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Full Containment Of 70+ Acre Brush Fire In Santa Barbara County Now Projected For Saturday

(Photo by Dave Zaniboni, Santa Barbara County Fire Department)
An air tanker makes a drop on the Cruces brush fire in Santa Barbara County Wednesday

Firefighters say it’s taking a little longer than expected to get full containment of a 70 plus acre brush fire on the Central Coast, but they say they are getting close.

The Cruces fire begin just before noon Wednesday off of Highway 101, about three miles northwest of the Highway 1-Highway 101 interchange. It forced the shutdown of Highway 1 for about six hours, and led to brief evacuation of some nearby ranches.

More than 200 firefighters aided by helicopters and air tankers were able to stop the spread of the blaze Wednesday night. But, the rugged terrain has made containment more difficult. Santa Barbara County firefighters say it’s currently 80% contained, with full containment now projected for 8 a.m. Saturday.

No structures were reported damaged. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral. 
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