Fire at a glance (numbers)

  • Incident Name:
  • State:
  • Lead Agency:
  • Size (acres):
  • Percent Contained:
  • Estimate of Containment:
  • Personnel:
  • Structures Destroyed:

Cave, Los Padres NF, USFS. Eight miles northwest of Santa Barbara, CA. Brush, chaparral and tall grass. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering. Area closures in effect. Reduction in acreage due to more accurate mapping.

December 4, 2019 at 8:51 PM

The Cave Fire is 90% contained, however there are hot spots within the perimeter of the fire due to old growth. Rain hasn’t penetrated the canopy where the duff is burning in the old growth.

November 30, 2019 at 10:57 AM

Minimal fire behavior with smoldering

Flood threat remains to communities of Painted Cave, Trout Club, Santa Barbara foothills

November 29, 2019 at 8:20 AM

Minimal fire behavior with smoldering
• Incident transferred command to a Type 4 IC today @ 0700
• Flood threat remains to communities of Painted Cave, Trout Club, Santa Barbara foothills
• All road closures have been lifted

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, in consultation with fire agencies and other public safety officials, has announced that Evacuation Orders and Debris Flow Evacuation Warnings are lifted for all areas in Santa Barbara County. Residents are advised to stay alert to their surroundings and changing conditions. Hwy 154 from Cathedral Oaks Road/Hwy 192 to Painted Cave Road will remain closed other than to residents of Hwy 154. East Camino Cielo Road from Painted Cave Road to Gibraltar Road is closed due to continued fire rehabilitation work in the area.

November 28, 2019 at 8:21 AM

Fire spread and activity significantly less due to rain and snow. Flood threat exists for the communities of Painted Cave and Trout Club, as well as residential neighborhoods in the Santa Barbara front country. This includes areas of Windy Gap, Cieneguitas Creek, Maria Ygnacio Creek and San Antonio Creek from Highway 154 south to Cathedral Oaks Road.

November 27, 2019 at 2:06 PM

Active burning is still occurring and the potential for fire spread remains for the communities of Painted Cave and Trout Club, as well as residential neighborhoods in the Santa Barbara front country. However, fire activity is expected to continue to decrease due to overnight rain. This includes areas of Windy Gap, Cieneguitas Creek, Maria Ygnacio Creek and San Antonio Creek from Highways 154 south to Cathedral Oaks Road.

 Weather Event: Northwest winds decreased early this morning. Significant change with cold front occurring through Friday bringing rain to fire area. Tonight’s temperatures expected to range from 45 to 50 degrees. Relative humidity is between 80 and 95 percent. Rain showers expected Wednesday morning with the potential for thunderstorms.  Significant rain may require resources to seek safe conditions to avoid potential flooding.

 Road Closure and Evacuations:  Hwy 154 remains closed.  An update from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s office is expected today regarding road closures and evacuation areas. Visit www.ReadySBC.org for more information.

Evacuation Shelters: The American Red Cross has opened an evacuation shelter at the Goleta Valley Community Center located at 5679 Hollister Avenue.

For animal evacuation questions and offers of assistance, call the Animal Services Hotline at (805) 681-4332. The Santa Barbara Humane Society, 5399 Overpass Road, Santa Barbara, is available to assist evacuees with small animals.

 Current Fire Restrictions: The Los Padres National Forest currently does not allow open fires, wood or charcoal fires are prohibited in all areas of the forest, to include developed campgrounds. Additional Details are available on the Alerts and Notices page of the Los Padres National Forest Website.

November 27, 2019 at 7:37 AM

Minimal fire behavior overnight.

• Structures remain threatened
• Threats exist to critical power infrastructure, endangered species, watersheds, cultural and heritage resources
• Repopulation in progress
• Evacuations orders remain in place from Patterson Ave, East to Ontare Rd, North of Cathedral Oaks Rd.
• Threat to communities of Painted Cave, Trout Club, Santa Barbara foothills
• Road closures in the area
• Unified Command with USFS, CAL FIRE, Santa Barbara County

November 26, 2019 at 10:06 PM

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has issued a Debris Flow Evacuation Warning due to a strong storm arriving tonight, Tuesday, November 26, for the area between Patterson Avenue/Anderson Lane and Ontare Road, between the 3500 and 3300 block of State Street and down through Las Positas Road, and south of East Camino Cielo to the ocean.

Public safety officials have determined that there is a risk for potential debris flows in and below the Cave Fire burn area. National Weather Service has predicted rainfall Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning, with isolated thunderstorms that can increase rainfall intensity. Residents are advised to prepare an evacuation kit and a plan to leave.

If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe at any time, do not wait, leave the area and move outside the Fire Evacuation Order and Debris Flow Evacuation Warning area. If you live or are near creeks and streams, be aware that waterways may experience high flows and can rise quickly. Flooding impacts may be experienced throughout the county, but are a higher risk and may be observed below the Thomas, Sherpa, Alamo and Whittier burn areas.

If a debris flow occurs, and it is unsafe to leave, or you are unable to leave, go to high ground. Stay alert to changing conditions and follow the instructions of public safety officials. The Cave Fire Evacuation Order remains in place. To access the County’s interactive map, go to www.ReadySBC.org.

The public is encouraged to avoid going out in the storm and to stay off roads. As a precaution, do not walk through flood waters; six inches of moving water may knock you off your feet. If you are trapped by moving water, move to the highest possible point and call 911 for help.

Do not drive into flooded roadways or around barricades. Water may be deeper than it appears and may hide hazards, such as sharp objects, washed out road surfaces, electrical wires, chemicals, etc. Twelve inches of water can float a car or small SUV. For additional information, call the County’s Call Center at (833) 688-5551.

