Fire Prevention Week: Montecito Fire Visits Local Schools & Conducts 1st Responder Water Rescue Training at Butterfly Beach

Montecito Fire District Chief Neels and his teams have kept busy with Fire Prevention Week visits to local schools and water-rescue training off Butterfly Beach. He is also reminding residents that it’s time to start preparing for the 2026 Neighborhood Chipping Program by clearing vegetation that could put homes or businesses at risk. The Carpinteria–Summerland Fire District is running its community chipping program now; all piles must be ready for pickup by November 3.

As part of Fire Prevention Week, Montecito firefighters brought their flagship engine and crews to all eight schools in Montecito, reaching an estimated 475 students. They taught fire safety, burn prevention, and emergency preparedness to children ages 2 to 11. Lessons included “Stop, Drop, and Roll,” building an emergency go bag, and a hands-on experience with a working fire hose. Students also toured the fire engines, learning about the equipment stored inside and out, and had time to ask questions.

Firefighters encouraged students to share what they learned at home – checking smoke detectors, reviewing how to call 911, and creating and practicing a family emergency plan.

On Wednesday and Thursday at Butterfly Beach, Montecito Fire joined fellow first responders from the Carpinteria–Summerland Fire District, Santa Barbara Fire, and the Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol for multi-step water-rescue and lifesaving drills from the Pacific Ocean to the shore.

Chief Neels said, “The level of rescue was a complex and coordinated response by first responders. The training scenario involved a distressed boat and 14 people in the water. A multiple-casualty incident was declared, indicating numerous patients with varying injuries. Water-rescue swimmers from Carpinteria–Summerland and Santa Barbara City Fire responded on jet skis, bringing dummy patients to a Harbor Patrol boat and to the beach. There, Montecito firefighters triaged patients and coordinated medical treatment. Water emergencies are part of life along our beautiful coastline. Today’s exercise was essential to maintaining our skills and strengthening relationships with our fellow first responders.”

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