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UPDATE: Cuesta Fire acreage bumps up to 2500, containment stays at 10 percent

Spencer Marley, KCBX News

UPDATE: Aug. 18, 2015 at 6:29 p.m.

Weather conditions on Tuesday again gave the Cuesta Fire added strength as it expanded to 2500 acres. CAL FIRE Public Information Officer Bennet Milloy said Tuesday night that containment remained at 10 percent.

"Fire lines are holding, we did early have a little spot over a road that we're using as a containment line, but we did have a retardent line on the other side of that," said Milloy. "So the fire was over the road, but not over our control line.

Milloy said crews are expecting a strong marine layer to move into the Central Coast, helping with fire suppression. However, he also said that four years of drought have left a lot of dead trees in the area which are contributing to the rapid fire growth. 

Original Story:

Cal Fire said Tuesday morning that its overnight effort to hold the Cuesta Fire to a quarter mile from Santa Margarita was a success.

The fire burning in the mountains east of Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo County is now 10 percent contained and has burned about 2000 acres.

Tuesday morning, CAL FIRE updated its personnel numbers to say 1000 crew members are now on scene fighting this fire. Their plan for Tuesday is to keep the it east of Highway 101 and south of Highway 58.

CAL FIRE said weather conditions improved overnight and expect more favorable conditions for fire-fighting Tuesday. An evacuation order may be lifted in 24-48 hours, but right now remains in place for the area south of Highway 58 between Wilhelmina and Estrada Avenues in Santa Margarita.

The Santa Rosa Academic Academy in Atascadero is being used as a shelter for evacuees and can accommodate household pets.

  • If you need help evacuating large animals or livestock: 805-550-0213
  • Authorities said 2-1-1 is the phone number for any additional information. 
Credit Google Maps

Smoke from the Cuesta Fire prompted the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District to issue an air quality alert Monday through Tuesday at 10:00 a.m.

Smokey conditions were expected to continue being a problem in the Santa Margarita and surrounding northern San Luis Obispo areas, so the district urges people in those areas to take precautions.