About 1,400 firefighters continue to make significant progress containing the Rey Fire, which is burning north and east, away from Santa Barbara and Westmont on the backside of the Santa Ynez Mountain Range. The backcountry fire poses no danger to any structures, but the visible smoke will drop ash along the Santa Barbara coast for the next few days, and it has triggered an Air Quality Watch throughout the county. As of Aug. 23, firefighters have contained the fire along the southern and western flanks.
The college continues to be thankful for outstanding efforts by the firefighters and to pray for them.