November 26, 2019 at 5:06 PM

Active fire behavior increased over night. Santa Barbara County proclaimed a local emergency due to the Fire, burning in the unincorporated area of the county, north of Cathedral Oaks.

Weather Event: Currently, weather is a concern with extremely dry vegetation after 180 days without rain in the area. However, clouds will increase on Tuesday evening with rain anticipated after midnight. The potential rain within the system will drive incident activity. The approaching front will continue erratic gusty north winds in the fire area through tonight with peak gusts of winds up to 40 mph. Humidity is relatively low near 15% and expected to improve later tonight.

Parts of southern Santa Barbara County are experiencing power outages due to impacts from the #cavefire. This outage is not related to a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). Outages have been reported in unincorporated areas between the cities of Goleta and Santa Barbara, along Highway 154 through Mission Canyon, and parts of Summerland and Carpinteria. Call SCE 1-800-611-1911 if you have any questions or visit https://www.sce.com/outage-center for outage area updates. Do not call 911 unless you have an emergency.

Information Sources: A fire information call center is staffed and available to answer your questions. The phone number is 833-688-5551. Register at www.ReadySBC.org to receive emergency alerts from Santa Barbara County. Also take note of the official social media links at the top of this page. Residents need to prepare to follow directions from emergency management officials.

Road Closure: A soft closure is in place at the 246/154 for residents. A hard closure is in place on Highway 154 at Paradise Road.

Mandatory Evacuations: Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the Cave Fire Monday night for the areas north of Cathedral Oaks Road between Patterson Avenue in Goleta and Highway 154, and the areas north of Highway 192/Foothill Road between Highway 154 and North Ontare Road in Santa Barbara.

As of noon on November 26, evacuation orders were lifted for the area west of Highway 154 between Patterson and Fairview Avenue.

The Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management interactive map has updated evacuation information as well as the fire perimeter.

Evacuation Warning: Evacuation warnings were issued for the area between North Ontare Road and Gibraltar Road, north of Highway 192/Foothill Road. Warnings were also issued for the area between Highway 154 and El Sueno Road, between Cathedral Oaks and Calle Real. 

Evacuation Shelters: The American Red Cross has opened an evacuation shelter at the Goleta Valley Community Center located at 5679 Hollister Avenue.

For animal evacuation questions and offers of assistance, call the Animal Services Hotline at (805) 681-4332. The Goleta Animal Shelter, 5473 Overpass Road, Santa Barbara, is available to assist evacuees with small animals. Earl Warren Showgrounds 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, CA can accept large animals.

Drones:  Drones pose a serious risk to firefighting and can cause air operations to cease.  The public is reminded that “If you fly, we can’t!” 

Current Fire Restrictions: The Los Padres National Forest currently does not allow open fires, campfires or charcoal fires outside of developed recreation sites or designated Campfire Use Sites even with a valid California Campfire Permit. Additional Details are available on the Alerts and Notices page of the Los Padres National Forest Website.

November 26, 2019 at 8:04 AM

Extreme fire behavior with wind driven runs and spotting
• Structures remain threatened
• Threats exist to critical power infrastructure, endangered species, watersheds, cultural and heritage resources
• Evacuations remain in progress
• Mandatory evacuations East of Patterson Ave., West of Ontare Rd., North of Foothill
• Threat to communities of Painted Cave, Trout Club, Santa Barbara foothills
• Road closures in the area
• Unified Command with USFS, CAL FIRE, Santa Barbara County

November 25, 2019 at 11:00 PM

Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office: Due to the Cave fire, an Evacuation WARNING is being issued for the area West of Hwy 154 to El Sueno, below Cathedral Oaks to Calle Real. Please remain alert and be prepared to evacuate if conditions change.

At 10:30 p.m. on November  25, 2019, Santa Barbara County proclaimed a local emergency (see attached proclamation) due to the Cave Fire that started burning in the Santa Ynez Mountains east of the intersection of State Highway 154 and East Camino Cielo Road. The proclamation was made by the Director of County Emergency Services; the Board of Supervisors is expected to ratify the proclamation at an Emergency Meeting on Tuesday, November 26, 2019. Read more here.

Parts of southern Santa Barbara County are experiencing power outages due to impacts from the #cavefire.  This outage is not related to a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). Outages have been reported in unincorporated areas between the cities of Goleta and Santa Barbara, along Highway 154 through Mission Canyon, and parts of Summerland and Carpinteria.  Call SCE 1-800-611-1911 if you have any questions or visit https://www.sce.com/outage-center/check-outage-status for outage area updates.  Do not call 911 unless you have an emergency.

Emergency Call Center: (833) 688-5551
211 or outside (805) area code, call (800)  400-1572
Animal Evacuation Assistance: (805) 681-4332

Evacuation Order:
Evacuation order boundaries expanded from Ontare Road to Fairview Ave. north of Cathedral Oaks.

Evacuation Warning:
Due to the Cave Fire, an Evacuation WARNING is being issued for the area North of Foothill Road from Ontare Road to Gibraltar Road.
Due to the Cave Fire, an Evacuation WARNING is being issued for the area West of Hwy 154 to El Sueno, below Cathedral Oaks to Calle Real. Please remain alert and be prepared to evacuate if conditions change.

Shelter Location:
Goleta Valley Community Center
5679 Hollister Road. Goleta

Animal Sheltering: For Assistance, call Hotline: 805-681-4332
Small Animals:
Goleta Animal Shelter, 5473 Overpass Rd.
Large Animals:
Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara