THE FIERCE WILDFIRE IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY is still far from being contained. Firefighters are attempting to turn it and drive it northward away from the city before dusk. Late in the evening they are expecting a wind phenomenon called the “Sundowners” to spring up that brings exceptionally heavy winds blowing down the mountainside toward the ocean. This gives rise to the possibility of driving the fire right through the town.
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Reuters / McCarten photo
A fire department spokesman said that they had lucky breaks in both the wind and the weather today allowing them to control the fire enough for the air tankers to make effective drops on the fire. “I’m surprised that we haven’t lost 500 homes so far,” he said.
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Reuters / McCarten photo
The Los Angeles Times reports:
Coping with its most destructive fire in nearly 20 years, Santa Barbara organizations have stepped forward to help in some distinctive ways. Santa Barbara Bank & Trust Co. announced it will pay hotel bills tonight through Sunday night for people displaced by the blaze.
“Business is gangbusters, I’m sorry to tell you,” said George Leis, the bank’s CEO. By midday, the bank had booked 130 rooms, many at the waterfront Hotel Mar Monte, and planned to issue dinner vouchers at Los Arroyos restaurants. A team of 10 employees was busy fielding calls at the bank’s headquarters in downtown Santa Barbara.
“Some of our customers have lost their homes. Some of our employees have lost their homes,” said Leis, who added that the bank will offer its customers emergency lines of credit and cash advances.
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Reuters / McCarten photo
WildfireToday blog is maintaining aerial maps and charts of the fire HERE.
The AP has a video update:
Firegeezer will continue to update.
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