UPDATE (10/13/23): Los Padres National Forest Service officials said on friday the fire is approximately 200 acres in size. While an official containment number has not yet been released, fire officials say it appears to be mostly contained.
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UPDATE: Los Padres National Forest Service officials report the Avenales Fire is estimated to have burned 130 acres as of 2:30 p.m. Air tankers and dozers are battling the flames from the air while 160 firefighters remain on the ground. Fire officials say the fire is burning within the Los Padres National Forest Service boundary but is on private property.
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ORIGINAL STORY: Fire crews are working on containing a fire that broke out in the Los Padres National Forest past Pozo on Thursday.
As of 1:30 p.m., Forest Service PIO Andrew Madsen did not have official numbers on the size of the fire, but said there was no containment or information on what sparked the blaze along Avenales Ranch Road.
Madsen said they were notified of the fire sometime after 10 a.m., adding that it was initially reported as two separate fires burning in different locations.
Due to the remote location, Madsen says they ordered as many aircraft as possible to begin attacking the flames from above until engines could arrive on scene.
He had not heard that weather conditions were interfering with the firefight.
