Most Calif. wildfire evacuations lifted

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Thousands of evacuees were told they could go home Saturday as a blanket of cool, moist air flowing in from the ocean brought a dramatic change, taming the wind-driven wildfire that had burned 80 homes along the outskirts of town. Cheers erupted at an evacuation center when Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown announced that mandatory evacuation orders for most areas were being downgraded to evacuation warnings, meaning residents could return. WARNING ABOUT WARMING: Climate change may not spur wildfires "We got a break in this weather," said actor Rob Lowe, an area resident who was among those watching the sheriff deliver the news. More than 30,000 people had been under mandatory evacuation orders dating back as far as Tuesday afternoon, when the fire erupted just above Santa Barbara on the face of steep Santa Ynez Mountains. An additional 23,000 had been on evacuation standby. FIND MORE STORIES IN: California | Los Angeles | National Weather Service | Ronald Reagan | Pacific Ocean | Santa Barbara | Rob Lowe | Montecito | Fire | Charlie Chaplin | Santa Ynez Mountains Notorious local winds known as "sundowners" sweeping from inland and down the face of the mountains drove the fire into outlying neighborhoods Wednesday afternoon, causing most of the destruction, and again late Thursday and early Friday. A predicted sundowner failed to materialize Friday night, and instead the normal flow of air from the Pacific Ocean pushed ashore a dense, moist marine layer that didn't let the sun peek through until nearly midday. Firefighters were cautious but said the blaze that had covered more than 13 square miles was 30% contained. Brown said the evacuations were being lifted in phases to avoid traffic jams from returning residents. "We hope to get everyone back as soon as possible, but it's nice to be able to deliver some good news to you, for a change." the sheriff said. About 80 homes have been destroyed in neighborhoods on ridges and in canyons that rise up the foothills above the north edge of Santa Barbara. The city and adjacent communities are pinched between the coast on the south and the rugged mountains on the north, putting them in the path of the sundowner wind. The Santa Barbara area has long been a favorite of celebrities. Oprah Winfrey has an estate in Montecito, where Charlie Chaplin's old seaside escape, the Montecito Inn, has stood since 1928. A ranch in the mountains that Ronald and Nancy Reagan bought became his Western retreat during his presidency. Some 3,500 firefighters were on the scene along with 428 engines, 14 air tankers and 15 helicopters. A DC-10 jumbo jet tanker capable of dumping huge loads of retardant began making runs on the fire Friday afternoon. Officials said 11 firefighters had been injured to date, including three who were burned in a firestorm Wednesday. They were reported in good condition at a Los Angeles burn center. The cause of the blaze, which broke out Tuesday, remained under investigation. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.