Hand crews cut lines on Southwest edge of Whittier Fire

Hand crews and dozers are working quickly to box in the Whittier Fire on the southwest flank of the fire’s edge.

A news crew went into La Varas Canyon where Santa Barbara County Fire Department hand crews cut a 25-foot wide line with chainsaws, pulaskis and shovels. The hand crew just returned from the Alamo Fire in San Luis Obispo.

The line will eventually link up with a dozer line in Los Gatos Canyon.

“This is an area firefighters’ nicknamed the perch,” said Captain Dave Zaniboni.

The goal is to create an indirect line so crews can set backfires–to prevent the flames from heading towards the coast. “The hand crews and dozers are going to meet.” Zaniboni said. “The purpose of this line is that they are planning on doing a fire operation when the weather permits.”

The fire is also being butted up against the Sherpa Fire burn area to the west where there is no vegetation for the Whittier Fire to feed on.