A shift in the weather has given firefighters in Southern Santa Barbara a break, but created new concerns for crews battling the Thomas fire in Ventura County.
The sundowner winds eased as predicted Saturday night in the foothills about the Santa Barbara area, giving teams a break after a day long firefight, with hot embers starting fires around a number of homes. The weather pattern shifted leading to Santa Ana winds in Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties on Sunday.
Smoke from flareups in wilderness areas was visible from some spots. Travelers on Highway 126 could see a large plume of smoke in the mountains northwest of Fillmore Sunday, although the smoke wasn't visible from the city itself.
The fire stands at 269,000 acres burned, and 40% containment. Evacuation orders have been lifted for some areas around the Ventura/Santa Barbara County line, but the mandatory evacuation affecting Santa Barbara, Montecito, and Summerland remain in place.
Santa Barbara City College has announced that its campuses will remain closed on Monday. A number of public schools in the region will also be closed, and parent are advised to check to see if their districts are affected. You can find links to evacuation orders, and school closures on the Thomas Community resources portion of the KCLU website.
