(UPDATE: 7:00 p.m.) - CAL FIRE says the Lopez fire is now 70 percent contained.
The fire remains at 220 acres.
Firefighters have not released when they expect the fire to be fully contained.
[Evening Update] #LopezFire The fire remains at 220 acres. Containment has increased to 70%. #Firefighters continued to increase line around the fire today and made progress on suppression repair. Cause: Improper extinguishment of campfire. pic.twitter.com/izBzAmX5iw
— CAL FIRE SLO (@CALFIRE_SLO) September 25, 2019
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CAL FIRE officials have determined and released the cause of a vegetation fire near Lopez Lake three days after the fire sparked.
Investigators found a campfire that was not thoroughly extinguished led to the 220-acre fire, according to a CAL FIRE press release.
Authorities say they are now looking into who was responsible for leaving a smoldering campfire.
The Lopez Fire started Saturday afternoon and forced the evacuation of 24 homes in the area.
Evacuations have since been lifted.
At last report, the fire was 50 percent contained.
Anyone with information about who may have started the Lopez Fire is asked to contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at (805) 549-7867. Officials say callers may remain anonymous.
Some 730 fire personnel are assigned to the Lopez Fire. Officials say firefighters are working to reinforce containment lines and begin suppression work.
With hot, windy and dry weather forecast through Wednesday, fire officials say they do not have an estimate for when the burn area will be fully contained.
