Gap Fire Air Attack Photos- July 4th

No one can say that they are not doing enough to get the Gap Fire out. I watched from a ridge on E Camino Cielo for a bit yesterday and saw countless helicopter water drops and several dozen plane drops. The main goals that I could see were trying to prevent the fire from heading over West Camino Cielo into the SYV and preventing it from reaching Trout Club, Hidden Valley , and then eventually Old SM Rd. When I left they had prevented the fire from dropping into the Hidden Valley/TC Area, but it was right on the edge.

Overview of the fire from above Painted Cave

Fire Burning on the ridge above Trout Club
One of the many large planes working July 4th

Bombing the Ridge above Trout Club.

Bombing West Camino Cielo

Old San Marcos Rd on the Left, the fire is smoldering on the right

Dozing a line about 1 mile east of Painted Cave

Most easterly section of the Gap Fire

Ridge above Hidden Valley

Preventing the fire from reaching further east.

Gap Fire Photos Day Three, Painted Cave Area

Knowing that the fire was moving toward West Camino Cielo and Trout Club area I went up to La Cumbre Peak to see how the fire looked from above. Once there the smoke was clearly blowing towards SB. Along with a few others we watched the fire until sunset at which point I made my way west along Camino Cielo until I came onto a ridge overlooking Painted Cave. 154, Goleta, and Old San Marcos Roads were all visible from this vantage point. When I arrived the fire seemed to be above the ridge of the community of Painted Cave. In the distance fire trucks lined Painted Cave Rd and Old San Marcos Rd. I watched and took photos from this point for several hours. Several bright transformer exploded in the fire then quickly followed by darkness in the city below. At some point the wind changed and most of the fire trucks along San Marcos Rd left. When I left the fire seemed to be stopped on the ridge above Painted Cave and I hope it did not move any further. The photos below are taken from La Cumbre Peak and Near Painted Cave.

Dave

Gap Fire Photos Day Two

The above shot was taken last night near Santa Barbara Airport. To the far left is Glen Annie and possibly beyond and on the right is Patterson Cyn.

Judging by the amount of smoke I saw yesterday I thought this fire might be under some control. Then I went for a ride late yesterday afternoon and the plume killed that idea. From the hills of SB you could see how the smoke was much lower than it had been a day earlier. I decided to get a closer look.

Up on Old San Marcos Rd the flames were visible on a canyon which probably was Patterson Ave. The flames were jumping about 50 ft up I estimate. The glow was bright enough on Old SM Rd that you could have almost read a book from the light which was probably a mile + away. The

winds were almost non existent which was probably why the flames died down to a glowing ember eventually.

From Goleta you could see how much the fire had spread in one day. It had just been a small spot on top Tues, but now was miles wide and appeared to be more than halfway down the mtns. I haven't seen a map of this today but it supposedly is over 2000 acres now.

Dave

Gap Fire Photos and News

So after hearing about the Gap Fire on the news I went up on my rooftop to see if flames were visible from downtown. Sure enough they were and I decided to head out to Cathedral Oaks with all the other lookielosers to have a closer look. At Glen Annie the Flames looked really close and I couldn't help but think about what said last summer and the Zaca Fire. If the fire makes it to the ridge, it would only about 4 or so hours before the fire made it down into civilization. Luckily they didn't make it down to Goleta this AM and hopefully the efforts hold the flames back. At DPHS last night fire fighting vehicles were lining up for the fight this AM.

This website for residents who live in the San Marcos Pass area seems to be the only website with reliable info on the fire: http://www.wildlandresidents.org/index.html

Dave