GOLETA, Calif. — The fires that bedevil California took another ominous turn today as a blaze near Goleta more than doubled to 5,400 acres and triggered more evacuations but has not destroyed any homes.
Mushrooming in size, the Goleta fire was declared a local emergency by Santa Barbara County officials. Because of its proximity to populated areas, it was also designated the top firefighting priority in a state plagued with a multitude of fires, some burning without intervention in remote areas.
Residents of more than 1,700 homes remained under evacuation orders as of 7 a.m., said William Boyer, spokesman for Santa Barbara County. In another 300 homes, residents have been told to pack their valuables in case an evacuation order comes.
Driven by “sundowner” winds gusting out of the mountains, the blaze roared “to the edge of some of the neighborhoods,” Boyer said.
Firefighters who beat back the flames were aided, he said, “by homeowners who had taken personal responsibility and created a lot of defensible space around their homes.”
More than 800 firefighters are on the scene.
Burning in thick brush untouched by flame for a half-century, the fire has taken on a kidney shape in the mountains looming over Goleta Valley. On the west, it is burning toward scenic California State Route 154, a lightly settled area dotted with rustic homes. On the east, it has burned past Glen Annie Canyon, Boyer said, but it is still about a 1 1/2 miles north of most of Goleta’s neighborhoods.
Winds today were forecast for the late afternoon and evening — the time of greatest growth for the Gap fire since it started Tuesday. However, Boyer said, humidity in the area has increased — good news for strained firefighters and worried residents.
Face masks were to be distributed free to residents who are sensitive to the smoke that hangs over Goleta.
At Big Sur, more than 65,000 acres have burned and 20 structures have been destroyed. But while the fire continued to inch downhill overnight toward the Big Sur community, it moved at a slow-enough pace that firefighters had time to cut brush and trees to protect buildings.
“Fire behavior was considered minimal, which was good,” said Leanne Langeberg, a spokeswoman for the multi-agency team fighting the blaze.
Firefighters are focusing on the Palo Colorado Canyon area, where the fire is still some distance from a hamlet of 250 homes, and on the southwest edge of the fire near the Esalen Institute, Langeberg said.
The red flag warning issued Thursday has been lifted, with moderate winds expected today.
In a period of less than two weeks, at least 1,700 lightning-triggered fires in California have charred more than 520,000 acres. Today, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered an additional 200 soldiers from the California National Guard to reinforce firefighters, doubling the number of troops deployed earlier in the week.
About 100 fires continue to burn. Statewide, more than 10,700 homes are threatened and 34 residences have been destroyed.
A new fire Thursday burned about 250 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest near Yucaipa but was 15 percent contained by Thursday night, with full containment expected by tonight. No communities were threatened, and highways and roads were open, forest officials said.
On Thursday, a volunteer firefighter died of an apparent heart attack at Ukiah Valley Medical Center, a day after being taken to the hospital from battling a fire northwest of Philo in Mendocino County.
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