KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News-La Brea Fire: 89,489 Acres Burned, 100% Contained

La Brea Fire: 89,489 Acres Burned, 100% Contained

Current La Brea Fire Fact Sheet

Start Date: Aug. 8, 2009
Acres Burned: 89,489

Containment: 100% as of 8/22/09

Resources:   Engines: 44    
             Crews: 39
             Dozers: 7  
             Water Tenders: 59  
             Helicopters: 10    
             Fixed Wing: Available, If Needed

             Total Personnel: 878

Day Operations Plan: Today's focus will be containing fire within the wilderness.  Eight hotshot crews will work in this steep, rugged terrain supported by air operations.  Crews will also focus on fire suppression rehabilitation, including addressing impacts to private land.  Suppression rehabilitation efforts will also focus on building water bars, and placing dead vegetation back on indirect firelines to reduce risk of erosion due to rain. 

Evacuations: An Evacuation Warning remains in effect for the area bound by Sierra Madre Road on the west, Cottonwood Road on the south, Hwy 166 on the east, and Spoor Canyon on the north.  All other evacuation orders and warnings are rescinded including Pine Canyon, Tepusquet Canyon, and the area bound by Cottonwood Road and Wasioja Road between Hwy 166 and Sierra Madre Road.

Closures: An emergency closure order is in effect for portions of the Los Padres National Forest in and around the fire.  For more information, see http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres/ or http://www.inciweb.org/incident/1803/.

Weather:  Today weather will be hot and dry. On the west side of the fire, temperatures will be 82-92 degrees and on the east side 88-98 degrees. Winds will be from the north to northeast 8-14 mph with local gusts of 20 mph.

Fire Investigation: U.S. Forest Service Special Agents, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office and fire investigators determined the La Brea Fire was caused by a cooking fire at an illegal marijuana drug trafficking operation within the forest. The La Brea Fire Tip Line is still open, and anyone with additional information helpful to this ongoing investigation is urged to contact 805-686-5074.