Free Republic

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Powerful winds during a night in which "all hell broke loose" have pushed a raging wildfire to the doorstep of this wealthy coastal city, threatening to destroy dozens more homes and leading to the evacuation of more than 20,000 people. Firefighters were putting out roof fires Friday as gusts drove the flames down from the steep canyons above Santa Barbara and started burning homes in the residential flatlands. Once tame, the fire front now stretches for five miles, city Fire Chief Andrew DiMizio said. "Literally last night, all hell broke loose," he said.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Paradise is not lost, but it's in flames — again. The seasonal wildfires that menace this idyllic coastal city roared to life earlier than usual but with all-too-familiar ferocity, burning mansions to their foundations and forcing more than 13,000 to flee. Dozens of homes were destroyed, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said. "I knew it was time to leave," said Tom Morse, 62, a day after he dusted off his motorhome as the fire neared his Mission Canyon Heights house. "I could see the flames getting close." The 1,300-acre (2.03-square mile) fire was just the latest to ravage...

11:22 a.m. update: Winds have remained relatively calm in the morning hours, much as fire officials had expected. Crews are attacking lines vigorously in anticipation of heavy winds this afternoon. "Today is supposed to be a carbon copy of yesterday," County Fire Chief Tom Franklin said, noting that wind gusts were measured yesterday at up to 70 mph. "There's nothing you can do at that point." He also dismissed any notion that there is a lack of urgency among firefighters or officials, pointing out that approximately 1,400 firefighters have been assigned to the blaze. "The bulk of these people are...

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Gusty winds have driven a wildfire into outlying neighborhoods of Santa Barbara, Calif., and residents of more homes have been told to leave. ... The fire lay dormant most of the day. But strong winds with gusts up to 50 mph arrived in the afternoon and stoked the fire. The sheriff's office says an evacuation order covering 1,200 homes has been expanded to 2,000 homes.