As of the morning of Tuesday, December 12, the Thomas Fire, which began near Santa Paula, California (in Ventura County, roughly 40 miles to the south of Santa Barbara) has grown to 234,200 acres with 20% containment.
Earlier this week the fire moved into Santa Barbara County and prompted evacuations in nearby Carpinteria and Montecito. The fire continues to burn, and grow, at a more modest pace than it did over this past weekend.
Since Rancho del Cielo itself is northwest of the city of Santa Barbara, the Reagan Ranch is well outside of the current path of the fire. Burn areas from recent fires, including the Whittier Fire this past summer, provide an additional buffer for the Ranch as the fire continues to move west.
In Santa Barbara County, the fire has burned primarily in the mountains and foothills, and is not currently posing a serious threat to downtown Santa Barbara. While the Reagan Ranch Center Exhibit Galleries are currently CLOSED (primarily due to significant air quality issues resulting from the heavy layer of smoke and ash hanging over Santa Barbara), Reagan Ranch Center offices are OPEN.
Weather forecasts suggest that very low humidity and higher than seasonal temperatures will keep the Thomas Fire active for some time. At this point, scheduled Reagan Ranch visits and the Reagan Ranch Roundtable event with Brian Kilmeade this Friday will proceed as planned, but please check YAF.org regularly or call Amy Brooker at the Reagan Ranch Center for updates or with questions about air quality, road closures, or scheduling changes. (Please note that those with asthma or other lung issues may prefer to reschedule their visits for a future date when air quality is improved.) Amy may be reached at (888) USA-1776.
Young America’s Foundation is grateful to the nearly 7,000 emergency personnel battling this significant fire (now the 5th largest fire in California’s history) as well as for the concern and prayers from so many friends and allies of YAF.
