The Alisal fire grew to more than 13,000 acres on Tuesday with 5% containment, as gusty winds have impeded efforts to drop retardant from the air, according to a U.S. Forest Service spokesman.
Federal officials are expected to take command of firefighting resources on Wednesday, the spokesman added.
The fire, which was reported shortly after 2 p.m. Monday near the area of West Camino Cielo and Refugio Road in the Santa Ynez Mountains, swelled to 1,000 acres by that evening and was fueled by "decadent old growth" chaparral and strong blasts of wind as it crept down the south side of the ridge toward the Pacific Ocean, according to Forest Service spokesman Andrew Madsen.
High, erratic winds kept aerial tankers from making an assault on the fire until Tuesday afternoon, when they began making regular sorties from the tanker base at Santa Maria Public Airport.