Rey Fire in Santa Barbara County Now at 32,601 Acres, Containment at 78%
LATEST UPDATE
The latest figures for the Rey Fire burning in Santa Barbara’s backcountry is 32,601 acres and 78% containment. Better mapping is credited with the reduction in acreage.
PREVIOUS STORY
Paradise Road was reopened to the public Sunday evening starting at 7:30 p.m.
All other road closures will remain in effect. This includes East Camino Cielo road closures and Gibraltar Road closures.
The Rey Fire continues to hold at 33,006 acres and 61% containment.
The fire showed minimal growth and activity Saturday night. For Sunday, fire crews will be securing and mopping-up the remaining uncontained fireline on the northeast corner of the Rey Fire.
Crews will continue to build direct handline from Mono Creek through Pie Canyon and Indian Creek drainage. In other areas of the fire, crews are installing waterbars on firelines and removing berms.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2016 UPDATE
The Rey Fire has remained at 33,006 acres and containment increased to 54% Saturday evening, according to Los Padres National Forest officials.
On Friday, firefighters were able to keep the acreage from growing. In a Friday evening online update, firefighters reported they “continued to build direct line on the east end of the fire to control the slop over across the Mono Creek drainage.”
The report also indicated air attacks on the northern edge of the fire helped as firefighters worked on containment lines.
Over Friday night, crews plan to patrol the west end of the fire, ensuring containment lines closest to Lake Cachuma hold, and to continue working on containment lines for the eastern edge of the blaze.
Firefighters also expect warmer and drier weather conditions over the weekend, with lighter winds.
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2016 UPDATE
Thursday night, the fire was active in the upper Mono drainage and Ogilvy Ranch area until about 3 a.m., according to fire officials. Crews made progress improving the road system along Camuesa Road and prep work along Pendola Jeep Trail.
Cooler temperatures are expected today. West winds will pickup after the marine layer clears up with gusts up to 18 mph.
Residents who live or work off Paradise Road were allowed back into the area beginning Thursday night. Paradise Road will continue to remain closed to the general public, campers and anyone that’s not connected to the firefighting efforts. Law enforcement will check ID’s to ensure only residents or employees are allowed in.
As Highway 154 continues to remain open, road closures on East Camino Cielo at the junctions of Painted Cave Road and Gibraltar Road remain in effect.
Portions of the forest and wilderness in and around the Rey Fire perimeter are under a closure order. Level 4 fire restrictions are currently in place, which prohibits the use of wood and charcoal campfires, target shooting, smoking, and fireworks. Only gas stoves are allowed at designated campgrounds.
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2016 UPDATE
Residents living or working off Paradise Road will be allowed to return beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Paradise Road will remain closed to the general public, campers, and anyone not involved in the firefighting efforts.
Law enforcement will be checking ID’s so that only residents or employees will be allowed into Paradise Road.
All additional road closures, including East Camino Cielo and Painted Cave Road remain in effect.
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016 UPDATE
The Rey Fire is at 31,505 acres and holds at 37% containment according to CalFire as of Wednesday evening. The fire is now considered a Type 1 incident, meaning more and bigger resources will be assisting with the firefighting efforts.
Crews made progress constructing line directly in the fire’s perimeter on the north flank near Old Mountain and along the southern flank north of the Gibraltar Reservoir.
An Evacuation Order remains in effect for the Paradise Road recreation areas, parts of Stagecoach Road and the Los Prietos Boys Camp. Campgrounds will remain closed through the weekend.
Road Closures continue to include East Camino Cielo at the junction of Painted Cave Road and Gibraltar Road. Paradise Road remains closed.
For large animal evacuation assistance, call 805-681-4332.
Fire Restrictions have been raised to Level 4. No wood and charcoal campfires are permitted. The use of gas stoves are allowed, but only in designated campgrounds. Target shooting, smoking and fireworks are prohibited.
On Tuesday night, the fire backed down into Mono Creek, this is the east flank. Crews are hoping this is the spot where they will stop the fire’s eastward spread by working to hold the Mono Creek containment line, and continue to build contingency lines further east.
A secondary containment line is being constructed along the P-Bar Trail, and an additional contingency line along Pendola Jeep Trail. Other contingency lines along the Camino Cielo Ridge are being improved and strengthened on Wednesday.
