Sent: October 17, 2012, 9:00 AM
To: UCSB Campus Community
Fr: David McHale, Associate Director, Utility and Energy Services
Re: Lookout Fire — Possibility of Power Interruptions to Campus
This morning, County Fire Officials are referring to the brush fire burning off Highway 154 at Painted Cave as the “Lookout Fire”. We are asking all campus faculty, staff and students to be increasingly vigilant concerning the possibilities of power interruptions to the campus. While there is currently no threat to Southern California Edison’s electrical transmission system, UCSB’s Utility and Energy Services will remain in contact with Southern California Edison to provide as much advanced notice to the campus if conditions should worsen.
From: Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management [mailto:santa-barbara-county-office-of-emergency-management@emails.nixle.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 8:23 AM
To: undisclosed
Subject: Advisory Message: Brush fire at Highway 154 and Painted Cave Road, near Lotus Retreat.
CHP has closed Hwy 154 at Painted Cave. Brush fire at Painted Cave and Hwy 154. Size of brush fire currently unknown. County Fire reports that structures are threatened and power lines are down. Highway 154 is closed at Painted Cave. Helicopter 308 is responding. Reverse 911 message has been initiated for Paint Cave area. OEM is monitoring Fire radio traffic and will update when more information is available. For full details, view this message on the web.
Update: Lookout Fire remains slow moving. Attack continues. OEM continues to monitor situation. Incident being managed from US Forrest Service. Air attack is continuing. SIG ALERT on Highway 154: Both lanes open. Painted Cave Closed.
Advisory, 11:21 AM: Stay out of 154 Area! Air attack continues. Growth remains SLOW. Breezy condition potential afternoon. Strong attack continues. Appears that aggressive firefighter attack has helped. Breezy conditions this afternoon. Resources continue attack. Optimistic.
NBC update, 1:07 PM: More than 100 homes have been evacuated in Santa Barbara’s Painted Cave area as the 20-acre Lookout Fire continues to burn at the edge of the Los Padres National Forest. Eight air tankers, five helicopter and about 300 firefighters are battling the blaze, said Andrew Madsen of the US Forest Service. “We’ve got about 50 percent of the perimeter coated with the retardant, so that’s going to assist our hand crews as they begin to cut containment line,” Madsen said. “The up-slope spread has been stopped so we’re working on the flanks right now.” Madsen estimated the fire had consumed between 20 and 25 acres.
More NBC updates, photos, and video available here.
As of 7:19 AM Thursday, Oct. 18: “Crews made progress on a slow-moving brush fire in Santa Barbara County overnight, constructing control lines and nearly doubling the containment to 75%, officials said.” As of 5:00 pm on Friday, Oct. 19, the U.S. Forest Service declared that the fire was fully contained.
