WILDFIRE COUNTY PLANNING FOR THE NEXT BIG BLAZE W ednesday, March 4, 2020 | santamariatimes.com | SECTION S

WILDFIRE COUNTY PLANNING FOR THE NEXT BIG BLAZE F ROM THE EDITOR With a history of huge fires, county residents must be ready for the next one Looking back to prepare for the future in ‘Wildfire County’ LEN WOOD, STAFF‌ Large, destructive and Tepusquet Canyon resident Renée O’Neill and husband Steve, not pictured, have prepared for wildfires by installing their own firefighting water deadly wildfires have become system, buying a fire truck, clearing vegetation and installing sprinklers atop their buildings, among other efforts. The hill in the background the “new normal” for Cali- behind their home was burned in a backfire set by Cal Fire to stop the Alamo fire in 2017. fornia, according to the state Fire Foundation, and they can break out anytime, anywhere. Santa Barbara County has Tepusquet Canyon: Residents an average of 100 wildfires per year. While almost 96% of them are contained at less than 10 acres, the exceptions are record-setting. of high-risk area have The 2007 Zaca fire at just over 240,000 acres is still among the state’s 20 largest wildfires since 1932, along with the Thomas fire that escaped destruction — so far burned into Santa Barbara County from Ventura at al- county’s map of serious wildfire most 282,000 acres. Closest call comes in the risk areas. State and federal officials form of the Alamo fire It’s one reason the O’Neills have listed every city, town, have attached sprinklers along village and cluster of homes MIKE HODGSON the ridges of their home, the shed in the county as “at risk” of [email protected]‌ and the cabin. wildfire, even places like Santa ‌Steve and Renée O’Neill con- They’ve also installed three Maria and Guadalupe, which sider their 70-acre ranch near fire hydrants on their property. are surrounded by thousands the top of Tepusquet Canyon one A red box beside each one holds of acres of farmland. of the most beautiful properties a long fire hose and nozzle for Fire officials attribute the in Santa Barbara County. firefighters’ use. A high-pressure county’s high risk, in part, Thick chaparral, oak trees, well pump can be used to fill up to its location in the wildfire wild grasses and riparian habi- water tenders. “Goldilocks zone,” where tat have made the canyon a pop- The O’Neills also have a conditions are “just right” to ular destination for those drawn MIKE ELIASON, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT‌ 500-gallon water trailer and a grow fuels, then cook them by rural living, including the The full moon, distorted by heat waves, rises over flames from the 1975 Mack fire engine Renée’s tinder-dry. O’Neills, who have lived there Alamo fire on a hilltop off Highway 166 east of Santa Maria in this husband, Steve, bought from The county’s mix of topog- for over 30 years. photo from July 8, 2017. Hancock College and put back raphy, abundant fuels and Taking their dirt access road into running condition. Sundowner winds presents a one way leads across a wooden To the right past the gate surrounded by defensible space, When fire crews ask O’Neill if specific set of challenges for bridge into a meadow sur- stands a one-bedroom cabin that hidden above narrow, winding the fire engine works, she says, firefighters who say they’d rounded by oaks at the foot of a various Santa Barbara County Tepusquet Road. “’Yup, it still squirts water.’ They rather fight wildfires almost hill where lightning once ignited Fire Department personnel have But across the road is a wall of laugh and say, ‘You mean it still anywhere than the place some a wildfire; going the other way rented over the years, a storage oak trees and thick chaparral that of them have dubbed Wildfire leads one to a locked gate. shed and the O’Neill home, all has landed the canyon on the Please see TEPUSQUET , Page S6 County. County littered with areas at high risk for wildfire Eyes of county, federal Where are the agencies constantly areas of lowest examine conditions risk? MIKE HODGSON Fire officials say Santa Ma- [email protected]‌ ria and Guadalupe have the ‌Santa Barbara County has had lowest risk of wildfire in the so many wildfires over the years county because they are sur- that firefighters brought in from rounded by thousands of acres other areas to help fight the big of agriculture. ones have joked that it should be But Santa Maria is not com- renamed Wildfire County. pletely immune. The 1969 “Every year we have 100 fires,” Payne fire scorched an oval- said Rob Hazard, division chief shaped area of probably less and fire marshal for the Santa than 250 acres northeast of Barbara County Fire Department. Old Orcutt. “But 96% of them are put out at less than 10 acres.” State and federal officials have crews and bulldozers to fight listed every city, town, village and South Coast fires, leaving much cluster of homes in the county as of the battle to aerial assaults. “at risk” of wildfire, even places In fact, some firefighters from like Santa Maria and Guadalupe, other areas have said they would which are surrounded by thou- rather fight wildfires almost any- sands of acres of farmland. where than southern Santa Bar- Fire officials attribute Santa P HOTO BY MIKE ELIASON, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FIRE‌ bara County because of the rugged Barbara County’s high risk, in Santa Barbara County Fire Department Fire Marshal and Division Chief Rob Hazard, right, directs efforts on the terrain, baking heat