Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Public Safety

Crews Battle Wind-Whipped Wildfire Near Santa Barbara

A helicopter drops water on the Cave Fire burning along Highway 154 in Los Padres National Forest, Calif., above Santa Barbara on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019.
Associated Press
A helicopter drops water on the Cave Fire burning along Highway 154 in Los Padres National Forest, Calif., above Santa Barbara on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019.

Crews are battling a wind-driven brushfire that’s threatening homes near the town of Goleta north of Santa Barbara.

The fire started at around 4 p.m. Monday in Los Padres National Forest and quickly grew to about 3,000 acres (1,214 hectares).

The fire was mainly burning in the forest but evacuations were ordered north of Cathedral Oaks in Goleta in the foothills. A fire last year in the coastal city destroyed 13 homes.

Advertisement

There’s no immediate word on whether any homes have been damaged in this new blaze.

The fire is burning through dry, brushy canyons and ridges, pushed by winds gusting to 30 mph.

Weather forecasts call for winds with gusts of 60 to 70 mph at times into Tuesday morning but rain is expected later in the day.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.