Firefighters Make Big Progress Containing California Blaze

Federal tanker planes dropping fire retardant have played a key role in early efforts to contain the Gibralter Fire, which broke out in the foothills above Santa Barbara and Montecito before daybreak on Thursday. Officials with the forest service said that as of Friday morning, the blaze was about 50 percent contained.

The inferno was first reported at about 5:15 a.m. local time Thursday morning, according to Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni. It started in dry brush in Los Padres National Forest.

Zaniboni said 25 mph winds pushed the fire to the east during the day on Thursday, where it consumed at least 70 acres, all within the borders of the national forest. After analyzing the area more carefully, officials dropped their estimate to just 50 acres burned.

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The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District today issued an Air Quality Watch for the Montecito Area of Santa Barbara County to be in effect as long as conditions warrant, warning that smoke and ash from the fire could impact air quality.

Elsewhere, KABC-TV says an earlier fire burned nine acres in the Stevenson Ranch area of Los Angeles County before it was contained.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: From September – Wildfires in California