California wildfire balloons to 13,400 acres, jumps major highway

Newsbreak

The Alisal Fire continued to wreak havoc on California's Central Coast, ballooning to more than 13,000 acres by Tuesday night with 5 percent containment, according to Santa Barbara County fire officials. 

Authorities had already shut down a major thoroughfare and ordered mandatory evacuations as powerful winds swept across the state and fueled the rapidly growing fire that erupted Monday afternoon in the Los Padres National Forest. 

U.S. Highway 101, which stretches from California through Washington state, remained closed Tuesday near Santa Barbara. High winds fueled the fire overnight, helping it to jump all four lanes of the highway and spread to Tajiguas Beach. 

Approximately 100 structures were threatened, federal officials said, which includes ranches and homes. Around 600 firefighting personnel were working to contain the blaze Tuesday, the U.S. Forest Service said. 

"The fire is burning in dense chaparral and is being pushed by strong winds and growing at a rapid rate of speed," said a Los Padres National Forest incident report. Smoke was visible throughout southern Santa Barbara County.

Source nbcnews