California highway reopens but fire still a threat to homes

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — A key Southern California highway closed for days because of a wildfire was reopened Thursday evening but authorities warned that flames still posed a threat to remote properties in a coastal mountain range. The Alisal Fire is 11% contained Thursday after charring more than 26 square miles in the Santa Ynez Mountains west of Santa Barbara after it erupted Monday amid high winds. Since then, the winds have shifted but have been less intense than the first hours of the fire when flames blasted down the face of the mountain range toward the Pacific Ocean, jumped U.S. 101 and reached a beach.