By Calvin Palmer
Residents of Southern California would no doubt gladly welcome a gray damp November afternoon in Britain today as a fast-moving fire rages through the luxury neighborhoods and coastal foothills in Santa Barbara County.
Firefighters from all over California have been drafted in to fight the blaze that has force thousands to flee their homes.
Geri Ventura, a spokesperson for the Montecito Fire District, said firefighters have ordered 10 C-130 air tankers and nine water-dropping helicopters to assist ground crews fighting the fire, which started Thursday night.
The blaze has spread through the hilltop community of Riviera noted for its wealthy homes nestled in the oak and eucalyptus trees.
The fire, driven by the wind, is not cutting a swathe through the homes but making random sweeps through the community.
Montecito fire dispatcher Jackie Jenkins described the path of the fire “like fingers driven by the wind.”
About 500 firefighters were battling the blaze this morning. Terri Nisich Santa Barbara County’s assistant executive officer said: “We hope today that we can really get a handle on it with the air support coming in and the weather.”
The winds are expected to drop to 10 to 15 mph but temperatures will remain in the mid 80s.
Since the fire started, three people have been taken to hospital suffering from burns, including one firefighter, according to Michele Mickiewicz of the Santa Barbara County Emergency Operations Center. Ten were people were taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation, all but one of them were firefighters.
Mickiewicz said: “At least 5,400 homes have been evacuated. About 200 residents spent the night in emergency shelters set up at San Marcos High School.”
Forbes Magazine, in 2006, described the Montecito Zip Code as the seventh highest priced in the United States. The median price for a home is $2.9 million.
It is a place of understated elegance, according to the Los Angeles Times real estate writer, Ann Brenoff. It is a place where the rich and famous come to be ignored and its residents include Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Rob Lowe, Kirk Douglas and Jeff Bridges.
Actor Christopher Lloyd owns a house on a street where the fire has burned through. It is not known whether he has lost his home.
[Based on a report in the Los Angeles Times.]
