Tag archives: wildfire
Director of Conservation and Research for The Los Padres ForestWatch Bryant Baker has announced their new phone app for the public to find real time information on forest and trail closures and conditions. Baker says: “Due to damage caused by severe winter storms earlier this month, many trails and roads have been closed to public […]
The past few years have seen some world-changing events, but nearly five years ago, our area went through a community-changing one. The impact that the Thomas Fire and subsequent 1/9 Debris Flow had on the area can still be felt today. Yes, in the hardship it brought, but also the strength, tenacity, and heart that […]
If you are looking for an unobstructed, panoramic view of the Santa Barbara South Coast, there are few better vantage points than from TV Hill. The back patio of KEYT News Channel’s newsroom has been the setting of annual Unity Telethons and countless news reporter live shots. Flames also licked up the TV Hill hillside […]
This week, Montecito became a little safer. On page 14 you can read about the ALERTCalifornia camera just installed on TV Hill that will provide 24/7 “eyes” on the Santa Barbara Front Country and eventually alert firefighters to new fire starts using artificial intelligence technology. But before you read about this exciting and potentially lifesaving […]
What comes to mind when you think of the month of October? Probably, the color orange. Perhaps, a pumpkin. However, for local firefighters, the arrival of fall conjures up something else orange – wildfire. The spring and fall months on Santa Barbara’s South Coast can be both the most spectacularly beautiful and the most treacherous. […]
Resiliency is built over time, in small and large ways that collectively strengthen and prepare us for whatever challenges we might face. “In Montecito, we know that wildfire will inevitably challenge us,” said Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor. “That’s why, our community has been building resiliency against wildfire threats on an ongoing basis for decades.” […]
Last Friday, July 22, the Montecito Fire Protection District Board of Directors was given a presentation by Chelsea Richer of Fehr & Peers, a consultant company hired by the District to conduct an in-depth study of the District’s evacuation plan. The study took hundreds of hours over 10 months to complete and provided the District […]
Last week was a big week for Montecito and California in homeowners insurance. At our Board Meeting, we hosted the California Department of Insurance and agents from Brown & Brown and Bridgepoint, who are finding policies for Montecitans. A Little Background After the Thomas Fire of December 2017, and the deadly Debris Flow, an emergency […]
At this month’s Montecito Association board meeting, Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor thanked attendees of the Fire District’s emergency preparation meeting, which took place last week at Westmont College. The meeting had various presenters, including Wildland Fire Specialist and Fire Behavior Analyst Nic Elmquist, who reported that 90% of the western United States is in […]
As we enjoy the sunny, warm summer weather, Montecito firefighters are acutely aware that our landscape is becoming drier and more receptive to rapid fire growth. It’s a reality of living in this stunning place. “We all live with certain risks,” said Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor. “When it comes to living with the risk […]
Bucolic scenery, coastal oaks, mountains, and ocean. Montecito is lovely, and a terrific community, but we have issues here. If you recently moved in, here’s where you can get resources: Fire Danger – There have been multiple fires in the past few weeks all over the county, well ahead of the official fire season. Of […]
Frankenstein’s monster perhaps said it best: “Fire bad.” This is a capable summation but lacks actionable detail — and here in the celebrated Wildfire State, actionable detail is what it’s all about. Fortunately, the good people of Santa Barbara County’s Firesafe Council are hosting a three-day event that promises not just to fill the gaps […]
As high fire season approaches, your Montecito firefighters train for the inevitable: weeks of grueling work fighting wildfires across California and, potentially, here at home. Your firefighters are put through a wildland firefighting refresher course each spring in preparation. Wildland Training Due to the physical demands of wildland firefighting, the refresher course includes a timed, […]
As the Mule smoothly powers up the West Ridge Trail of Arroyo Hondo Preserve, we pass a flock of sheep grazing on yellow-flowered mustard. The wooly beasts and their owners await an upcoming shearing day in the paddock at the base of the hill. In the meantime, the flock munches on the grasses and mustard […]
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announces new regulations to improve wildfire safety and drive down cost of insurance. Under the proposed regulations, which could be in effect by this summer, insurance companies would be required to factor consumers’ and businesses’ wildfire safety actions into their pricing of residential and commercial coverage. The new regulations also […]
As we step into 2022, Montecito Fire would like to share with the community our 2021 Annual Report. In it, we detail our successes and challenges in all aspects of our organization, from day-to-day operations to wildfire prevention work and community engagement. We encourage you to learn more about your Montecito Fire Department by reading […]
The Santa Barbara coastal region has largely escaped any major disasters in the past year, save, of course, for the ongoing crisis with COVID-19. There haven’t been any major fires striking between Carpinteria and western Goleta, and no serious flooding despite the recent record-setting string of rainstorms. On the other hand, some folks out by […]
Joan Hartmann, the Santa Barbara County Third District Supervisor, didn’t even hesitate when asked why a portion of her district was evacuated with the Monday and Tuesday rain along the South Coast. “We learned a lot from Montecito,” Hartmann said. In the wake of October’s Alisal Fire that destroyed thousands of acres of land, the […]
Above the riparian corridor of Arroyo Hondo, a bleak Daliesque landscape reveals the aftermath of October’s Alisal Fire. Chaparral that hadn’t burned in too many years fed the wind-driven fire into the canyon from the east. Despite the grazing program of sheep and cattle on the hills flanking both sides of the lower canyon, the […]
The South Coast experienced its first, and hopefully only, significant wildland fire of the 2021 fire season last week. The Alisal Fire started above Refugio, along West Camino Cielo, at about 2 pm on October 11. It was propelled by powerful downcanyon winds — what are locally referred to as “sundowners.” Additionally, much of the […]
