Weary firefighters got no Independence Day reprieve from a pair of out-of-control wildfires that roared along California's central coast, chewing through opposite ends of an arid forest in the Los Padres National Forest, the Associated Press reported. Despite cooler temperatures and light winds, flames from the stubborn fire that forced the evacuation of Big Sur inched closer to historic vacation retreats. Meanwhile, firefighters farther south dealt with winds with speeds up to 40 mph that fanned a wildfire in Santa Barbara County. About 5,000 homes there were under evacuation orders, while residents in 1,400 homes were warned to pack up and be ready to leave on short notice, said county spokesman Jim McClure. "The fire is expanding and presenting some very complex challenges because of the terrain and the fact that it hasn't burned in over 50 years, " Capt. Eli Iskow of the Santa Barbara County fire department said. "And it's close to all the valuables like homes and people."
