Canyon Fire growth at Vandenberg slows, containment at 70 percent
Containment of the Canyon Fire at Vandenberg Air Force Base continued to remain at 70 percent for the 12,518-acre blaze on Thursday, with crews reportedly hoping to have it fully surrounded Monday.
Firefighters reported minimal fire activity Wednesday night for the blaze burning on South Base.
“Today the fire crews are finishing construction of containment lines, eliminating hot spots and working to minimize long-term environmental impacts,” Vandenberg officials said in a statement.
“In spite of forecast strong winds in the area, firefighters appear confident they will continue to make good progress through the day.”
During an issued wind advisory Thursday afternoon, another vegetation fire started on the North Base, near the Communications Building and Airfield Road.
The Canyon Fire started just before 5:30 p.m. Saturday near Arguello and Santa Ynez Ridge roads on South Base.
With firefighters’ gaining an upper hand, special teams from the 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg’s main unit, are re-entering South Base to assess preliminary damage and ensure facilities are safe for recovery crews to begin returning to normal operations.
South Base is home to multiple launch facilities, offices and support equipment in addition to sensitive Chumash sites and historical buildings.
A roadblock on Ocean Avenue/Highway 246 as Highway 246 has been lifted with the road open to Surf Beach.
Santa Barbara County lifted evacuation warnings for La Salle Canyon and Miguelito Canyon on Wednesday night, Capt. Dave Zaniboni from Santa Barbara County Fire Department said.
Vandenberg officials continue to remain mum about the estimated containment date, saying it is unknown.
“However, we are continuing our efforts to ensure this happens as quickly as possible,” Lt. William Collette said.
Meanwhile, federal sources are saying the blaze could be fully surrounded by Monday morning.
That’s earlier than previous containment estimate of Sept. 30.
Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
This story was originally published September 22, 2016 at 3:49 PM with the headline "Canyon Fire growth at Vandenberg slows, containment at 70 percent."