Firefighters return during a shift change after working overnight, conducting burnout operations to corral the Sherpa fire in El Capitan Canyon in Goleta on June 18, 2016.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Fire retardant covers West Camino Cielo Road as firefighters continue to battle the Sherpa fire in Goleta.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Fire retardant covers parts of West Camino Cielo Road and the surrounding brush as firefighters attack the Sherpa fire in Goleta on June 18, 2016.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters march into El Capitan Canyon to conduct a burn-out operation.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
A T-40 aircraft drops a fire retardant into El Capitan Canyon as firefighters operate a burnout on the Sherpa fire before the winds pick up in Goleta, Calif.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
A firefighter torches dry foliage as crews conduct a burnout operation in El Capitan Canyon in Goleta.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters march into El Capitan Canyon as they perform burnout operations to corral the Sherpa fire before the winds pick up.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighter monitors the embers in the air as they conduct a burn-out operation in El Capitan Canyon in Goleta.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters monitor the embers in the air as they conduct a burn-out operation in El Capitan Canyon.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters monitor the burn-out operation in El Capitan Canyon.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
A firefighter torches the dry foliage during a burn-out operation in El Capitan Canyon.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters march into El Capitan Canyon in Golata to conduct a burn-out operation to corral the Sherpa fire.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters work to route water in their hoses into the El Capitan Canyon.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters assess the burn-out operation in El Capitan Canyon.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
A firefighter tries to control a growing flame in El Capitan Canyon.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
US Forest Service firefighters keep an eye on the Sherpa fire burning above El Capitan Ranch in Santa Barbara CountyFriday.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Orange County firefighters work to put out embers in heavy mulch in El Capitan Canyon while battling the Sherpa fire in Santa Barbara County on June 17, 2016.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Orange County firefighter Jean Davancens works to put out embers in heavy mulch in El Capitan Canyon while working the Sherpa fire on June 17, 2016.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Flames consume brush unabated in El Capitan Canyon as crews continue to battle a raging wildfire in Santa Barbara County on June 17, 2016.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Cal Fire brush crews cross a burned-out ridge above El Capitan Canyon while working the Sherpa fire in Santa Barbara County on June 17, 2016.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A deer stands in El Capitan State Park among burned-out trees and shrubs in Santa Barbara County on June 17, 2016.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
The Sherpa Fire burns in the background of the homes in El Capitan Ranch, near Goleta, on Friday morning.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
The sun rises through smoky haze from the Sherpa Fire in Goleta on Friday.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters try to stop the flames before they reach El Capitan Canyon camp.
(Dillon Deaton / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters observe the Sherpa fire as it approaches the El Capitan Canyon camp.
(Dillon Deaton / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters work near El Capitan Canyon camp in Goleta.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters try to prevent the flames from burning through El Capitan Canyon camp and in Goleta.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters try to control the blaze near El Capitan Canyon camp and its structures in Goleta.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Flames close in on El Capitan Canyon camp.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters combat the front lines of the Sherpa Fire to avoid it from moving onto the 101 freeway, along Calle Real road, in Goleta, Calif.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
A firefighter ducks as the wind changes direction and blows ember towards their direction, at the Sherpa Fire in Goleta, Calif.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters make a defensive move on the front lines of the Sherpa Fire to avoid it from moving onto the 101 freeway, along Calle Real road, in Goleta, Calif.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters make a defensive move on the front lines of the Sherpa Fire to avoid it from moving onto the 101 freeway, along Calle Real road, in Goleta, Calif.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters monitor the front lines of the Sherpa Fire along Calle Real road in Goleta, Calif.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters make a defensive move on the front lines of the Sherpa Fire to avoid it from moving onto the 101 freeway, along Calle Real road, in Goleta, Calif.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters make a defensive move on the front lines of the Sherpa Fire to avoid it from moving onto the 101 freeway, along Calle Real road, in Goleta, Calif.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters make a defensive move on the front lines of the Sherpa Fire to avoid it from moving onto the 101 freeway, along Calle Real road, in Goleta, Calif.,
