SANTA BARBARA, Calif., June 16 (UPI) — Residents and visitors near Las Padres National Forest were evacuated Thursday as a wildfire continues to ravage thousands of acres near Santa Barbara.
The so-called Sherpa Fire has consumed 1,200 acres in the areas of Refugio Canyon, Las Flores, Venadito, El Capitan Campground, El Capitan State Park, Ocean Mesa at El Capitan State Park and Refugio Campground. Evacuation centers have been set up in two locations, including one that will take horses and other large animals.
A 15-mile stretch of Highway 101 in Santa Barbara County was shut down for several hours into early Thursday morning.
The fire is located near an ExxonMobil facility, which has been declared safe.
The fire erupted about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and quickly spread across 150 acres. In addition to ground crews, at least 15 air tankers and helicopters are attacking the flames. The mountainous terrain is making fighting the blaze all the more difficult.
“A lot of that area is very dangerous to put crews into, so it’s going to be slow going,” Santa Barbara County fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni said.
There have been no injuries or structural damages. It is not clear what sparked the blaze.
