Cuesta Fire has reached 100 percent containment

Update 10:10 p.m.

The Cuesta Fire was declared 100 percent contained today, Cal Fire said.

Original story

Fire officials expect to have the Cuesta Fire fully contained by 6 p.m. Friday, and mop-up work then will be turned over to local U.S. Forest Service and Cal Fire San Luis Obispo firefighters.

At its height, the 2,446-acre fire south of Santa Margarita was fought by more than 1,800 firefighters from around the state. That number had dropped to 434 firefighters by Friday morning, Cal Fire spokesman Bennet Milloy said.

Once the fire area is fully contained, local firefighters will concentrate on patrolling the area for any hot spots and mop-up work that needs to be done, Milloy said.

Meanwhile, the Santa Lucia wilderness area in Los Padres National Forest remains closed while the Forest Service field staff evaluates the situation, spokesman Andrew Madsen said. The Forest Service announced a week ago that the Santa Lucia wilderness area was closed until Oct. 1 for safety reasons related to the Cuesta Fire, but that date could change, Madsen said. The closure includes the Upper Lopez, Hi Mountain and Sulphur Pot campgrounds, and the Little Falls, Big Falls, Rinconada, Trout Creek and Upper Lopez Trails. Hi Mountain Lookout and the Garcia Ridge OHV trail are included as well.

This story was originally published August 28, 2015 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Cuesta Fire has reached 100 percent containment."