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters make a defensive move on the front lines of the Sherpa Fire to avoid it from moving onto the 101 freeway, along Calle Real road, in Goleta, Calif.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
A firefighter helicopter drops water to extinguish embers from the Sherpa Fire that flew onto the 101 freeway, in Goleta, Calif.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Helicopters drop water while fixed wing aircraft drop Phos Chek to contain the erratic SherpaFire Thursday afternoon near the top of Refugio Road in the Santa Ynez mountains near the Ronald Reagan Ranch above the El Capitan Ranch area west of Goleta.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
The Sherpa Fire grows this evening as sundowner winds push flames to the East in the Santa Ynez mountains near the Ronald Reagan Ranch above as seen from Refugio State Beach on the 101 Freeway.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters monitor the fire as flare ups threaten at the erratic SherpaFire Thursday afternoon in Refugio Canyon in the Santa Ynez mountains near the Ronald Reagan Ranch above the El Capitan Ranch area west of Goleta.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Appearing as snow the ashen hillsides of Refugio Canyon shows the intense heat Thursday afternoon in the Sherpa Fire along Refugio Road in the Santa Ynez mountains near the Ronald Reagan Ranch above the El Capitan Ranch area west of Goleta.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Big Bear Hotshots Erik Evans fires a creek bed along Refugio Road while working the Scherpa Fire in Santa Barbara County.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A jet drops fire retardant on the Sherpa fire as it consumes heavy brush along Refigio Road near Refugio Pass in Santa Barbara County.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A helicopter drops water on the Sherpa fire as it consumes heavy brush along Refigio Road in Santa Barbara County.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
A helicoper drops water on the Sherpa fire in Santa Barbara County on Thursday morning.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Santa Barbara County firefighters stand by for structure protection as the Sherpa fire consumes heavy brush near Highway 101 on Thursday morning.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Flames are pushed downslope by winds near the top of Refugio in the Santa Ynez mountains near the Ronald Reagan Ranch and above the El Capitan Ranch area, west of Goleta. A brush fire broke out Wednesday afternoon in the area and caused a section of freeway to be closed Thursday morning.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
An 1,100-acre wildfire burns across the Santa Ynez mountains west of Goleta.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A brush fire burns in the Santa Ynez mountains near the Ronald Reagan Ranch west of Goleta.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Water-dropping helicopters try to get the upper hand on a brush fire in the Santa Ynez mountains. The fire broke out Wednesday afternoon near the Ronald Reagan Ranch above the El Capitan Ranch area west of Goleta.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Smoke billows along the Santa Ynez mountains near the Ronald Reagan Ranch west of Goleta.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Smoke billows as water-dropping helicopters battle a brush fire in the Santa Ynez mountains west of Goleta.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)A fast-moving brush fire in Santa Barbara County more than tripled in size Friday as strong overnight winds, rising temperatures and an extended drought plagued weary firefighters.
The Sherpa fire has grown to nearly 6,000 acres, and officials described the blaze as 20% contained. But even that progress was at risk late Friday from so-called sundowner winds expected to gain strength, as they had the previous two nights.
“Even though conditions appear to have become better in the day, the truth is things can and do change very rapidly in the evening,” said Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown.
Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for El Capitan, Refugio, Venadito and Las Flores canyons north of Santa Barbara. Residents of neighboring communities, such as Las Llagas, Gato, Las Varas, Dos Pueblos and Eagle canyons received evacuation warnings.
UPDATE: Sherpa fire in Santa Barbara County grows>>
“We caution you again that not complying with a mandatory evacuation order is something that you do at your own peril,” Brown said.
Despite the fire’s rapid growth, firefighters managed to save a campground and keep flames away from other developed property. About 270 structures are under evacuation orders, but only one outbuilding had been lost.
Also lost was a water treatment plant in El Capitan Canyon. It provided water to El Capitan State Park for bathrooms, water fountains and other uses, according to officials.
Its loss could force public areas to remain closed even after the flames are subdued, officials said.
