Thomas Fire: More Mandatory Evacuations In Santa Barbara County

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, CA — A mandatory evacuation in Santa Barbara County has been expanded after the Thomas Fire scorched roughly 170,000 acres in southern California. The county said in a tweet on Sunday afternoon that the mandatory evacuation notice now applies to those between Hot Springs Road and Buena Vista Drive in Montecito.

The county sheriff's office previously said a mandatory evacuation was issued for the area from Buena Vista Drive to Toro Canyon Road, from state Route 192 north to Camino Cielo.

An evacuation warning was issued for:

• Mission Canyon Road to Cold Springs Road, above Alameda Padre Serra, or APS, and from APS to Hot Springs Road between South Salinas Road and state Route 192.
• The area from San Ysidro Road in Montecito to Ortega Ridge Road in Summerland to Toro Canyon Road in Toro Canyon, from the Pacific Ocean to East Valley Road.
• The area of San Ysidro Road to the intersection of Padaro Lane and Santa Claus Lane in Carpinteria, from the Pacific Ocean to U.S. Route 101.
• Officials also closed large areas of the Los Padres National Forest between state Route 154 and Interstate 5, including areas near Ojai and Santa Barbara.

Los Padres has closed major portions of the Santa Barbara, Ojai & Mt. Pinos Ranger Districts due to #ThomasFire for public & firefighter safety. pic.twitter.com/0VTGSNYeCx
— Los Padres NF (@LosPadresNF) December 10, 2017

The Carpinteria Health Care Center of the Santa Barbara Public Health Department will not open Monday, the county said.

Residents are also asked to avoid outdoor water use.

The county tweeted: "Firefighters NEED all our water resources."

It added "Now is not the time to clear ash!"

The Santa Barbara Zoo was closed on Sunday, it said on Twitter. Animals were kept indoors.

Tho no immediate danger from #ThomasFire and outside evac zone, SB Zoo is closed today. Animal Care staff & security on site w/ masks designed for smoke. Animals remain inside or have access to inside areas. “We drill for and are prepared for emergencies.” Dir. Nancy McToldridge.
— Santa Barbara Zoo (@SantaBarbaraZoo) December 10, 2017

The deadly Thomas Fire sparked on Monday night in Santa Paula, about an hour away from Los Angeles, before making its way through Ventura County and eventually reaching the Pacific Ocean. It has been fueled by Santa Ana gusts.

More than 4,400 firefighting personnel were working on the Thomas fire, officials said.

KNBC-TV reported the Thomas Fire has now burned through 173,000 acres and was just 15 percent contained. The station said 460 homes in Ventura were burned along with another 140 homes elsewhere in the county.

At 10 a.m. Saturday, officials announced new mandatory evacuations for the area from Rancho Matilija West to Lake Casitas. The evacuation includes Highway 150, "Casitas Pass Rd," West to the Santa Barbara County Line.

Forecasters issued a red flag warning through Sunday night.

#ThomasFire [update] Hwy 150 and Hwy 126, north of Santa Paula (Ventura County) is now 155,000 acres and 15% contained. Unified Command: CAL FIRE, Ventura County Fire, Los Padres National Forest and Ventura City Fire. https://t.co/vfLtDXYjzO pic.twitter.com/9mHNmSrKJl
— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) December 10, 2017

Photo credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images