 
"It's down deep-seated in some of the canyons and the thick brush is what it's eating up right now ... some of that brush hasn't burned in over 100 years," he said.
 
In recent days, firefighters have set 20 miles of backfires to destroy brush in the path of the fire and hoped to set more backfires as weather permitted.
 
The fire was 59 percent contained Friday. Full containment has been predicted for Sept. 7.
 
More than 2,800 personnel were battling the fire.