BYU students and alumni grow more concerned about family and friends as fires continue to rage across sections of California.

The gap fire in Santa Barbara, the largest of the more than 1,800 fires since June 20, has been burning since Tuesday, July 1. The fire has burned more than 9,500 acres.

The cause of the gap fire is under investigation but authorities believe it to be man started as no lightning was present on July 1. The National Forest Service has taken over efforts to contain the fire and conditions are currently good for fighting the blaze.

"A few days ago we had some severe wind that was pretty warm which drove the fire into the valley," said John Ahlman, an information officer with the Los Padres National Forest Service. "Local conditions have been slightly more moderate than they were before. Unfortunately over the next couple of days we are going to get some warm up and some more wind with that."

Currently, 1,241 people are fighting the fire including 32 hand crews, 141 fire engines, seven helicopters, eight air tankers and 10 bulldozers. Four structures have been destroyed, but none of them were homes. As of early Monday morning the fire had burned 9,577 acres and was 35 percent contained.

Many people in Utah have family and friends in the area.

"I worry about them being OK," said Todd Holbrook, a junior majoring in public relations.

Holbrook's brother Joe lives one block outside of the area under mandatory evacuation and helped others get their belongings out of their homes.

"He said it was like a movie - it was very surreal," Holbrook said. "Embers and ash were falling to the ground."

Joe Holbrook has packed his belongings in case the fire shifts, and he is required to evacuate.

The gap fire has been burning in much the same area as the Painted Cave Fire of 1990 and has brought back vivid memories for many residents.

"Everyone is fearful that the same thing will happen again," BYU alumnus Josh Skelton said. "A small fire with the right conditions can turn into a huge fire."

Skelton's family has lived in Santa Barbara since he was young and was there during the Painted Cave Fire.

"We were at the beach and saw the smoke in the hills and thought it was really close to our house," Skelton said. After they had gone home for a few personal belongings and evacuated, Skelton's father took things into his own hands.

"My dad took a bike up to the area because the roads were blocked off and found our neighbor there," Skelton said. "They used our neighbor's underground water tank to keep the houses wet."

The Skeltons stayed up all night watching the news until they saw their neighborhood completely burned to the ground except their house and their neighbor's house, though they didn't escape without some damages.

"We had to get new clothes and drapes because of smoke that was in the area," Skelton said.

Despite the dangers, most residents continue to go about their lives. One local has a brother who is getting married in the area and is planning an outdoor reception.

"The weather is a big thing for the family right now," BYU alumna Michelle Gardner said. "There may be too much ash to have the wedding reception outside."

Ash isn't their only concern. The fires can have an effect on weather patterns, causing other problems for outdoor activities.

Californians living in Utah had some advice for locals as Utah starts into its own fire season.

"Back everything up," Gardner said. "When we had those fires people wished they had photos backed up. You never know when you'll have to grab whatever you can."



Copyright Brigham Young University 8 Jul 2008