Firefighters open a second operations center at Santa Maria Speedway in Nipomo for the lake fire

NIPOMO, Calif. – Fire crews moved into a second base at the Santa Maria Speedway in Nipomo today to accommodate hundreds of firefighters battling the Lake Fire.

Currently, 3,229 firefighters are working around the clock to contain the Santa Ynez Valley fire that broke out a week ago.

The Lake Fire has burned 34,015 acres and was 16% contained as of Thursday.

Scott Safechuck, spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, said firefighters are coming from across California and other states to stay proactive.

After a long shift on steep terrain, firefighters return to base where they can eat, drink, shower and sleep.

Overnight, the fire expanded to 4,000 acres, which fire officials said was due to wind conditions and the efforts of firefighters.

“We had favorable winds. We had favorable fuel conditions with light, conspicuous grass and annual grass. And we were able to do a coordinated effort to get the grass lit, push the fire back into the main fire and really start securing the area. That was a great effort,” Safechuck said.

Safechuck said the fire will be divided into two zones and assigned to different agencies to allow for a more strategic approach.

“The fire has been divided into a northern zone and a southern zone, and that allows us to manage our resources really effectively. So we have more federal resources, more federal resources to the north of the fire, and more state and local resources to the south of the fire. And we’re working together to fight this fire,” Safechuck said.

The fire department continues to urge the public to sign up for alerts at readysbc.org, follow evacuation instructions and be prepared to flee if they receive an alert.