Strong and erratic winds blew the Gaviota wildfire down into Arroyo Hondo canyon Tuesday, eroding progress in containing the blaze and forcing Highway 101 to close again.

Capt. Charlie Johnson of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said he did not know when the highway would open again and when the fire would be contained. Firefighters had hoped to contain the massive blaze by 6 p.m. Thursday.

"This changes our plan something fierce," said Johnson. "We thought we were really close tonight prior to this."

Highway 101 was closed from 3 to 4:45 p.m. Tuesday as strong southward winds pushed smoke, ash and dust from the more than 7,030-acre wildfire across the freeway.

The highway was reopened, only to close again around 7 p.m. as flames jumped into the canyon.

The highway remained closed from Winchester Canyon Road on the south to Highway 246 at Buellton as of press time.

Residents in six or seven households in Arroyo Hondo were evacuated, Johnson said. He did not know if an historic home in the Arroyo Hondo had been damaged.

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Thus far, the fire has burned mostly chaparral and heavy brush about 15 miles west of Santa Barbara, Johnson said. One home in the Cañada del Molina area and three unrelated outbuildings have been destroyed, he said.

Working in steep, rugged terrain, 1,437 firefighters had contained about 40 percent of the blaze with help from 15 helicopters and 87 engines before winds kicked up on Tuesday, Johnson said.

Costs of fighting the wildfire continue to mount, and currently stand at $2 million, according to officials.

A marine layer was expected to bring cooler and damper weather conditions to the area during the next few days, Johnson said, noting that erratic winds that have hindered firefighting efforts are more difficult to gauge.

It's still unknown what caused the fire, Johnson said.

During the afternoon closure, the masses of cars rerouted to Highway 154 caused major congestion on that winding rural road, Johnson said, as they did over the weekend.

The fire, which erupted about noon Saturday along Highway 101 between Gaviota and the intersection of Highway 1, also closed the freeway from Saturday afternoon until Sunday evening, causing major congestion on Highway 154.

Train service between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara remains closed until officials repair a damaged trestle, he said.

The Gaviota State Beach, Refugio State Beach and El Capitan State Beach are all closed through June 15, a state parks spokeswoman said.

Seven firefighterswere treated for poison oak and one for a twisted knee Tuesday.

June 9, 2004