Firefighters gain upper hand on Sedgwick Fire

ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

With 500 firefighters on the scene and cooperative wind conditions, fire officials said the 710-acre Sedgwick Fire had been fully contained as of 5 p.m. today.
Sparked Sunday morning by a large tree branch that snapped a power line near the Los Padres ranger station on Figueroa Mountain Road, the blaze grew slowly throughout the day on a corner of Sedgwick Reserve east of Los Olivos near the rural community of Woodstock. Despite Santa Ana winds that have driven a dozen other wildfires throughout Southern California, fire officials said they never materialized in the Santa Ynez Valley.

"The winds stayed very light to the south," County Fire Capt. Eli Iskow said. "We didn't get it. We got lucky, really lucky."
No injuries or structure damage have been reported, fire officials said, and an evacuation warning for Woodstock was lifted at 6 p.m. today.
Yesterday evening, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a State of Emergency in Santa Barbara County, along with Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, where Santa Ana wind-driven blazes sparked up and spread quickly Sunday.
As fire crews gained the upper hand on the Sedgwick Fire, officials said they will likely start dispatching some resources to the remaining fires burning throughout Southern California.
"We may send some tomorrow," Capt. Iskow said. "That's not been confirmed yet."
Santa Barbara County's Red Cross chapter is also sending people to help with emergency services in San Diego. Louise Kolbert, director of emergency services, will head up the entire Red Cross operation for San Diego County, where an estimated 250,000 households have been warned to evacuate. In all, 17 people from the local Red Cross will be traveling to San Diego to work in shelters.
Assemblymember Pedro Nava toured the Sedgwick Fire command center at Live Oak Camp and announced that he will be introducing legislation to provide disaster relief assistance to the affected counties and victims of the wildfires ravaging Southern California.
"I believe it is my responsibility to see firsthand the devastating impacts of this fire and what support the state can give," Nava said. "I also want to show my support to the fire crews who put their lives on the line to protect all of us. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone here and around the state who is being impacted by the recent wildfires."
Although Santa Ana winds never materialized in northern Santa Barbara County, heavy winds continued to kick up ash from the Zaca Fire, prompting health officials to reiterate a precautionary advisory for poor air quality conditions and advise residents to remain indoors if possible.