Cave fire: Mandatory evacuations, road closures, shelters

Smoke rises behind the Santa Barbara Mission on Tuesday morning from the Cave fire.

Nov. 26, 2019 7 AM PT

The Cave fire, which broke out Monday afternoon in Santa Barbara County, is threatening homes in Santa Barbara and Goleta. The fire has burned more than 3,000 acres and has no containment.

Here are details:

EVACUATIONS

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for about 2,400 homes bordered by East Camino Cielo Road, Ontare Road, Foothill Road/Cathedral Oaks Road and Fairview Avenue. An evacuation warning was issued for the area north of Foothill Road and from Ontare Road east to Gibraltar Road.

ORIGIN

The fire was first reported at East Camino Cielo and Painted Cave Road and was being pushed south by 15-mph down-canyon winds with 30-mph gusts. It is not clear how the fire started.

ROAD CLOSURES

Highway 154 and numerous roads are closed. Officials are urging people to avoid fire areas.

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EVACUATION CENTER

Goleta Valley Community Center, at 5679 Hollister Road in Goleta, has been set up as an evacuation center.

ANIMAL SHELTERS

For small animals, owners can go to:

Santa Barbara Animal Shelter, 5473 Overpass Road, in Goleta.

For large animals:

Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara

WEATHER CONDITIONS

Gusty sundowner winds, which fanned the fire overnight, are expected to diminish through the morning. Temperatures in the Santa Barbara area will remain in the low to mid-60s, and rain is expected to arrive by late Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

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Jaclyn Cosgrove

Jaclyn Cosgrove covers the (great!) outdoors at the Los Angeles Times. They started at The Times in 2017 and have written about wildfires, culture, protests, crime and county government. In 2022, they managed For Your Mind, a yearlong mental health project. Cosgrove is originally from rural Oklahoma and is a proud Oklahoma State University graduate. They fell in love with the Southern California landscape when they moved here in 2017. They are always looking for the next adventure and welcome your ideas. If their phone goes straight to voicemail when you call, it probably means they’re in the mountains with their beloved dog, Maggie May.

Hannah Fry

Hannah Fry covers breaking news for the Los Angeles Times. She most recently covered Orange County for The Times and has written extensively about criminal trials, housing, politics and government. In 2020, Fry was part of the team that was a Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of a boat fire that killed 34 people off the coast of Santa Barbara. Fry came to The Times from the Daily Pilot, where she covered coastal cities, education and crime. An Orange County native, Fry started her career as an intern at the Orange County Register.