Winds threaten fire containment

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — A new round of dry, windy weather could cause a week’s delay in full containment of the Santa Barbara wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes, firefighters said Wednesday.

Humidity was dropping and there was a possibility wind could gust to 60 mph later Wednesday, forecasters said.

The wind could push flames into areas where about 45 homes are still threatened, said Harry Hagen, a Santa Barbara County emergency operations center spokesman. Those homes were evacuated last week and residents have not been allowed to return.

“We are on full alert, expecting that the disaster and our preparedness will continue,” Hagen said.

Crews were able to contain about 80 percent of the fire before the forecast of unfavorable weather led them to move the estimated date of full containment back to May 20.