The flames are racing through a combustive mix of chaparral, tall grass and brush in a wilderness area that has not experienced a major fire since 1955.
The surreal scene included fire tornadoes with temperatures reaching 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
“We definitely expect the fire to grow” Friday night, said Michelle Carbonaro, a spokeswoman for a team of agencies combating the fire. “It’s pretty clear that every night the fire will continue to grow southeast.... It grows northeast by day, but the sundowners push it back down at night.”
And the weekend will usher in a new challenge: a heat wave that will bring temperatures reaching into the triple digits.
“As the temperatures get hotter this weekend and the winds get stronger, as the sundowners come in to take effect, it will continue to push that hot gas faster downhill,” Carbonaro said. “When the wind comes down like that, it makes the fields and fuels more ready to burn.”
One firefighter suffered a minor injury from a chainsaw, but a greater concern Friday evening was the discovery of strep throat among a few of the firefighters. That problem appeared to be contained, even as the official evening bulletin cataloged the ongoing fire risk.
“There is continued threat to structures, agricultural crops, state parks, and critical infrastructure including: communication sites [and] power lines. And Highway 101 remains a concern.”
Santa Barbara fire bad omen for dangerous California fire season »
As the fire raged out of control Thursday night, the 101, a major north-south artery, closed to traffic as tendrils of flame burned on both sides of the roadway. Motorists trapped en route took pictures of a helicopter dropping flame retardant in the fast lane.
The highway reopened at 4 a.m. Friday, but officials said gusty, evening downslope winds would probably prompt them to close the highway again.
The sundowner winds are the result of hot air from the Santa Ynez Mountains clashing with cool air off the Pacific Ocean.
“What we need is a break from the wind,” said David Zaniboni, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Los Padres National Forest fire (Dillon Deaton / Los Angeles Times)
Many locals evacuated because of the poor air quality — they were tired of breathing in thick smoke and ash, which created a misty plume clearly visible from satellite photos taken far above the planet’s surface.
Riley Keith, a 65-year-old retiree, saw smoke blanket the sky over El Capitan Ranch and knew it was time to go.
Keith, his wife, Yvonne, his mother, Betty Bosworth, and their dog and bird have been living out of their car since the fire started Wednesday.
They were living at his sister’s ranch in El Capitan when mandatory evacuation orders arrived Wednesday night.
His sister stayed behind, while he and his family slept in an Albertsons parking lot. The family since has moved to a shelter in Goleta, while Keith’s sister continued her vigil in defense of her property.
“She’s tough as nails,” he said. “But you have to be when you’re running a ranch. My wife and I just couldn’t stand the smoke.”
Keith, a Santa Barbara native, has grown accustomed to wildfires, but not necessarily of this scope.
“It hasn’t burned in so long. I guess it needed to happen,” he said. “But who needs a disaster?”
Although the threat to residents has been limited so far, the county’s $1.48-billion agriculture industry may not be so fortunate.
Avocado, citrus and olives groves already have been scorched, but it’s too early to determine the extent of the damage, county officials said.
Santa Barbara County on Friday declared a state of emergency, which will qualify the region for increased aid.
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UPDATES:
9:02 p.m.:This article has been updated throughout with additional details.
3:09 p.m.: This article was updated with data about the county’s agriculture industry.
12:04 p.m.: This article was updated with weather forecasts and reactions from county officials.
9:29 a.m.: This article was updated with reactions from residents.
7:06 a.m.:This article was updated with information about the size of the fire increasing.
This article was originally published at 5:25 a.m.
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Joseph Serna is a deputy editor on the Fast Break team at the Los Angeles Times and helps oversee daily breaking news coverage.
Howard Blume covers education for the Los Angeles Times. He’s won the top investigative reporting prize from the L.A. Press Club and print Journalist of the Year from the L.A. Society of Professional Journalists chapter. He recently retired “Deadline L.A.,” a past honoree for best public-affairs radio program, which he produced and co-hosted on KPFK-FM (90.7) for 15 years. He teaches tap dancing and has two superior daughters.
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