July 4th to Labor Day Wildfire Now Contained

SANTA BARBARA, California, September 4, 2007 (ENS) - The Zaca fire in southern California that burned trom July 4th to Labor Day was finally contained Sunday after a total of 240,207 acres was burned.

Fanned by high winds and encouraged by hot, dry weather, the Zaca fire spread southeast into Los Padres National Forest. U.S. Forest Service officials closed large portions of the forest to the public, but on Wednesday the closure area was reduced to approximately 663,435 acres of the 1.76 million acre national forest.

Fire restrictions remain in effect throughout Los Padres National Forest.

Started by the spark from a worker's tool on a private ranch near Los Olivos, the fire has cost $117.4 million to date and fire officials say that while the blaze is considered contained, it will be at least several weeks before the fire is completely controlled.

The laborer, whose name has not been released, will be handed a bill for the cost of fighting the Zaca Fire, says Robert Rainwater, a fire information officer with the Los Padres National Forest.

Santa Barbara County Fire Chief John Scherrei said, "The management strategy on the fire has succeeded. Firefighters and aircraft will continue to patrol the fire and control any hot spots that remain for some time."

"Although there have been no changes in the fire perimeter for over a week, occasionally smoke may continue to be seen from the interior islands of unburned fuel," he said.

Although it was officially declared contained, there are 1,100 personnel are still working on the fire.

"Now the focus is to mop up and then rehabilitate the areas affected by the fire including the over 130 miles of fireline that were constructed," said Scherrei. "Heavy equipment and hand crews are still present and will remain in many areas of the fire, rehabilitating the roads, dozer lines and chipping cut brush and other vegetation. The containment lines will be mopped up within a 500 foot zone along the entire fire perimeter."

"Rehabilitation efforts throughout the fire area will be ongoing for some time and will help to restore public lands for use and help prevent erosion and further damage to the enviroment," the fire chief said.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2007. All rights reserved.