U.S. Forest Service releases final update on Lake fire, closure order in effect | Local News

The U.S. Forest Service released a final incident update on the Lake fire Saturday, reporting 90% containment and 447 personnel assigned to ongoing suppression repair efforts in the area.

As of Monday, the blaze had charred 38,664 acres of national forest, state and private lands northeast of Los Olivos since July 5.

The cause remains under investigation.

While evacuations have been lifted, residents are being urged to drive slowly as emergency personnel continue working in the area. 

A public closure is also in effect.

Both locals and visitors are reminded that all roads, trails, and recreational areas within the Los Padres National Forest Closure Order are closed to the public. The closure remains in effect until Aug. 18, or until revised or rescinded, officials said.

Violation of the closure order is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual, $10,000 for an organization, imprisonment for up to six months, or both, according to Los Padres National Forest officials.

As of 7 a.m. Saturday, officials also reported that a Type 3 incident management team from the Los Padres National Forest has assumed command of the Lake fire. The Incident Command System ranges from Type 5 — the least complex — while Type 1 is the most complex, responsible for managing all functions, leaders, branches, multi-agency and national resources.

Now into the rehabilitation stage, fire crews are reportedly continuing construction of water bars on fire lines throughout the area. A water bar is a road or trail construction feature used to collect and divert runoff water from a firebreak to prevent or reduce soil erosion and waterway contamination by potential debris flow.

Heavy equipment is also being used by crews to push large piles of dirt and vegetation back over the lines with heavy equipment. 

Officials said the effort will be underway for several weeks with the aim to restore the area to as close to pre-fire conditions as possible. 

Lisa André covers lifestyle and local news for the Santa Ynez Valley News and Lompoc Record, editions of the Santa Maria Times. She can be reached at landre@syvnews.com