Fueled by hot and dry weather, wildfires threatened homes in California and other Western states as crews struggled to corral flames that have scorched miles of brush and timber.
About 140 homes and ranches were considered at risk in California, where a 1,400-acre fire was tearing through coastal canyons west of Santa Barbara, scorching an area that hadn’t burned in 60 years.
The chaparral was “very dry, very dead-on-the-ground fuel for the fire,” said Gina DePinto, communications manager for Santa Barbara County.
About 800 firefighters struggled to reach the narrow, brush-choked coastal canyons to attack the flames. A fleet of aircraft had better luck Thursday but nightfall brought a rise in gusty, erratic “sundowner” winds that had pushed the blaze Wednesday night.
Fire official said early Friday that the blaze had calmed a bit after surging Thursday night.
For a second night, a freeway, U.S. 101, was closed in the area.