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A Southern California fire that has gradually approached the coastal enclave of Santa Barbara almost doubled in size over the weekend, and has spurred the evacuations of the Four Seasons Resort Biltmore Santa Barbara, San Ysidro Ranch and Belmond El Encanto.
El Encanto doesn’t plan to accept new reservations until Friday, but continues to house guests who are already there. Neither the Four Seasons nor San Ysidro Ranch set a timetable for reopening.
The Thomas Fire, which started a week ago, expanded to more than 230,000 acres on Monday from about 132,000 acres on Friday, and remains less than 15% contained, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
At about 360 square miles, the fire has covered an area larger than the size of New York City. It has destroyed almost 800 structures and damaged another 187.
On Monday morning, the fire’s western border approached the coastal town of Carpinteria, which is about 12 miles east of Santa Barbara.
The fire will force the Ojai Valley Inn to shut down until Jan. 11 because of extensive smoke in the area. Ojai, which is located about 85 miles northwest of Los Angeles and about 35 miles east of Santa Barbara, is known for its natural beauty and its spiritual retreats. Director Frank Capri used Ojai Valley as a stand-in for his version of Shangri-La in his 1937 film “Lost Horizon.”
“The Inn will be undergoing a rigorous cleaning by a professional company using eco-friendly products in order to get the property back up to our standards of guest service and experience,” the Ojai Valley Inn wrote in a post on its Facebook page on Sunday. “The rehabilitation process is expected to take several days and will encompass everything from the walls of our guest rooms down to the linens.”
The Thomas Fire is the largest of the five that continued to burn across Southern California on Monday.
A fire in Los Angeles’ Brentwood and Bel-Air districts has covered 422 acres and is about 85% contained. That fire destroyed a half-dozen homes and damaged another 12.
The Creek Fire, located near Sylmar northwest of Los Angeles, has covered almost 16,000 acres and is 95% contained. The Lilac Fire, which has burned 4,100 acres about 45 miles north of San Diego, is 80% contained.
Source: travelweekly.com
