Zaca Fire closes in on 200,000 acres

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

As the Zaca Fire nears 200,000 acres, fire officials announced a precautionary evacuation of residents along Highway 33 as the flames continue to creep east toward Ventura County.
Officials also closed the highway between Wheeler Gorge and Pine Mountain Summit to all travelers, leaving the area between Ozena and Ventucopa open to residents only.
Due to a very successful burn operation near Diablo Canyon on the southern flank of the blaze, firefighters are shifting their focus to the north and east, where the fire has been burning unchecked for weeks.

“Especially those areas that are above Santa Barbara and Montecito, they are down to patrol status now,” Zaca Fire Spokesman Ed Linquist said. “They’re focusing on the north. They want to keep that fire west of Highway 33. That is vital.”
Areas near Sierra Madre Ridge and Santa Barbara Canyon, due north of Santa Barbara on the northern edge of the fire, are burning furiously, Linquist said. The current figures tally at 199,588 acres burned, 3,035 personnel on the scene and $83.2 million spent fighting the flames, which are now 75 percent contained.
Linquist said a firefighter suffered second-degree burns to one hand after tripping and landing in hot ashes yesterday, the most serious of 29 total injuries suffered on the fire lines. He said many injuries have been mere annoyances more than anything, such as poison oak rashes or bee stings.
Today, firefighters will continue to work on containment lines near Highway 33 about three miles from the front of the fire, which has established itself in Deal and Rancho Nuevo canyons of the Dick Smith Wilderness.
Weather is expected to be warmer and drier for the next few days, Linquist said, and could last until the middle of next week. He said as long as winds cooperate, firefighters should be able to continue burn operations, specifically near Potrero Seco Ranch on the west edge of the Matilija Wilderness and near Pine Mountain Summit Road north toward Ozena.
Yesterday, Ventura County residents met at Matilija Junior High in Ojai for a fire information meeting with the Ventura County Fire Department and U.S. Forest Service officials, preparing just in case the blaze jumps Highway 33 and threatens populated areas.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed a State of Emergency in Ventura County on Sunday, saying the fire is "quickly approaching" the county line and "posing a threat to people and property." Gov. Schwarzenegger proclaimed a State of Emergency in Santa Barbara County on August 3 concerning the Zaca Fire.