Alamo Fire evacuees free to return; Hwy. 154 along Whittier Fire reopens
Update 6:45 p.m.
Highway 154, closed for the last week due to the Whittier Fire, was reopened Sunday evening, according to fire officials, Noozhawk reported.
In addition, mandatory evacuation orders for Paradise Road and Cachuma Village have been downgraded to evacuation warnings.
No changes have been made to evacution orders for other areas.
Other road closures related to the fire remain in effect.
Original story:
Residents in the area affected by the Alamo Fire are free to return home, as Cal Fire San Luis Obispo on Sunday announced that the fire is 95 percent contained.
“Fire crews will remain throughout the fire perimeter in the coming weeks to provide fire suppression repair, remove firefighting equipment, mop up and patrol,” Cal Fire SLO wrote in a Sunday statement.
The mandatory evacuations of Tepusquet Canyon area residences, later reduced to warnings, have all been lifted. Cal Fire SLO also has lifted all road closures in the area, though drivers are encouraged to use caution when near firefighters doing mop-up work.
The Alamo Fire, which began off Highway 166 near the Twitchell Reservoir, burned 28,687 acres, destroyed one residence and damaged a structure, according to the final incident report. The fire started on July 6, and Cal Fire estimates it will be extinguished by Saturday. By July 8, the Alamo Fire had become the largest wildfire in California, though the Garza Fire in Kings County now holds that distinction.
When the fire was at its height, a small city sprang up on the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo ground, becoming home to nearly 2,000 firefighters.
While the Alamo Fire has largely died down, firefighters in Santa Barbara County were still working to contain the Whittier Fire along Highway 154. The fire grew slightly to 18,015 acres by Sunday and was approximately 36 percent contained.
Andrew Sheeler: 805-781-7929, @andrewsheeler
This story was originally published July 16, 2017 at 3:21 PM with the headline "Alamo Fire evacuees free to return; Hwy. 154 along Whittier Fire reopens."