A wildfire was raging out of control in and around the Los Padres National Forest in central California on Sunday.
The blaze, dubbed the Lake Fire, erupted around 3:45 p.m. Saturday along Santa Lucia Road near Zaca Lake in Santa Barbara County, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Flames ripped across more than 13,000 acres as of early Sunday morning, with zero percent contained and the cause unknown, CalFire said.
The U.S. Forest Service said the fire "continues to grow rapidly through grass and brush during a prolonged heat wave across the west coast."
No rain is forecast in the area through Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
A stunning video clip of fire consuming a hillside was posted on social media by Capt. Scott Safechuck, a spokesperson for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
#LakeFire: 10 Air Tankers and 3 Type 1 Helicopters assigned to the incident, utilizing ridge lines, utilizing retardant & water drops for perimeter control. Fire remains active, O% containment and undetermined acres(TBD) filmed at approx. 11am 7/6/24 pic.twitter.com/2y5sgpGzfZ
— Scott Safechuck (@SBCFireInfo) July 6, 2024
Ten air tankers and three helicopters were being used to battle the blaze by dropping water and retardant on ridgelines for "perimeter control," Safechuck said Saturday afternoon.
Firefighters evacuated the Zaca Lake resort on Friday afternoon and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation warnings for neighborhoods near the fire, according to the Santa Barbara Independent.
The blaze is burning in the same area as the 2007 Zaca Fire, which incinerated more than 240,000 acres over two months.
At the time, it ranked as California's second-largest recorded wildfire but has since been pushed down to 12th place, the Independent said.
