"GOLETA, Calif. — A wildfire spurred by strong winds has mushroomed in size as it burned brush north of Santa Barbara, forcing the evacuations of hundreds of campers, some homes, and a refinery as it crept toward the ocean.

The blaze broke out about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in Los Padres National Forest and by around midnight it had expanded to 1,100 acres or nearly 2 square miles, Santa Barbara County fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni said.

'The wind picked up significantly,' he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview early Thursday.

Hundreds of people were forced to evacuate area campgrounds because of the fire's surge, he said."

The Associated Press had the story June 16, 2016. [2]