Firefighters Now Battling 20-Acre Coast Fire South of Lompoc

[Update, Friday, 9:35 a.m.]: County Fire spokesperson Mike Eliason reported Thursday evening that incident commanders expected to have full containment of the Coast Fire by later that night. The estimated size of the blaze was downgraded from 20 acres to 13.6 acres.

[Original Report]: Santa Barbara County firefighters, already with their hands full with the Thomas Fire, are now battling a 20-acre blaze on San Julian Road off Highway 1, south of Lompoc.

Department spokesperson Mike Eliason said the fire ― named the Coast Fire ― was reported just before 1 p.m. Thursday and quickly consumed “heavy fuel” in the area but with low winds has spread slowly since. Containment had reached 30 percent shortly after 3 p.m.

Eliason said firefighting crews initially had trouble accessing the remote location along the 3800 block of San Julian Road but have since devised a plan of attack with dozers, engines, hand crews, one helicopter, and two tankers all engaged in direct combat. “Firefighters feel pretty confident they can get ahold of this thing,” he said.

Shortly after the start of the fire there were reports of downed power lines in the area. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.