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3 years agoon
GOLETA — A wildfire burning Tuesday on Southern California mountains north of Santa Barbara forced as many as 6,300 people from their homes, but an approaching storm offered hope that the flames would be doused, authorities said.
A firefighter crosses Highway 154 while battling the Cave Fire in Los Padres National Forest, Calif., above Santa Barbara on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A 1990 wildfire in the same area destroyed more than 400 homes.
Firefighters were told during a morning briefing that the area had not received any rain in 180 days and vegetation was ready to burn, as was demonstrated by the fire’s exponential growth in its early hours.
The firefighters were cautioned that roads into the rugged area may be too narrow for their engines, and that many residents had not left.
The arrival of an expected low pressure system and its accompanying rain also posed hazards ranging from shifting winds to debris flows from steep mountainsides, the firefighters were told.
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