Cave Fire Latest: 4,300 Acres Burned, Thousands Evacuated

SANTA BARBARA, CA — The Cave Fire in Santa Barbara County had burned more than 4,300 acres as of 4:20 p.m. Tuesday, about 24 hours after it began in the Santa Ynez Mountains Monday, according to the county. The grass and brush fire was ten percent contained, and an estimated 5,500 people were evacuated.

There were no injuries reported or homes destroyed as of Tuesday morning, Santa Barbara County spokesperson Mike Eliason said on Twitter.

The Cave Fire was burning in an area east of Highway 154, in the Los Padres National Forest. Extreme overnight winds pushed the fire downhill, Forest Fire Chief Jimmy Harris said during a Tuesday press conference. The blaze had crossed over Highway 154 in a couple of places.

The fire headed toward populated areas in the cities of Santa Barbara and Goleta, and in unincorporated parts of the county, prompting evacuation orders that expanded several times overnight and were scaled back Tuesday at noon, said Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said during the press conference. Evacuated areas were bordered to the north by Camino Cielo, to the east by Ontare Road, to the south by Cathedral Oaks Road and to the west by Patterson Avenue.

Fuels in the area hadn't been burned since a 1990 fire and were extremely dry, Harris said. Weather conditions were extreme.

"The Cave Fire is burning under some of the toughest firefighting conditions anywhere in the world," he said.

Six hundred firefighters were assigned to battle the blaze, Eliason said on Twitter Tuesday morning. Additional firefighting resources from other areas arrived throughout the night.

Firefighters from Monterey to San Bernardino were deployed to the Cave Fire, Cal Fire Chief Scott Jalbert said during the Tuesday press conference. Federal, state and local firefighting resources were on scene.

"Just because we do have some rains coming, it's not over yet," Jalbert said.

The county proclaimed a local emergency late Monday. Such proclamations are often a first step to receiving additional state funding and resources in the event of a disaster.

"The Cave Fire is causing conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within Santa Barbara County," the county's statement said. "These conditions are beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of the combined forces of the county’s Operational Area to combat."

The fire had caused intermittent power outages, as it threatened Southern California Edison's main transmission lines that served the southern part of the county.

The county Public Health Department and Air Pollution Control District announced Tuesday that they were issuing an air quality warning due to Camp Fire smoke and ash. Everyone, especially people with heart or lung disease, people with asthma, older adults, pregnant women and children should avoid spending time outside, or wear an N-95 mask if they must go outside.

N-95 masks are being distributed at: Direct Relief (6100 Wallace Becknell Rd.), Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics (5580 Calle Real and 970 Embarcadero del Mar), the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Ave.) and Goleta Valley Library (500 N. Fairview Ave.).

A shelter was open at the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Rd.). A small animal shelter was set up at the Goleta Animal Shelter (5473 Overpass Rd.) and large animal shelter was open at the Earl Warren Showgrounds (3400 Calle Real).

The county's evacuation map can be found here.

Santa Barbara County asks that the public only call 911 in the event of an emergency, as residents may call the county's emergency call center at 833-688-5551 and 800-400-1572. The county will post information and updates to ReadySBC.org.

Residents may also text their zip code to 898-211 for more information from the county.

Take a look at firefighters battling back flames Monday night near Santa Barbara: