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T H U R S DAY, O C T O B E R 14 , 2 0 21
Alisal Fire exceeds 15,400 acres Crews deploy fixed-wing tankers to fight the blaze on day three By ANNELISE HANSHAW and MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITERS
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS
Fire burned near the entrance of the ExxonMobil Las Flores Canyon facility on the Gaviota Coast Wednesday.
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS
The Alisal Fire grew to over 15,400 acres Wednesday as more than 1,300 firefighters continued to battle the multi-day blaze. Containment was at 5% as of Wednesday afternoon. Officials launched an aerial attack on the fire Wednesday, deploying fixed-wing aircraft to spray flame retardant to slow the forward progress of the blaze. Since the fire started on Monday, responders were unable to deploy fixed-wing tankers due to heavy winds in the area, though crews utilized helicopters to deploy water drops on Tuesday. Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Daniel Bertucelli told the News-Press that the inability to use aircraft has a “significant impact” on the ability to contain a fire. “We utilize air resources all the time, and they work in conjunction with ground resources,” Capt. Bertucelli said. “It’s a coordinated effort, so it’s been a significant issue.
ANNELISE HANSHAW/NEWS-PRESS
But now as the wind is hopefully continuing to diminish, we’re going to be able to get all those aircraft up in the air and start knocking it down.” The fire, which began Monday afternoon near Alisal Lake, was very “wind-driven” in its first few days, Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig told reporters Wednesday. The chief explained that officials expect to see some “seesawing action” with the fire as it changes direction. He said onshore wind flow would push the fire further into the canyon the next few days, adding that officials were expecting to battle sundowner winds throughout the canyons Wednesday evening. “That onshore flow will push this well-established fire on these canyons and further into the canyon and infrastructures that, quite frankly, have been protected from a downwind assault,” Chief Hartwig said Wednesday. “That will change when the winds change. And so we’ll see some seesawing action on this fire over the next few Please see FIRE on A2
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
At left, Smitty’s Towing crews remove the remnants of a burnt, overturned semi-truck near the Gaviota Coast on Wednesday. Center, Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig provided an update on the Alisal Fire during a press conference Wednesday at the Earl Warren Showgrounds. At right, a map shows where the Alisal Fire burned as of Tuesday morning.
FEMA OKs funds to fight Alisal Fire
Federal government to cover 75% of firefighting costs By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a Fire Management Assistance Grant Tuesday to the state of California for the Alisal Fire firefighting effort. The grant provides federal funds, covering 75% of eligible expenses. Authorized expenses include “expenses for field camps, equipment use, materials, supplies and mobilization and demobilization activities attributed to fighting the fire.” “You can imagine on a fire like this, the county would have a hard time fulfilling our financial commitment as we share costs essentially in something like this
At left, a Chinook helicopter performs water drops Wednesday during the ongoing Alisal Fire near the Gaviota Coast. At right, the mountainside along Refugio Road appeared torched Wednesday as crews from fire departments statewide assisted the firefighting effort.
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INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 3-4-4-9
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 21-26-56-61-65 Meganumber: 4
Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 17-22-30-35-36
Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 10-02-11 Time: 1:41.16
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Sudoku................... B3 Weather................. A4
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 9-9-3 / Wednesday’s Midday 6-0-4