Results tagged “santabarbara”

Our sister blog Chicagoist is reporting that Oprah might be moving her show to Los Angeles. That's via Deadline Hollywood blogger Nikki Finke, who doesn't name a source. If true, then Oprah could be here by 2011 and the show would air on her own channel, ending syndication. But Oprah's people say no decisions have been made yet. This would also mean she'll be closer to her Montecito home near Santa Barbara.

The swine flu-releated death of a 4-year-old boy in Santa Barbara over the weekend has some worried as large shipments of vaccine has yet to arrive to the coastal county. This comes as the CDC today announced statistics about the age populations most affected by H1N1. 53 percent of the hospitalizations are people 25 years and younger while 39 percent are people aged 25 to 64 and 7 percent are 65 plus. Today's catch phrase is that this is a "young persons disease."

A fire that broke out near Vandenburg Air Force Base has burned through some 300 acres and was 50 percent contained this evening, according to the Associated Press. The Lompoc-area base, about 60 miles northwest of Santa Barbara, employs up to 10,000 people on any given day. 25 buildings with non-essential personnel were sent home early.

   

An 8.0 earthquake in American Samoa this morning prompted a tsunami watch in Hawaii and a tsunami advisory for coastal areas of Southern California, including Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. [Update: Beaches in LA County will close at 8 p.m., more info here]

Survey says, Santa Barbara is a favorite day-trip for LAists. It turns out, like their large southern neighbor (us,) they have delicious mobile food vendors who are on Twitter. VendrTV gnaws into the meaty offerings of SB's Burger Bus. This video makes me so hungry that for a change, I wouldn't be ashamed to take the shortbus. Track these meals on wheels on their website, or Twitter.

                     

On Monday night, Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan and Spirits in the Sky -- germinated from the recent Sky Saxon tribute at The Echoplex, whose lineup includes guitarist Dave Navarro and 19 year old drummer Mike Byrne -- performed the final show of their mini tour at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood.

Authorities in Santa Barbara County have confirmed that a wildfire which has currently scorched over 75,000 acres was set within a Mexican drug operation's cooking area, according to LA Now. The blaze began on the pot farm, and it's believed "the assailants are still in the forest area trying leave the forest by foot," as the fire rages uncontrolled. The "La Brea fire" started on August 8th, but is only at about 25% contained right now. Although firefighters are working to deprive the blaze of new fuel to burn through, hot temperatures, low humidity, and difficult terrain have made this battle a challenge. Over two hundred homes remain on evacuation.

Los Angeles has had some hazy and reddish smoke layer in some parts yesterday. That usually leads to brilliant sunsets, but they are a sign of nothing good. The two wildfires burning north in Santa Barbara and Shasta counties have grown to be "out of control," as characterized by the LA Times. Since last Saturday, the fire burning in the Los Padres Mountains 26 miles east of Santa Maria has burned some 40,000 acres prompting about 150 evacuations. Winds and inaccessible terrain has hampered firefighter efforts. Further up north north of Santa Cruz, a 2,800-acre blaze that began on Wednesday has pushed 2,000 from their hillside homes as officials mostly attack from the air.

As they always do with major fires in Southern California, NASA released a photo showing the burn scared mountains from the Jesusita Fire from May 10. The photo "shows the northern part of the burned area, which stretches from the outskirts of Santa Barbara (hidden beneath clouds) into Los Padres National Forest," says NASA. "Many valleys throughout the burned area appear to have been spared; green vegetation lines them like the veins in a leaf."

After destroying 80 homes, burning through 8,733 acres and injuring 29 firefighters, the Jesusita Fire that began 10 days ago is close to being fully contained. The last mandatory evacuation orders for about 100 residents were lifted after what the Santa Barbara Independent is calling the the city's "most threatening natural disaster ever."

The Jesusita Fire that began last week Tuesday is expected to be contained within another seven days as winds continue to whip through the area's canyons. As of today, the fire is 80% contained.

It's been nearly a week since the Jesusita Fire began in Santa Barbara and now officials are saying that, oddly enough, it may have been caused by someone clearing brush, something used to help prevent fire damage on homes. A total of 8,733 acres have burned, leaving 77 homes destroyed and 22 damaged, according to the County of Santa Barbara. Additionally, 60 outbuildings have been destroyed and 69 outbuildings were damaged. As of this morning, 70% of the fire has been contained, but expected winds on Tuesday could cause the fire to flare up.

The Jesusita Fire, which broke out Monday in the hilly terrain of Santa Barbara County, has ravaged over 8,700 acres, is approximately 30 per cent contained and appears to be calm and under control as of this afternoon. "Officials estimate that a total of 80 homes have been damaged or destroyed so far," reports the Santa Barbara Independent, who have been closely monitoring the blaze and its impact on the community.

As the fire neared the city last night, firefighters last night took a stand. "The fire was threatening the city directly," Santa Barbara's Acting Fire Chief Andy DiMizio said via the LA Times. "Last night, all hell broke loose."

At least 20 homes have been lost and three Ventura County firefighters were injured yesterday in the Jesusita Fire that began Monday afternoon in the hills of Santa Barbara. The same kind of weather is expected today--"30 to 40 miles per hour with gusts up to 65 mph"--but fire crews were able to start building a fire line during lulls in the wind yesterday and this morning. Red flag weather conditions are currently in effect.

