New Cuyama News

A ban on smoking cigarettes at Santa Barbara County beaches and parks moved one step closer to reality yesterday when the Board of Supervisors directed the Public Health Department to begin drafting an anti-smoking ordinance.

You'll want a horse for this one. William Etling photo You'll want a horse for this one.

An abandoned schoolhouse that stood for at least the past 60 years along Highway 166 in the Cuyama Valley burned to the ground Wednesday morning in a fire.

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department is making good progress against a fire at an abandoned schoolhouse six miles west of New Cuyama.

A 20-year-old man from the Los Angeles area was "very lucky" to land on a ledge midway down an approximately 800-foot drop near New Cuyama Saturday, according to Santa Barbara County fire officials.

At noon yesterday, as the fire grew on the west flank, a mandatory Evacuation Order was issued by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office for the Tepesquet Canyon area.

The La Brea Fire has grown from 1,300 acres, when it was reported Saturday afternoon, to almost 26,000 acres in a remote area of Los Padres National Forest, about 16 miles west of New Cuyama.

A community meeting was held Monday night at Cuyama Valley High School in New Cuyama to update residents on the La Brea Fire.

Update: Aug. 11, 9:45 a.m. - As the La Brea fire grew to an estimated 20,622 acres by this morning, emergency officials issued the first evacuation warning for the remote blaze burning in the San Rafael Wilderness.

Acres: 86,811 Personnel: 2,080 Containment: 64% Start Date: Aug. 8, 2009 For more Information : www.inciweb.org ; or call 961-5770 from 6am-10pm There will be a community meeting on Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. at the Cuyama Valley High School , 4500 Hwy 166, New Cuyama, to provide a fire update and plans for completing containment of the fire.

Firefighters were given a mild break Tuesday on the west and south flanks of the big La Brea Fire burning east of Santa Maria, but flames continued to spill east over the Sierra Madre Ridge and race north toward Highway 166, threatening numerous ranches.

Hard working hand crew, lead by a sawyer. Another 10,000 acres gone; back-fires and burn outs continue Originally published 9:23 a.m., August 15, 2009 Updated 10:02 a.m., August 15, 2009 The containment of the La Brea Incident jumped to 25% after long days of fire line construction and burning operations in several geographical areas along the fire ...

Update: Aug. 13, 2:58 p.m. - Crews are handling a brush fire burning near Highway 101 and Palmer Road that has grown to approximately 25 acres since 1:20 p.m. Fire officials said no structures are threatened and fire personnel on scene are confident they will be able to contain the blaze.

Effective immediately at 12:00 p.m., Thursday, August 13, 2009, a mandatory Evacuation Order was issued by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office for the following area due to fire activity of the La Brea Fire: ALL of Colson Canyon, including the Blazing Saddles community ALL of Ruiz Canyon The canyon roads are being closed to the public to ...

Officials say 150 more homes and ranches have been ordered to evacuate because of a growing wildfire in northern Santa Barbara County.

With crews having some success at holding the La Brea Fire at bay, the blaze has grown to more than 29,000 acres and a new evacuation order was ordered early Thursday morning, extending the area to include 10 homes.

Monday, 3:10 p.m. a ' A wildland blaze burning in a remote area of the Los Padres National Forest has now scorched an estimated 10,500 acres as fire crews attempt to deal with steep, inaccessible terrain.

Officials with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department have set-up a tip-line to help with the investigation into the cause of the La Brea Fire.

Monday, 3:10 p.m. a ' A wildland blaze burning in a remote area of the Los Padres National Forest has now scorched an estimated 10,500 acres as fire crews attempt to deal with steep, inaccessible terrain.

Monday, 3:10 p.m. a ' A wildland blaze burning in a remote area of the Los Padres National Forest has now scorched an estimated 10,500 acres as fire crews attempt to deal with steep, inaccessible terrain.