By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A huge wildfire grew significantly in a national forest, raining ash on communities miles (kilometers) away and forcing hundreds of people to evacuate their rural homes and campgrounds.
The month-old fire in northern Santa Barbara County has burned an estimated 60 square miles and was 70 percent contained. However, fire officials said the fire had grown Friday.
Authorities ordered an estimated 500 to 800 people to evacuate, including 175 residents, and others who were camping or using recreational facilities in the popular wilderness about 10 miles northwest of Santa Barbara. The towering Santa Ynez Mountains lie between the wilderness area and the coast.