When was the zaca fire

The dry and dense chaparral filling the region was so easily combustible that it often seemed to explode into flames upon contact with sparks or embers. These fuel-driven fires can move quickly and unpredictably with scorching hot temperatures, making ground fighting very dangerous. This and the fact that the region has little to no road access meant that firefighters were mostly restricted to aerial attacks. Thick smoke spreads northeast toward the intensively farmed San Joaquin Valley and the city of Bakersfield.

Irrigated fields are lush green, bare or sparsely vegetated land is tan, urban areas are gray, and the natural vegetation on the mountains appears dull greenish-brown. The fire began accidentally on private land near the forest, and extremely dry conditions allowed the blaze to escape control quickly.

Southern California is in the grip of extreme drought according to the U. Drought Monitor. The Zaca fire started July 4 north of Los Olivos when a ranch worker was grinding an irrigation pipe and a stray spark ignited some dry grass. Since then, the blaze has slowly advanced southeast toward the city of Santa Barbara and western Ventura County. Since Monday morning, when the fire gained momentum, through 8 p.

Wednesday, more than 22, additional acres were charred. About 2, firefighting personnel remain part of the massive operation. We want to protect Highway 33 on the east side and the communities of Ojai, Montecito and Carpinteria on the south side. The fire was sparked accidentally on the morning of July 4 by workers who were repairing a pipeline at a ranch 15 miles northeast of Buellton.

Officials have predicted for several weeks that it would be contained by Sept. Just about everything about the Zaca fire is extreme -- its size, persistence, the dryness of the brush, the difficulty of the terrain, the cost of controlling it.

The Zaca fire took the No. Fifteen people died and nearly 5, structures were destroyed. The second largest was the Matilija fire, which ignited in September and charred , acres in Los Padres National Forest and surrounding areas. The ,acre Day fire, the sixth largest, also burned in the forest last September and lasted four weeks. Wildfires in Los Padres have steadily increased over the last 60 years because of nearby urban sprawl, expanded recreational use and aging chaparral, the U.