More than 1,000 firefighters continued Monday to battle a wildfire threatening Neverland Ranch, the former home of the late pop star Michael Jackson and others in the Santa Barbara Mountains.
The Lake Fire is 20,300 acres in size and is burning in the Los Padres National Forest, feeding on grass, brush and timber in rugged terrain, according to the U.S. National Forest Service. The fire was first reported Friday afternoon and was 8% contained as of Monday morning.
Firefighters on the ground are having difficulty reaching the fire because of the heat and terrain, and helicopters have been deployed to help contain the spread of the blaze. Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-90s and high 100s on Monday, said Jackie Ruiz, spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management.
Santa Barbara County expanded its evacuation orders Sunday to include Figueroa Mountain Road, also known as Grass Mountain Trail Head, and neighborhoods within Sawmill Basin, including Tunnel Road and Figueroa Campground, according to emergency officials.
About 20 people who were under evacuation orders have left their homes, Ruiz said. The evacuation zone also extends to Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, according to the latest data. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Lake Fire is burning on the western side of the Los Padres National Forest, just weeks after the Post Fire burned more than 15,600 acres about 120 miles to the east near the town of Gorman.
