On Friday, firefighters on the Scherpa Fire on the Gaviota Coast were aided considerably when the temperatures remained relatively cool and the dreaded sundowner winds did not kick in. For most of the day, the most intense fire activity was limited to the upper El Capitan Creek area and the ridgeline separating El Capitan and Gato canyons. After two days of serious fire activity in Vendito, Corral, Las Flores, and El Capitan canyons, the lack of wind provided a well-needed breather and an opportunity to regroup.
While the DC-10 and the other tankers laid down thousands of gallons of retardant on the ridgeline and around a number of homes in Llagas and Las Varas canyons, dozer crews and several dozen engine crews moved a quarter mile east to the west Llagas ridge to protect structures and begin burning out several hundred acres of heavy brush. The goal is to increase the buffer along the eastern part of the fire and prevent the fire from burning down canyon to the highway.
The most critical factor in the expansion of the Sherpa Fire from less than 20 acres to 5,800 acres in just two days had been the appearance of the sundowner winds in the late afternoon and early evenings. Today firefighters were blessed with a day in which there was minimal wind, with most of the smoke drifting straight up and blowing out to the east and west, creating a miles-long layer that made the fire appear more serious than it actually was.