California

16,000-acre wildfire in Santa Barbara County prompts evacuations near vineyards, Neverland Ranch

Published

6 months ago

July 7, 2024

16,000-acre wildfire in Santa Barbara County prompts evacuations near vineyards, Neverland Ranch

A wildfire in the mountains above Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley has exploded to more than 16,000 acres, prompting evacuations near vineyards and Neverland Ranch.

The Lake fire was sparked near Zaca Lake on Friday afternoon just before 4 p.m. and quickly spread through dry grass, brush and timber, officials said. The fire was zero percent contained on Sunday.

The Sheriff’s Department expanded the evacuation area Saturday night along Figueroa Mountain Road near Neverland Ranch, once owned by the pop star Michael Jackson. More ground crews were dispatched to the area.

“Our goal is to keep [the fire] away from all those structures,” said Kenichi Haskett, the public information officer assigned to the firefighting operation. “It’s going to continue to grow.”

The fire was burning in the mountains above Foxen Canyon Road, where there are more than a dozen vineyards. Several wineries north of Los Olivos were closed Sunday after fire officials cut off access to the road.

But there was no need to evacuate, said Ashley Parker, co-owner of Fess Parker Winery.

Though she could see the glow at night north of the winery, the wind appeared to be taking the fire farther north, away from populated areas, Parker said.

The threat level was low enough that the youngsters were simply entertained by the fire helicopters sucking water from the vineyard reservoir, she said.

“My nieces and their husbands live on the ranch,” Parker said. “All the kids were getting a real thrill out of it. Those helicopter pilots are really amazing. So lucky to have great fire crews.”

The fire was fueled by low humidity and hot inland temperatures. When the fire started, a red flag warning was in place because of gusty winds. The wind has now calmed down, but temperatures remain high.

“With less wind, they can get aircraft in there to drop retardant,” said Joe Sirard, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “But it’s life threatening heat for these firefighters.”

He said the humidity was still in single digits in some areas of the fire, especially in the highest elevations. The cause of the fire is unknown.

Amid scorching temperatures, crews continued to battle several wildfires in inland areas across California. The largest is the Basin fire in Fresno County, which started June 26. The fire, which has burned 14,027 acres, was 60% contained on Sunday.

Crews also gained the upper hand on the French fire, which began on the Fourth of July and briefly threatened the town of Mariposa outside Yosemite National Park. The 908-acre fire, which temporarily triggered mandatory evacuations and closed State Route 140 leading into the park, stands at 60% containment.

The weather service has issued an excessive-heat warning until 9 p.m. on Wednesday for inland valleys from Cuyama in San Luis Obispo County down to the Antelope Valley in Los Angeles County. Forecasters say the highs along this stretch of inland California are expected to range from 106 to 116 degrees.

The relentless heat shattered records in some parts of the state on Saturday. Palmdale tied its all-time record of 115 degrees. Death Valley set a new record for July 6 with a high of 128 degrees.

On Saturday, a cooling trend prompted the weather service to call off excessive-heat advisories and warnings in many of the coastal areas.

In Los Olivos, vineyard managers said they were optimistic the fire would soon be contained. Parker said she expected her winery to reopen Monday.

“I really do believe the firefighters knocked it back and that area is going to be up to speed in a day,” she said. “The last thing I want to do is encourage people not to come. The town of Los Olivos is in good shape. Businesses are open. People are having a good time.”

Adrian De La Cruz, who works at Petros Winery closer to town, said customers were being seated indoors because of the air quality.

“The smoke is getting really bad today,” he said. “Yesterday it was raining ash.”

He said one fire patrol officer stopped by, but he did not have time to talk to him.

“We were busy,” he said.

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California

Where are mandatory evacuation orders in place for California wildfires? See maps

Published

5 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Where are mandatory evacuation orders in place for California wildfires? See maps

Mandatory evacuation orders remained in effect Thursday morning as wildfires continued to rage across parts of Southern California.

The deadly fires broke out this week and have destroyed more than 1,000 homes, businesses, and other structures, according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone. As of Thursday morning, at least five deaths had been confirmed, and nearly 250,000 were without power in the region, according to the USA TODAY power outage tracker.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency this week as more than 100,000 people have been forced to flee homes and evacuate the area.

The fires − Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Lidia, and Sunset − have burned thousands of acres and continue to spread due to humidity and dry vegetation, authorities said. Before the fires started, the National Weather Service issued its highest alert for extreme fire conditions in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

As of Thursday morning, Cal Fire reported the Palisades, Eaton, and Sunset fires were at zero containment, while firefighters had contained 10% of the Hurst Fire and 40% of the Lidia Fire.

Here’s where evacuation orders are in place for California and how to stay up-to-date on the latest.

Where are evacuation orders in place for the Palisades Fire?

Evacuation orders were in place from Malibu to Santa Monica, including Topanga State Park and stretching into the city as far south as Montana Avenue, as of just after 4:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, according to Cal Fire.

Wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour are expected to continue through Thursday in that area, CAL Fire reported online, “potentially aiding in further fire activity and suppression efforts.”

View an interactive map of Palisades Fire evacuation orders and warnings on the Cal Fire website.

Where are evacuation orders in place for the Hurst Fire?

Evacuation orders were in place for the San Fernando Valley, specifically at the Michael D. Antonovich Open Space Preserve, Stetson Ranch Park and Whitney Canyon Park, about 4:45 a.m. local time on Thursday, according to Cal Fire. Evacuation warnings were in place just north and south of the area.

View an interactive map of Hurst Fire evacuation orders and warnings on the Cal Fire website.

What are the evacuation orders in place for the Lidia Fire?

As of just after 4 a.m. local time on Thursday, no evacuation orders were in effect in connection to the Lidia Fire.

But Soledad Canyon Road between Agua Dulce Canyon Road and Crown Valley Road remained closed, CAL FIRE reported, as well as the entire Angeles National Forest for public safety and the protection of natural resources. The forest will remain closed through Jan. 15 at midnight.

View an interactive map of Lidia Fire on the Cal Fire website.

What are the evacuation orders in place for the Sunset Fire?

“The majority of the evacuation zone for the Sunset Fire is lifted with the exception of the area North of Franklin Ave from Camino Palmero St (East border) to North Sierra Bonita Ave. (West border)”, according to Cal Fire.

Where are evacuation orders in place for the Eaton Fire?

Evacuation orders were in place, as of about 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, for areas near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive, Altadena and Pasadena, Cal Fire reported.

Evacuation warnings were in place for areas just west and south of the area.

View an interactive map of Eaton Fire evacuation orders and warnings on the Cal Fire website.

Contributing: Greta Cross, USA TODAY

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

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California

Jamie Lee Curtis fights back tears on ‘Tonight Show’ over California wildfire ‘catastrophe’ near her home: ‘It’s f–king gnarly, guys’

Published

13 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Jamie Lee Curtis fights back tears on ‘Tonight Show’ over California wildfire ‘catastrophe’ near her home: ‘It’s f–king gnarly, guys’

Jamie Lee Curtis fought back tears as she detailed the “catastrophe” of the Palisades Fire near her California home when she appeared on “The Tonight Show” Wednesday.

“As you know, where I live is on fire right now. Literally, the entire city of the Pacific Palisades is burning. I flew here last night. I was on the plane and started getting texts. It’s f–king gnarly, you guys,” Curtis said.

“It’s a catastrophe in Southern California. Obviously there has been horrific fires in many places. This is literally where I live. Everything.”

Curtis said she had “many, many, many” friends who have lost their homes in the devastation of the fires.

“It’s a really awful situation,” she added.

The 66-year-old added she was flying home first thing Thursday to be with her family and friends.

The Academy Award-winning actress, who lives in Los Angeles with her husband Christopher Guest, took to Instagram earlier Wednesday to share with her followers that her home was “possibly” on fire.

“My community and possibly my home is on fire,” the actress wrote in the post. “My family is safe. Many of my friends will lose their homes. Many other communities as well.”

“Take care of each other,” she told her followers. “Stay out of the way and let the firefighters do their work. Pray if you believe in it and even if you don’t, pray for those who do.”

Stay up to date with the NYP’s coverage of the terrifying LA-area fires

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The Emmy winner is one of tens of thousands of people who have been forced to flee their homes in Pacific Palisades and neighboring areas.

Four fires have exploded in Los Angeles County, taking over 27,000 acres of land with zero containment in the Palisades, Eaton and Sunset fires.

The Hurst Fire is 10 percent contained, officials announced.

The fires are being fueled by strong winds, “dry fuels” and low humidity.

The “Halloween” star isn’t the only Hollywood figure whose home is under threat due to the fires.

Harrison Ford was seen talking to police as he attempted to get through to check on his $12.6 million Brentwood home he had evacuated because of the raging blaze.

Ford’s “Star Wars” co-star Mark Hamill was forced to flee his Malibu home Tuesday as the fire bore down on the area.

The 73-year-old actor detailed his hour-long “last minute” evacuation from Malibu as he experienced the most horrific fire since 1993.

Other LA-based celebrities have been forced to evacuate their homes amid the crisis, including “This Is Us” star Mandy Moore, “Schitt’s Creek” star Eugene Levy and “Once Upon a Time in America” actor James Woods.

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California

Maps: See how large the California wildfires are

Published

21 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

Maps: See how large the California wildfires are

Multiple major wildfires are leaving a trail of destruction and death in the Los Angeles area.

A handful of wildfires kicked up Tuesday, powered by high winds and dry conditions , and have exploded in size. As of Tuesday afternoon, 2 people have been killed and more than 80,000 people have been evacuated.

Follow live coverage here.

The maps below show the size and status of the fires. They will be updated frequently.

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