1,783 personnel are currently battling the blaze. Southwest winds are expected to increase over the fire area on Wednesday. These winds are expected to push the fire east and northeast and challenge containment lines.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016 UPDATE
MAP: Fire Perimeter MapThe Rey Fire is expected to be fully contained on August 31 per Los Padres National Forest Service. That date could be revised as we learned from the Sherpa Fire.
The fire continues burning away from populated areas and further back into the wilderness, spreading primarily northeast. People can expect to see smoke and ashfall in different parts of Santa Barbara County for the next few days.
What to know when returning home after a fire
There’s a lot of heavy fuel that continues to advance this fire, especially in areas that have not burned before. However, Officials say the fire’s behavior is moderate at this time.
Fire personnel from as far as the East Coast has been brought in to assist with firefighting efforts of the Rey Fire. Level 4 fire restrictions remain in effect for the Los Padres National Forest. This means things like firing guns, smoking, and use of equipment that could cause sparks such as chainsaws and weedeaters, are strictly prohibited at this time. To learn more visit http://www.preventwildfireca.org.
Nearly 1,500 personnel are fighting this fire with: 42 hand crews, 14 helicopters, 51 engines, 21 dozers, 29 water tenders, 6 air tankers, and 2 VLAT’s (Very Large Air Tankers).
This year continues to be a challenging fire season for firefighters, which count on an extensive network of mutual aid resources. “This kind of fire proves that our mutual aid here in the state of California is really the best in the world. We get the right kind of people here with the right kind of expertise and the right kind of equipment,” said Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Eric Peterson at a Tuesday morning press conference. “We’re prepare to deal with additional threats.”
Crews have taken defensible positions at the Gibraltar Dam and the Santa Ynez River Watershed to protect those vital water resources.
Mandatory Evacuations remain in place for residents on Paradise Road. However, Santa Barbara County officials say Paradise Road residents may be permitted to move back home on Wednesday at the earliest.
“Paradise Road residents may access their homes in 15-minute increments for vital information, medicines, or pets,” said the County in a press release. Residents may contact the public information center by dialing 211.
There are no shelters activated, and no animals are being sheltered at this time.
Road Closures have extended to East Camino Cielo between Highway 154 and Gibraltar Road, and Gibraltar Road between East Camino Cielo and the Santa Barbara city limits. Paradise Road remains closed.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said during Tuesday’s press conference that East Camino Cielo is under a soft closure for the safety of fire personnel and equipment, but the road remains open to residents.
At the same press conference, Cal Fire Chief Scott Jalbert reminded the public not to fly any drones near fire areas. Drones are great and cool to fly he said, but it could seriously hinder firefighting efforts. There is a flight restriction in place in and around the fire area.
Anyone caught flying drones near the fire area may face criminal charges. If you see anyone illegally flying drones, you may call 1-844-DRONE11.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Check back for continued updates.
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MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2016 UPDATE
The Rey Fire has grown to 27,096 acres Monday evening. Officials say the blaze, which continues to burn away from populated communities, is 30% contained.
MAP: Fire Perimeter MapThere are 1,390 firefighters battling the wildfire. There is still no official cause for the fire.
Crews made great progress over the weekend and secured the containment line on the western flank at Horse Canyon. This gave firefighters a secure anchor point to work from.
The fire continued to move east during the night just beyond Little Pine Mountain. For Monday, the fire is expected to continue to display extreme fire behavior due to the dry vegetation in the area. Residents can expect to see smoke and ashfall for the next couple of days as the fire continues burning away from populated areas.
Stay Protected: Tips to deal with fire smoke
CLOSURES: Fire officials say East Camino Cielo will be closed to all traffic at the junctions of Painted Cave Road and Gibraltar Road for the safety of firefighter personnel and equipment movement.
An Evacuation Order is in effect for the Paradise Road recreational areas, parts of Stagecoach Road, and the Los Prietos Boys Camp. Paradise Road remains closed. Highway 154 is open in both directions.
More updates will be made throughout the day. An acreage and containment update is expected from fire officials later this evening.
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2016 UPDATE
The Rey Fire is now 21,172 with 20% containment. Fire officials made the final update of the day Sunday evening.
The fire continues to burn away from populated areas. 1,260 personnel are actively fighting the fire.
A huge mushroom-like smoke cloud could be seen for most of the day as far south as Camarillo, and even though this makes the fire appear close, fire officials assure it’s just an optical illusion. The fire is burning in the back country and remains far north of the Santa Ynez River and the containment line on the south.
