Santa Barbara County Fire Department Firefighters stabilize a freight coach cover that blew off a Union Pacific freight train late Friday night at the Gaviota Bridge by lashing it fast with a length of climbing rope on Saturday morning. Winds gusting to 75mph tore through Gaviota Canyon blowing four such aluminum covers off the back of the freight carts. Fire Crew closed the beach to 4th July campers at gaviota State Beach and stabilized the one cover still balanced precariously on the bridge embankment. Two off the train onto the beach below and one was lodged securely on the hillside above Gaviota State BEach. The firefighter on the bridge is sinpecting the damage to the bridge railing. Union Pacific were notified of the accident and are responsible for removal of the covers. ian Vorster / Staff 070107
A lone firefighter leans on his shovel on a ridge that blazed a short while earlier. The fire beyond the ridge gave some trouble and proved to be more difficult to reach. Ian Vorster / Staff 090906