Cheshire Cat Photo Blog(...said the Cat: 'we're all mad here....')

Actually, it’s just a little bit early, but Santa Barbara decided not to wait.

(Note added May 09, 2009: I placed a May 08, 2009 update HERE.)

(Note added May 07, 2009 8:00 AM PDT: I found a CNN story dated today that discusses the wind gusts (up to 60 miles/hour) and high temperatures (up to 102 deg F) that caused the rapid expansion of the fire yesterday. According to one firefighter, over 20 homes (homes in the area might be considered mansions by most people’s standards) have been destroyed. Eight firefighters have been injured. About 13,000 people have been forced to flee the fire, which is uncontrolled at this point!)

(Note added May 07, 2009, 6:15 PM PDT: About 5400 homes have been evacuated, and 3500 more homes are threatened. Evacuees are at 13,500. Over 1400 firefighters are engaged in in battling the fire, and 10 have been injured. Helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and 177 fire engines are engaged.)

(Note added May 07, 2009, 10:31 PM PDT: TV news tonight put the cost of FIGHTING the Jesusita Fire SO FAR at $1.8 million.)

A wildfire in the hills above Santa Barbara expanded to to 450 acres today, causing the evacuation of 1000 residents and putting 2000 other homes in danger! (Note added May 06, 2009 at 6:04 PM PDT: This fire has burned 196 acres, MUCH less than originally estimated! Smoke from the fire made estimation of the perimeter of the fire difficult.) Ten businesses were also under an evacuation advisory. The CNN article states that, according to Pat Wheatly with the Santa Barbara Emergency Operations Center, fires were burning within one mile of some homes, but there have been no injuries, no homes or businesses damaged, and only sporadic power outages.

(Note added May 06, 2009, 10:45 PM PDT: Fierce winds called “sundowners” sent the wildfire into the city of Santa Barbara this evening, burning homes and increasing the burned area to 500 acres by sunset, when the winds dropped down to 25 miles/hour. The fire has been named the “Jesusita Fire.” TV news helicopters showed homes burning in the Mission Canyon area, uphill from Mission Santa Barbara. At least two firefighters have been hospitalized, and the number of burned structures is unknown.)

The fire began at about 1:45 PDT on Tuesday and caused at least seven closures of schools today. A wind advisory has been issued for the area by the National Weather Service, with winds measured at 20-30 miles/hour.

Evacuation centers have been set up for both people and animals across the county. Large animals can be taken to the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Humane Society in Goleta is taking care of small animals.

Currently, 65 firefighers are attacking the blaze, with 14 strike teams from around California expected to arrive today. Two helicopters are dropping water from Santa Barbara Junior High School, and a fixed-wing aircraft is scheduled to arrive today to fight the fire.

California has been plagued by drought for three years.

A wildfire burning in southern Arizona is also described in the CNN article linked above.

Earlier, I blogged about a report by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, in collaboration with scientists at Texas Tech University that predicted increased incidences of wildfires in the American West and in the Tibetan Plateau, as the result of global climate change.

-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo™

You can view higher-resolution photos (*generally* 7-30 megabytes, compressed) at the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Pro Gallery on Shutterfly™, where you can also order prints and gifts decorated with the photos of your choice from the gallery. Apparel and other gifts decorated with some of our most popular photos can be ordered from the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Store on CafePress®. Both Shutterfly™ and CafePress® ship to most international locations worldwide! If you don’t see what you want or would like to receive an email when new photos are up on the site, send us an email at info@cheshirecatphoto.com.