Approaching heavy rains that may also coincide with thunderstorms late Tuesday have prompted Santa Barbara County officials to issue an evacuation order for the "red zone" areas below burn scars left by the Sherpa, Whittier, and Thomas wildfires.
The evacuation order goes into effect at 4 p.m.on March 5. The Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office is advising people to be out of the red zone areas of the evacuation maps by that time.
Rainfall intensities at or slightly above the debris flow threshold levels are expected, starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday and lasting overnight until 6 a.m. Wednesday.