Some homes are burning down this afternoon in the Jesusita Fire, which broke out yesterday afternoon, according to TV news stations with helicopter coverage (however, it should be noted that the officials have confirmed no burned structures as of yet). Initially reported at 420 total acres burned, officials lowered the number after overestimating the size due to smoke cover. It currently has burned 200 acres with thousands of people evacuated, says to the Associated Press.

The wildfire blazing in the hills of Santa Barabra continued to burn through the night, and is now closing in on homes. The Jesusita fire has now grown to 420 acres, and is forcing approximately 1,200 residents to evacuate from 2,000 threatened homes. A Red Cross shelter has been set up at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta. Arrangements have been made to accommodate animals as well.

As we head towards Summer, these brush fires here and there are becoming more and more frequent. Today's conflagration, named the Jesusita Fire after a nearby trail in the San Roque Canyon, broke out early this afternoon. Gunshots is on the list of possible causes, according to the Santa Barbara Independent, who is following the fire closely.

If you are into urban foraging, beware of the consequences if you are not savvy to what you pick. A man in Santa Barbara died last week after chose the wrong mushrooms in a park to saute with his steak. "The man had picked poisonous amanita ocreata mushrooms, which are common in the Santa Barbara area, at the Douglas Family Preserve above Arroyo Burro Beach," reported the Associated Press. Six hours after eating his meal, he was in the hospital.

The ten people suspected of starting last Fall's destructive wildfire in Montecito and Santa Barbara will only be charged for "misdemeanor trespassing and unlawfully building and using a campfire without permission," the Associated Press is reporting. The District Attorney said that he could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that their illegal campfire beget the conflagration that spread and destroyed 230 homes and burned near 2,000 acres. The Tea Fire began on November 13th around 5:45 p.m., hours after the group left where the fire began. It was believed that they did not completely put out the fire and winds later sparked up the fire.

                     

On Monday night, while Norwegian rocker Ida Maria (MySpace) wowed the Spaceland (MySpace) crowd, Santa Barbara's Katy Perry (MySpace) returned to her singer-songwriter roots by headlining a sold out show at the Hotel Cafe (MySpace) in Hollywood, with support from last-minute openers Holly Conlan (MySpace) and Meiko (MySpace). LA-Underground observed that, "If [Perry] returned to the 50-capacity Genghis Cohen Cantina or Highland Grounds where she really started now that would be something (especially since Highland Grounds/The Dive closed last year)." But to say that this intimate show wasn't highly anticipated would be wildly inaccurate, as fans flew in from as far away as Vancouver, offering as much as $200 for a pair of tickets, and upwards of 15 paparazzi camped outside at the front and rear entrances for the duration of the evening.

An "urgent weather message" from the National Weather Service at 2:45 a.m. warns of a dense fog advisory throughout portions of the Los Angeles region including downtown, coastal areas in LA County, San Gabriel Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, Ventura and Santa Barbara. It could reduce freeway and roadway visibility to "one quarter mile or less through mid morning," the service says. The advisory officially will end at 9 a.m., so enjoy it while it lasts.

As rain lightens throughout the region, mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted in fire burn areas except one neighborhood in Yorba Linda. Shortly after 10:30 a.m., Orange County officials lifted the evacuation orders for the Box Canyon, Brush Canyon and San Antonio neighborhoods. All those are now under voluntary evacuation except for North Fairmont, which remains mandatory as of 1:15 p.m. In Santa Barbara, the evacuation orders from last night have been lifted as well. "This warning will remain in effect until 10:00pm November 26 to coincide with the end of the Flash Flood Watch period issued by the National Weather Service," emergency officials said.

Due the heavy rains, Santa Barbara County and City emergency officials have issued an Evacuation Order for residents within the Tea Fire Burn Area, including the Sycamore Creek area and other areas immediately below the fire zone. The order means residents are advised to leave the area now. Continue reading...

Over the next few days, we could be seeing total of 5 inches of rain making for a more cozy Thanksgiving feeling, but a stressful one for people in recent burn areas. "Although a storm of this magnitude this time of year would not by itself pose a risk for life threatening flooding, areas that have been denuded from recent burns are at an increased risk for flash floods and debris flows," the National Weather Service is warning.

       

A scenic train trip, bicycle rides, museums, electric trolleys and wine tasting (and discounts for being eco-friendly to boot). This is how to do Santa Barbara.

They're still burning, but things are calming.

Officials today announced the cause of the Tea Fire, which ignited on Thursday night, burning through today and destroying 210 homes and scorching 1,940 acres between Montecito and Santa Barbara. A group of 10 young men built a bonfire on Wednesday evening, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. The men left on Thursday morning under the impression the fire was out, but it was not 100%. The winds and weather conditions that day sparked the fire back up into the huge wildfire Thursday evening. Campfires were not allowed at the time the men were there.

A spokesman for the the state firefighting agency told CNN that officials are looking for person or persons who started the Tea Fire in Montecito that burned into Santa Barbara destroying 210 homes and burning over 1900 acres. "We are calling it human-caused," he said. "We need the public's help in identifying any activity in or around the afternoon of November 13." The fire began in the Tea Garden Estate, a publicly accessible yet "privately owned multiple-acre property about one mile north of Santa Barbara's exclusive Westmont College," according to CNN.

The Sayre and Triangle Complex Fires in the Los Angeles area are still burning, but firefighters are gaining the upperhand.