Los Padres National Forest news stories on Newser

California Blaze a 'Gorilla'

Peter Fearon — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:00:00 CDT

A wildfire in California's Santa Barbara County grew by another 700 acres in addition to 10,000 acres already charred as teams of exhausted firefighters continued to battle the fast-moving blaze. The Gap fire is a priority among the 1,781 blazes which have raged in the state over the...

Firefighters Face 'Critical' Day

Kevin Spak — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 13:33:11 CDT

Today will be “critical” for battling the Goleta fire, one of more than 330 still raging across California, a fire commander told the Los Angeles Times . The blaze has already scorched 8,300 acres, sparked more than 2,500 evacuations, and razed four buildings—but it is now 24% contained....

Wind Keeps Wildfires Spreading Throughout Calif.

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:15:00 CDT

A pair of out-of-control wildfires roared along California's central coast today, chewing through opposite ends of a parched forest and threatening a total of more than 4,500 homes. While flames from the stubborn fire inched closer to Big Sur's historic vacation retreats, state emergency officials said hot winds had...

Big Sur Evacuated as Fires Rage

Peter Fearon — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:27:42 CDT

California residents have been ordered to evacuate the coastal resort Big Sur as wildfires rage in the hills above the town, USA Today reports. Ash rained on people as they packed cars before fleeing to safety. The Big Sur blaze is one of more than 1,100 wildfires in the...

Fires Threaten Big Sur

Ambreen Ali — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 05:20:00 CDT

Firefighters rushed to guard historic buildings in the scenic coastal town of Big Sur yesterday as a lightning-sparked wildfire blazed through a national forest in California, AP reports. The fire, only 3% contained, has burned 42 square miles of redwoods and destroyed 16 homes since Saturday. With 700 fires blazing...