Santa Barbara fire forces an additional 6 thousand people to evacuate

(AFP/Getty Images/David Mcnew)

The winds whipped up Thursday afternoon and the firestorm continued in Santa Barbara County.  By the numbers:  75 homes damaged or destroyed; 4 square miles (2,700 acres) have been burned; 12,000F degrees the temperature of the fire estimated by melted metal; winds gusting over 60 mph fanning and spreadng the flames; 14,000 firefighters have been fighting the blaze; 10 firefighters were injured.  The most compelling story was of 3 firefighters who left their engine and were stuck in a home overcome by flames.  All of them escaped, but need surgery for their injuries.

About this image: Emergency vehicle lights illuminate part of a destroyed home that continues to burn in the early morning hours in Santa Barbara, California. More amazing pictures in the slide show below.  Firefighters battled to get a grip on a wind-driven wildfire raging through a region that normal is described with 'perfect weather'.

Sundowner Winds Spread Flames

Santa Barbara city fire spokesman Gary Pitney said flames jumped a road dividing the hilly terrain from the flatlands below and ignited spot fires in brush surrounding houses.

Pitney said the fire also spread west across state Route 134, the key road between Santa Barbara and wine country to the north.

A Sundowner is an offshore wind which occurs when a region of high pressure is directly north of the Santa Barbara area, the part of the California coast which trends east-west. When the pressure gradient is perpendicular to the axis of the Santa Ynez Mountains, which rise directly behind Santa Barbara, the winds blow with greatest force. These winds often precede Santa Ana events by a day or two, as it is normal for high pressure areas to migrate east, causing the pressure gradients to shift to the northeast.

Sundowners are particularly dangerous during fire season, because the air heats and gets more dry as it descends from the mountains to the sea. Gale force hot, dry winds can make firefighting impossible. Wind speeds can range from 30 mph to well over 60 mph. A sundowner quickly burned a swath from the mountain peaks through populated areas to the sea during the Painted Cave Fire.

For the Baltimore, Maryland and east coast weather outlook this Mothers Day Weekend, click here .

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