Paradise Road remains closed to the public. Weather conditions today are expected to increase the potential for extreme fire behavior.
An Air Quality Watch is in effect for Santa Barbara County.
There is a flight restriction around the fire zone. Drones are strictly prohibited as they could hinder firefighting abilities. Anyone caught flying a drone near or around the fire zone may be cited up to $1,000 or more.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Check back for continued updates.
Sunday Rey Fire boundary area map
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016 UPDATE
The Rey Fire has grown to 13,224 acres as of Saturday evening, according to Los Padres National Service. It is 10% contained.
On Saturday morning, a tweet from the California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 indicated an overnight flight over the Rey Fire with infrared sensors showed the blaze had grown exponentially.
The map on the tweet indicated the fire continues to burn toward the east and not toward populated areas along the south coast. County officials say there is no current significant threat to safety and structures.
Weather conditions on Saturday caused smoke to spill over into the front country. Santa Barbara County officials say the heavy smoke and large plume seen throughout the county was due in large part to the firefighting efforts on the northwest side of the fire.
Heavy smoke and plumes are expected throughout the weekend.
Paradise Road remains closed. 500 personnel are on scene actively battling the wildfire.
Firefighters are making heavy use of equipment such as bulldozers in the Santa Barbara backcountry. During daylight hours, aerial assaults on the fire continue with ongoing drops of fire retardant.
This story will be updated as the firefight continues on Saturday.
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2016 UPDATE
The Rey Fire burning off Paradise Road in Santa Barbara County has grown to 3,000 acres as of late Thursday afternoon. It remains at 20% containment.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office allowed evacuated campers to retrieve their personal items Thursday. Deputies escorted up to five parties at a time from the road closure at Paradise Road. Authorities said evacuees would only be allowed to retrieve their items until 4 p.m.
The Evacuation Shelters at both San Marcos High School and Santa Ynez High School, have closed. The Santa Ynez High School location will remain on stand by.
Highway 154 is open in both directions. Paradise Road remains closed.
500 personnel remain on scene battling the blaze.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Check back throughout the day for continued updates.
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016 UPDATE
Santa Barbara County fire crews responded to a brush fire near the White Rock campground off Paradise Road in the Santa Barbara backcountry.
The fire was reported at 3 p.m. Thursday.
The fire has already burned approximately 600 acres with a fast rate of spread and 20% containment according to Santa Barbara County Fire Spokesperson Mike Eliason.
A large plume of smoke emanating from the campgrounds is visible from TV Hill in Santa Barbara. Eliason says this fire is wind driven, and the winds are pushing the fire away from the City of Santa Barbara.
Personnel on scene actively battling the Rey Fire include 300 firefighters, 20 fire engines and an additional 25 on order, four hand crews with an additional 10 on order, two helicopters, 4 fixed wings, and a DC-10. Additional aircraft have been ordered.
Aircraft are being diverted from neighboring fires to assist in fighting the fire from the sky, according Eliason.
Downed power lines are being reported in the area. The Rey Fire is threatening some structures at this time, but no structures have been lost.
Evacuations have been ordered for the Paradise Road campgrounds and the Los Prietos Boys Camp. An evacuation area has been established at Cachuma Lake county park.
The County of Santa Barbara reports that 300 people have been evacuated from the campgrounds in the area of Paradise Canyon.
Evacuation Shelters have been opened at San Marcos High School at 4750 Hollister Avenue in Santa Barbara, and Santa Ynez Valley High School at 2975 E. Highway 246 in Santa Ynez. **UPDATE** The Shelter at San Marcos School has closed as of 9:30 p.m. Thursday.
Volunteers will be on hand to provide lodging, meals, water and hygiene items for families affected by the evacuations.
Road Closures: Paradise Road remains closed. Santa Barbara County Officials report that Highway 154 has been reopened to the public as of 9 p.m. Thursday.
MAP: Paradise Road Campground FireAnyone that doesn’t need to be in the area of Paradise Road is advised to stay away to allow fire crews to do their job.
Injuries: Two firefighters have reportedly been injured. One from heat exhaustion and another was stung by multiple bees. Both received medical attention and are expected to be okay.
Slideshow: Rey Fire Burning in Santa Barbara backcountry
Weather conditions are expected to cool down for the evening. Fire officials expect a shift in the wind will turn the fire back on itself.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Check back for continued updates.
For additional information from the County of Santa Barbara, visit http://www.countyofsb.org/reyfire.sbc
