Air attacks and a weather change should snuff out Alisal Fire soon
GAVIOTA, Calif. - The nearly week-old Alisal Fire had an explosive start but may see a relatively swift containment with an aggressive air attack and a significant weather change.
The strong winds that pushed the initial spot fire out of the steep hills west of Goleta Monday have diminished and ground and air efforts have been successful to begin circling the fire's footprint.
The cause is under investigation by investigators on the unified command led by the U.S. Forest Service. The fire has burned 17,200 and is 50 percent contained.
Friday some specific areas of fire towards the ridge line were clearly seen from U.S. Highway 101 along the coast, but the threat next to the freeway was gone. It was closed for just over three days at the peak of the fire activity and opened Thursday evening.
Smoke columns going straight up indicated no intense wind but there was clearly enough fuel to keep it alive. About five mixed structures on ranch land properties were destroyed along with several vehicles and part of a multi-million dollar county waste management plant. The assessment of losses on the private land in the area, especially along Refugio Road where the fire burned intensely, is still underway.
Santa Barbara County Fire Public Information Officer Mike Eliason was tracking the drops of fire retardant along the Gaviota coast at Mariposa Reina Friday where several planes unloaded in areas that framed the fire zone.
"The planes are usually the rock star of the wild fire agencies," he said.
In the interior, helicopters were using pinpoint accuracy on hot spots with quick load and drop turn around. "The helicopters are still pounding the area where there is a lot of smoke. That is what they're hitting with those water dropping helicopters. They're working with the dozers as well as the fixed wing."
The bulldozers were cutting big outlines to create a fire break
"They come down and and put those blades on the ground and just chew through the soil and create that fire break," said Eliason. He says they can do the work of 60 hand crew members.
While there has been a lot of enthusiasm with Highway 101 opening in both directions. the state beaches are closed in this area until the state parks officials feel it is safe to repopulate. Campers treasure the opportunity to visit the parks right on the water front.
Conditions have heated up slightly, but next week, weather forecasters see a cooling trend.
Firefighters look forward to it. "Possibly some fog, possibly some rain in to next week which will really help us to get these little stubborn spots out," said Eliason.
