Highway travel disrupted by California wildfire

(7 Dec 2017) Authorities closed a major freeway Thursday morning as flames from the largest and most destructive Southern California wildfire jumped lanes and threatened beachfront homes. Fire blazed on hillsides all along the 101 Freeway between Santa Barbara and Ventura and jumped the roadway at Faria Beach, about halfway between the two cities. As firefighters worked feverishly to tamp down the flames, some homeowners just a few hundred feet from the fire prepared for the worst, using garden hoses to spray their roofs and palm trees. "We're leaving," said Steve Andruszkewicz as he watched the fire burn just across the street. "This has got me worried because of the blowing embers." Winds whipped Thursday morning along the coast, creating new spot fires up and down the beach road. Beachfront homeowner Joseph Ruffner said he planned to stay and ride it out, hoping for the best. "I bought a generator yesterday so at least I can see on TV what's going," Ruffner said. Calmer overnight conditions helped crews protect the Ventura County resort town of Ojai (OH'hi), where most of the 7,000 residents were under new evacuation orders following a big burst of wind late Wednesday. Evacuations were also ordered for the first time in Santa Barbara County, where the coastal city of Carpinteria was under threat. Officials closed U.S. 101 for more than a dozen miles along the coast, cutting off a major route between Ventura and Santa Barbara counties for several hours as fire charred heavy brush along lanes. Southern California has been hit hard by four major fires that have put tens of thousands of people under evacuation orders and destroyed nearly 200 homes and buildings, a figure that is almost certain to grow. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...