On Wednesday, the Lake Fire approached the 30,000-acre mark, with a surge in activity observed on the southeastern front of the wildfire in Santa Barbara County.
As of Wednesday night, Unified Command has reported that 29,187 acres have been burned, and there is currently 16% containment.
As of now, the Lake Fire has caused damage to three recreation residences and one outbuilding in the Los Padres National Forest, according to officials.
According to the incident commanders, the blaze has resulted in injuries to four firefighters, some of whom are in a serious condition. Fortunately, there have been no reports of civilian injuries, and no homes have been damaged or destroyed by the fire.
The firefight now has over 3,000 personnel working on it, an increase of 500 people from Tuesday. In order to accommodate this influx, Unified Command is establishing a second base camp in Nipomo, to supplement the camp already in Santa Maria.
The fire has affected around 1,165 people in evacuation warning areas and 441 people in evacuation order areas, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
Several communities and areas within the Los Padres National Forest, such as Figueroa Mountain Road and Happy Canyon, have received evacuation orders and warnings.
According to the Unified Command. map, the southeastern part of the fire has been the most active in recent days. The map below depicts the burn areas of Wednesday highlighted in red.
Officials reported on Wednesday night that the tactical firing operations carried out ahead of the fire to control its spread were successful. The firing operation on the southeastern edge of the fire perimeter went according to plan, as per fire behavior analysts. This operation will prevent the fire from affecting the communities south of the fire in Los Olivos. A Lake Fire progression map from Unified Command shows the latest burn areas in red, as of Wednesday.
Lake Fire Largest Blaze in California This Year
According to CalFire, the Lake Fire is currently the biggest wildfire that has occurred in California this year. Additionally, it is the largest fire that Santa Barbara County has experienced in quite some time.
According to the dashboard of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, large wildfires (10,000-plus acres) occur on average every four years in Santa Barbara County.
Santa Barbara County witnessed another large wildfire prior to the Lake Fire, known as the 2021 Alisal Fire. This fire spread across 16,953 acres, scorching the area spanning from the Santa Ynez Mountains to the Gaviota coast.
In 2017, there were two instances when the Santa Barbara County fire exceeded 20,000 acres, and the most recent one before that was the last time it happened.
In July of 2017, a devastating wildfire, known as the Alamo Fire, blazed through 22,867 acres along Highway 166.
In the year and month when the Whittier Fire ravaged 18,291 acres of land, causing significant damage to multiple camps along Highway 154, this incident occurred.
The Montecito debris flows in January 2018 resulted from the devastating Thomas Fire, which burned 281,350 acres in December 2017.
In terms of acreage burned, Thomas holds the record for the most destructive wildfires in Santa Barbara County, followed by the 2007 Zaca Fire, which scorched 240,350 acres. A fire history map provided by Unified Command highlights the active perimeter of the Lake Fire in red, with the 1993 Marre Fire outlined in light gray and the extensive Zaca Fire in gray.
Thomas set fire to land in both Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, whereas Zaca was confined only to Santa Barbara County.
In September 1932, the Matilda Fire caused a massive destruction of 219,999 acres, securing its position as the third-largest wildfire in history.
The Wheeler #2 from July 1985 holds the fourth spot, covering an area of 122,687 acres. Following closely is Kelly Canyon at 114,745 acres, which secures the fifth spot and was documented in September 1922.
County Fire officials have clarified that although sundowner winds are known to fuel fires in the southern part of Santa Barbara County, they were not responsible for the spread of either the Zaca or Lake fires.
According to the fire history dashboard of the department, the months of June, July, and August witness the highest number of fires, typically ranging from 56 to 58. However, it is common knowledge among the long-term residents that December has also experienced fatal blazes.
In June 1990, the Paint Fire burned 4,425 acres and destroyed 641 structures, making it one of the most destructive fires despite its smaller acreage compared to others on the list.
California Seeing More Land Burned in This Year’s Wildfires
According to Gov. Gavin Newsom, the wildfires raging this year have already consumed a significantly larger area of land as compared to the same time last year.
During a wildfire preparedness and response press conference on Wednesday, Governor Newsom expressed concerns about the upcoming fire season. Despite lower-than-average acreage burned in recent years, Newsom warned that this year may bring even greater challenges.
According to the statement, the heavy rains resulted in the growth of a considerable amount of grass and other light vegetation. This vegetation, in turn, acted as fuel for brush fires.
According to CalFire Director Joe Tyler, as of Wednesday morning, wildfires in California have burned a total of 207,415 acres, with a count of 3,543 wildfires.
The Lake Fire, which happens to be the largest fire of this year, was not mentioned by Newsom and other speakers.
As the cameras rolled, the fire aviation base in Sacramento County provided the perfect backdrop for the livestreamed event. The night-flying helicopters and other fleet aircraft added to the dramatic setting.
According to Newsom, California boasts the world’s biggest civilian fire suppression fleet, and their mutual aid system is unparalleled in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and coordination.
On Wednesday, the Lake Fire was being tackled by a team of over 3,000 personnel.