The army of 8,369 firefighters currently battling the Thomas Fire is a national record, fire officials confirmed Friday. Three-quarters are on duty at any given time.
Firefighters were biting their nails Friday evening at the potential for down-canyon winds forecast for 2 a.m. Saturday morning. “If I’m not here tomorrow night, you’ll know why. I'll be out here,” Santa Barbara County Fire Battalion Chief Chris Childers said, pointing to a map projected on the screen during Friday afternoon’s briefing at San Marcos High School. Red Flag Warnings were declared for Saturday from 2 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the most intensity predicted for 2-4 a.m., when winds could increase from 15 to 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 40 miles per hour.
The plan for Friday evening before the winds pick up is attack, attack, attack, fire officials emphasized. The tranquil conditions and clearer air in the last couple days have allowed about 30 helicopters to smother the Montecito foothills with retardant. About 736,000 gallons of retardant and just over 4 million gallons of water to date have dropped on the Thomas Fire.