Lake Fire More Than Doubles in Size in Santa Barbara Backcountry

[Update: July 7, 2024, 8 a.m.] An evacuation order went out for parts of Figueroa Mountain Road around 1:40 a.m. on July 7. The Lake Fire evacuation zone is between the Grass Mountain Trailhead (5380 Figueroa Mountain Rd.) to the Sawmill Basin neighborhood to the east, including the Figueroa Campground and Tunnel Road.

Roads leading to Figueroa Mountain through Los Padres National Forest are also under emergency closure:
•  Happy Canyon Road at the forest boundary
•  Foxen Canyon Road at Zaca Station Road and Alisos Canyon Road
•  Figueroa Mountain Road at Midland School

An evacuation warning remains in effect for Figueroa Mountain Road to the Chamberlin Ranch to the west. Residents of areas between Zaca Lake Road, Foxen Canyon Road, and south of the Sisquoc River are also warned that an evacuation order may be made depending on fire movement.

A Calfire map shows the Lake Fire’s current acreage to be 13,264 as of July 7, 2024, around 2 a.m.

[Original Story] Ostriches and horses are among the animals evacuated by residents near the Lake Fire, which grew to about 12,227 acres on Saturday. The fire continues to blaze in the rugged terrain near Zaca Lake north of Los Olivos after erupting on Friday around 3:45 p.m. when it was estimated to be about 4,600 acres in size. The cause is as yet undetermined.

An evacuation warning is in place for residents in the area between Figueroa Mountain Road from the Forest Station to the Chamberlin Ranch, and also north of Zaca Creek Road, east of Foxen Canyon Road, and south of the Sisquoc River. Emergency officials urge them to be ready to evacuate and to go ahead and leave if they feel unsafe.

Dozens of firefighters have been working in temperatures as high as 104 degrees in the Figueroa Mountain area, with relative humidities that have dipped into single digits. Ten air tankers were working the fire today, as well as three Type-1 helicopters, dropping water and fire retardant along ridges in an attempt to get a line around the flames. As of 1 p.m., the fire was at zero percent containment, Santa Barbara County Fire spokesperson Captain Scott Safechuck noted at Twitter/X.

Sarah Aguilar, director of county Animal Services, said the ostriches and horses were taken in by neighbors. “We were relieved to hear that because we weren’t sure how to handle ostriches. They can run 40 miles an hour,” Aguilar said. The cattle on ranches in the area were able to be moved to pastures farther from the fire, she said.

In the last county update, the fire was moving away from communities to the south and the west, Aguilar said. The wind, while calm in the Figueroa Mountain area, has been swinging around the compass, and may swing again this evening.

The county animal shelters are available to take in small animals from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. After-hours emergency calls can be made to (805) 698-0212.

Residents seeking shelter can call (805) 678-3073 for information. Shelters would open if an evacuation order were made, which has not happened for the Lake Fire as of Saturday evening. For more about evacuations, visit ReadySBC.org.