SOLVANG, Calif. (NewsNation Now) — Evacuation orders expanded Wednesday as a growing wildfire driven by intense winds overtook parts of Southern California, shutting down freeways and threatening homes.
At least 200 firefighters battled the Alisal Fire, which had scorched over 15,000 acres along coastal Santa Barbara County and was only 5% contained, county fire officials said in the latest update.
The famous coastal Highway 101 was closed in both directions between Highway 1 and Winchester Canyon Road as of Wednesday morning.
The fire was also burning near Rancho del Cielo, which was once owned by Ronald and Nancy Reagan and was known as the Western White House during his presidency. Fire crews were protecting the ranch where Reagan hosted world leaders Wednesday morning.
While the area was lightly populated, the blaze threatened more than 100 homes, ranches and other buildings, fire officials said.
“The fire is burning in dense chaparral and is being pushed by strong winds and growing at a rapid rate of speed,” a fire update said Tuesday night, when gusts reached up to 70 mph in some areas.
The fire erupted Monday on a ridge and swept toward the ocean, forcing the closure of U.S. 101, the only major highway on that section of the coast. Evacuation orders and warnings were in place for ranches and several rural communities.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors declared a local emergency on Tuesday and asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency to free more state resources for firefighters and evacuees.
Powerful gusts swept across the state Monday, toppling trees and whipping up blinding dust clouds. In anticipation of the wind event, the Pacific Gas & Electric utility shut off power Monday to about 24,000 customers in targeted areas of 23 counties to prevent fires from being started if gusts damaged electrical equipment.
In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a wildfire burns Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, near a ranch off Highway 101 in Santa Barbara County, Calif. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire via AP) 
In this photo provided by Santa Barbara County Fire Department, the Alisal Fire continues to burn the dry vegetation in Refugio Canyon on Tuesday morning, Oct. 12, 2021, in Santa Barbara County, Calif. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire via AP) 
In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, firefighters extinguish flames Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 12, 2021, that have spotted ahead of the fire front along Highway 101 southbound at Vista Point, north of Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County, Calif. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP) 
This early Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, photo provided by CalFire shows one of several vehicles damaged during a wind event in El Granada village in the coastal area of northern San Mateo County, Calif. (CalFire via AP) 
This early Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, photo provided by CalFire shows one of several vehicles damaged during a wind event in El Granada village in the coastal area of northern San Mateo County, Calif. (CalFire via AP) 
This early Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, photo provided by CalFire shows one of several vehicles damaged during a wind event in El Granada village in the coastal area of northern San Mateo County, Calif. (CalFire via AP) 
This early Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, photo provided by CalFire shows one of several vehicles damaged during a wind event in El Granada village in the coastal area of northern San Mateo County, Calif. (CalFire via AP) 
Kim Corgiat helps boyfriend James Grooms sift through the remains of his home at the Rancho Marina Mobile Home & RV Park following the Brannan Fire in Sacramento County, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. Fueled by dry, strong winds, the blaze leveled dozens of residences on Brannan Island on Monday afternoon. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) 
Kim Corgiat sifts through the remains of her boyfriend’s home at the Rancho Marina Mobile Home & RV Park following the Brannan Fire in Sacramento County, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. Fueled by dry, strong winds, the blaze leveled dozens of residences on Brannan Island Monday afternoon. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) 
Vehicles and residences scorched by the Brannan Fire line the Rancho Marina Mobile Home & RV Park in Sacramento County, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. Fueled by dry, strong winds, the blaze leveled dozens of residences on Brannan Island Monday afternoon. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) 
Scorched land lines a plot on Brannan Island following the Brannan Fire in Sacramento County, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. Fueled by dry, strong winds, the blaze leveled dozens of residences on Monday afternoon. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) 
Kyrstina Phillips, who’s home burned in the Brannan Fire, hugs a friend outside the Rancho Marina Mobile Home & RV Park in Sacramento County, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. Fueled by dry, strong winds, the blaze leveled dozens of residences on Brannan Island Monday afternoon. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) 
James Grooms looks through the remains of his home at the Rancho Marina Mobile Home & RV Park following the Brannan Fire in Sacramento County, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. Fueled by dry, strong winds, the blaze leveled dozens of residences on Brannan Island Monday afternoon. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) 
In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a deer scurries near a recently burned area off Refugio Rd., in Goleta, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP) 
In this photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a hand crew works on a hill to extinguish a fire Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, in Goleta, Calif. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP) 
In this photo provided by Santa Barbara County Fire Department, a Croman Corp. Sikorsky SH-3 heads back to refill its tank to make another water drop as the Alisal Fire continues to burn in Refugio Canyon on Tuesday morning, Oct. 12, 2021, in Santa Barbara County, Calif. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire via AP)
The windy weather then settled down somewhat and power was restored Tuesday, but red flag warnings for extreme fire danger will return Thursday, and PG&E said it may need to cut power to about 29,000 customers across 19 counties on Thursday because of the renewed threat.
Windy weather is a nightmare for firefighters in a state where heat waves and historic drought tied to climate change have left forests and brush tinder-dry. Fires that began in late summer are still burning after destroying hundreds of homes.
