A wildfire in the Santa Ynez Valley mountains in Santa Barbara County has spread to about 19,000 acres, prompting evacuation orders near Vineyard and Neverland Ranch.
Officials said the Lake Fire started near Zaca Lake just before 4 p.m. Friday and spread quickly through dry grass, shrubs and timber.
The fire grew over the weekend, and evacuation orders were issued Saturday night along Figueroa Mountain Road near pop star Michael Jackson’s former estate of Neverland Ranch.
Several air tankers, 10 helicopters and hundreds of firefighters were sent to the scene, but the blaze burned another 3,000 acres on Sunday. As of late Sunday, the fire was 8% contained, and officials predicted it would continue to spread south and southeast, with heat, wind and bone-dry grass accelerating its spread.
“Our goal is [the fire] “We have fires burning away from the structure,” said Kenichi Haskett, a public information officer assigned to the firefighting effort. “And they’ll continue to grow.”
Maps released by the U.S. Forest Service showed the fire started near the edge of Neverland Ranch along Figueroa Mountain Road, but it was unclear whether any structures were damaged or if the flames reached the property.
The fire is burning in the mountains above Foxen Canyon Road, which is home to more than a dozen vineyards. Several wineries in northern Los Olivos were closed Sunday after fire officials blocked access to the road.
But there was no need to evacuate, Fess Parker Winery co-owner Ashley Parker said early Sunday.
A helicopter refills the reservoir at Fess Parker Winery in Rodney’s Vineyards. (Josh White)
Parker said he felt the danger was low as the fire was moving north, and young people at the restaurant enjoyed watching the fire helicopter pump water from the vineyard’s reservoir.
“My nieces and their husbands live on the ranch,” Parker said. “All the kids were really excited. The helicopter pilots are amazing. We’re really lucky to have such great firefighters.”
The fire was fueled by low humidity and high temperatures inland. A red flag warning was issued when the fire started due to gusty winds. The winds had died down by Sunday afternoon, but temperatures remained high.
“If the winds were light, we could send in aircraft to drop firefighting agents,” said Joe Szilard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, “but the heat is life-threatening for our firefighters.”
Humidity levels were still in single digits in some parts of the fire area, especially at higher altitudes. The cause of the blaze is unclear.
Vista fire flares up again, Basin and French fires under control
Amid scorching heat, firefighters continue to battle multiple wildfires in inland California. The largest is the Basin Fire in Fresno County, which began on June 26. The fire, which has burned 14,027 acres, was 60% contained as of Sunday.
Firefighters also gained the upper hand on the French Fire, which began on July 4 and briefly threatened the town of Mariposa outside Yosemite National Park. The 908-acre blaze briefly prompted mandatory evacuations and closed State Highway 140 into the park, but is now 60 percent contained.
Further south, the Vista Fire started in the Little Creek area of San Bernardino National Forest just before 10 a.m. Sunday and had grown to about 94 acres by early evening, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Evacuations were ordered for Mount Baldy Ski Area and parts of the Pacific Crest Trail, and other nearby trails were closed as more than 250 firefighters battled the blaze.
As of Sunday evening, the fire was 0% contained.
Inland California hits heatwave
The weather service issued an extreme heat warning until 9 p.m. Wednesday for inland valleys from Cuyama in Santa Barbara County to the Antelope Valley in Los Angeles County. Forecasters said highs in that swath of inland California are expected to range from 106 to 116 degrees Fahrenheit.
The relentless heat broke records in several parts of the state on Saturday. Palmdale tied its all-time high of 115 degrees. Death Valley set a new record on July 6 with a high of 128 degrees.
On Saturday, the Meteorological Agency lifted heat watches and warnings for much of the coastal region as temperatures began to drop.
In Los Olivos, vineyard managers said Sunday afternoon they were optimistic the fire would be contained, and Parker said he expected the winery would be able to reopen on Monday.
“I truly believe the firefighters were successful in putting the fire out and the area will be back up and running 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 hands. Businesses are open. People are having a good time.”
Adrian de la Cruz, who works at Petros Winery near town, said customers were sitting inside because of the poor air quality.
“The smoke is really bad today,” he said. “Yesterday it was raining ash.”
A fire patrolman stopped by but didn’t have time to talk, he said.
“I’ve been busy,” he said.
TIME staff writer Matt Hamilton contributed to this report.