and gale-force part, to its location in the wildfire fire line of the Sherpa fire off Refugio Road in June 2016. winds. “Goldilocks zone.” The county “We have our own unique wind sits far enough north to get the Harris, fire chief for Los Padres “Cars and power lines are the define wildfire risk, which in the condition,” Hazard said. “When winter rainfall needed to grow National Forest. “Ninety percent No. 1’s” for causing fires, Hazard North County is different than there have been large fires, there a healthy crop of fuels, but it’s of fires are human-caused. … said. that along the South Coast. have always been Sundowner also far enough south to feel the Most fires start within 20 feet of On the South Coast, the steep winds at some point during the Southern California summer heat a roadway.” Elements of risk slopes of the Santa Ynez Moun- fire.” that cooks those fuels tinder-dry. Hot embers blown from an ex- Firefighters look at the ingredi- tains, covered with chaparral and The Sundowners not only drive And, because it’s close to the haust pipe, sparks scattered from ents for cooking up wildfires as a close to dense urban areas, create the flames forward but heat the air large So Cal population centers, a chain dragging along the asphalt triangle. One side is weather, an- “a classic wildland-urban inter- as they rush downslope. the county also draws hordes of and the extreme heat of a catalytic other is topography and the third face” where wildfire risk is high, Without even consulting a map weekenders and vacationers who converter beneath a car pulled is fuels. Hazard said. or list, Hazard cites the Coyote fire raise the risk another notch. onto the shoulder are prime ig- Hot and dry or cold and wet, The average slope in the coun- in 1964, the Romero Canyon fire “Generally, the [areas] most nition sources for the dry grasses flat and level or steep and rugged, ty’s mountains is 40%, and that in 1971, the Sycamore fire in 1977 at risk are in close proximity to and brush that line the county’s virtually barren or a dense forest steep terrain with a lack of access 00 1 public involvement,” said Jimmy roadways. — combined in various ratios they roads makes it difficult for hand Please see RISK, Page S6 S2 | Wednesday, March 4, 2020 WILDFIRE COUNTY Santa Maria Special Section Cave fire offers textbook case of South Coast wildfire Dry vegetation, high winds equalled explosive spread

MIKE HODGSON [email protected]‌ he Cave fire that erupted Nov. 25 was a textbook ex- ‌Tample of Santa Barbara County wildfires, encompassing virtually all the elements that, in one combination or another, have characterized the South Coast’s most significant blazes. The elements: late-season ig- nition, point of origin near roads atop the mountain range, ex- tended dry spell, high tempera- tures, low humidity, powerful Santa Lucia winds, thick vegeta- tion, explosive spread, hundreds of homes threatened, thousands evacuated, steep and rugged terrain, bulldozers ineffective, heroic hand-crew efforts, heavy aerial assault, strong mutual-aid MIKE ELIASON PHOTOS, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FIRE‌ response, shrewd firefighting tac- Santa Barbara County firefighters battle theC ave fire alongH ighway 154 near San Antonio Creek Road on Nov. 25. tics. However, while its ignition and spread followed a classic South Coast wildfire pattern, the Cave fire did not end in typical fashion. Coming late in the fire season, after 180 days with no precipita- tion and weeks of above-normal temperatures, the Cave fire ig- nited in Los Padres National For- est amid vegetation thick from last winter’s rains yet critically dry from the extended summer- like heat. The relative humidity was low at around 15%, and although fore- casters said cooler weather and possibly rain were on the horizon, temperatures were still high the As flames advance toward East Camino Cielo, a DC-10 operated by 10 Monday it started. Tanker Air Carrier makes a Phos-Chek drop on the west flank of theC ave Snow accumulates Thanksgiving morning on chaparral charred by the The wind velocity was a sus- fire onN ov. 26. Cave fire in Los PadresN ational Forest. tained 35 mph over San Marcos Pass, not far from the fire’s point operations made water drops to relative humidity. of origin at Highway 154 and assist the hand crews that fought As the cold front approached, Painted Cave Road, and gusts the flames both day and night. firefighters prayed for rain — but were clocked at 55 mph in the ur- Wearing protective gear and not too much. ban coastal areas. carrying their equipment on their “We want a steady rain,” Eliason As firefighters from the U.S. backs, hand crews had to scramble said. “But we don’t want intense Forest Service and Santa Barbara hundreds of feet up steep slopes rain.” County Fire Department attacked covered with loose rocks and push With the slopes denuded of the flames, the call for help went through thick chaparral and poi- vegetation and soil disturbed by out to other agencies. son oak to reach their assigned firefighting efforts, a heavy rain As they have for each of the positions. could bring uncontrolled run- county’s previous significant Arriving exhausted, they still off that would erode topsoil, fill wildfires, resources began pour- cut fire lines as fast as they could streams with sediment, clog cul- ing in from north, south and east. in the face of searing flames. verts, flood neighborhoods, de- Eventually, nearly 1,000 fire- stroy houses and threaten lives. fighters — more than 600 of them Threat at the urban So Tuesday, with the fire only from outside agencies — would be interface‌ Embers fly from theC ave fire offH ighway 154, three miles north of Santa 20% contained at 4,367 acres, battling the blaze. Barbara on Nov. 25. debris flow evacuation warnings Conditions were harsh. Driven downhill by winds that were issued to residents below the “It’s burning under some of the picked up speed — and heat — as the Goleta Valley Community and despite the force of the Santa burn area. most difficult conditions any- they sluiced through the canyons, Center for some of the more than Lucia winds, the once explosive That evening, a heavy mist where in the world,” Jim Harris, the fire exploded to 3,100 acres in 5,400 bewildered residents who rate of spread had been slowed. rolled in, turned to drizzle, then fire chief for Los Padres National seven hours, raging toward hill- fled their homes, leaving every- Although the fire had roared became the steady rainfall fire- Forest, said as the flames raged on side homes, churches, businesses, thing behind. toward Goleta and Santa Barbara, fighters had hoped for. the mountainside. parks, a nature preserve and agri- Highway 154 was closed at the firefighters held it back by attack- Over the course of the night, Because of the extremely steep cultural operations on the north- roundabout with Highway 246 in ing key points, including the San just over an inch of rain fell on the and rugged terrain, bulldozers ern edges of Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez, and only residents Antonio Creek Road area, County southern slopes of the Santa Ynez couldn’t cut large swaths of fire Goleta. with ID were allowed to pass. No Fire spokesman Mike Eliason said. Mountains. line, so there were no fuel breaks County Fire officials said 2,410 civilians were allowed past Para- By noon Tuesday, the fire had “The rain really helped us out,” to slow the flames’ forward prog- structures were threatened by the dise Road near the summit. only expanded to about 4,330 Eliason said Nov. 27. “There’s no ress or provide access for hand rapidly spreading flames. On the Santa Barbara side, the acres, but it was just 10% con- real active fire, just a lot of smol- crews, fire engines and water Mandatory evacuations were highway was closed at Cathedral tained. dering spots.” tenders. ordered that night for the areas Oaks Road to all but residents A change in the weather was on With the mountains soaked That left most of the battle north of Cathedral Oaks Road in with ID, and even they were not the way, however. and more rain and even snow on during daylight hours to aerial Goleta and north of Foothill Road allowed past Painted Cave Road. By Tuesday afternoon, the the way, hundreds of firefighters tankers dropping retardant and in Santa Barbara. Evacuation Despite the number of struc- wind that had pushed the flames from the fire departments of Ven- helicopters dumping water. warnings were issued for adja- tures in harm’s way, by Tuesday dropped to almost nothing, the tura, Los Angeles, Kern, San Ber- At night, a trio of helicopters cent areas. afternoon only one outbuilding temperature suddenly plunged nardino and Orange counties were with advanced equipment and The American Red Cross was lost; in spite of the harsh con- more than 20 degrees in places sent home to spend Thanksgiving pilots experienced in nighttime opened an evacuation shelter in ditions, no injuries were reported; and a blanket of clouds lifted the with their families. Firenadoes: Symptom of a ‘new wildfire normal’?

MIKE HODGSON [email protected]‌ ‌“Firenado” sounds like the title for a campy science-fiction flick, but it’s a real phenomenon that firefighters say they’re seeing more often as wildfires world- wide become more intense. Not everyone can agree on the point at which a “fire whirl” be- comes a “fire tornado,” but peo- ple tend to know one when they see it. Most agree a fire whirl is rela- tively small, lasts only a short pe- riod of time and lacks the power CAL FIRE VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS‌ to move objects, while a firenado A rare fire tornado rages during the deadlyC arr wildfire in July 2018 in is big, moves through a confla- Northern California. The monstrous “firenado” the size of three football gration for an extended period LEN WOOD, STAFF‌ fields was created by a combination of scorching weather, erratic winds of time and can rip the roofs off A tornado of smoke spins on a hilltop as the Rey fire burns above the and an ice-topped cloud that towered miles into the atmosphere, houses, according to reports from Santa Ynez River in this photo from Aug. 18, 2016. according to a study published in the Geophysical Research Letters the fire lines. journal. The 2018 fires in Northern furniture, small animals and any- Others say it’s because wild- California spawned multiple fire lasting up to 80 minutes. mass that rises, carrying flaming thing else that isn’t nailed down. fires are moving more into urban whirls and firenadoes, and the Firefighters have known for embers aloft. Scientists say they are baffled areas where burning homes and Carr fire that struck the Redding decades that big wildfires create As the warm, moist air rises, it when it comes to explaining why cars increase the amount of heat area unleashed perhaps the most their own weather as they draw tends to rotate, much like it does firenadoes are suddenly becom- the flames generate. extreme example.firefightersin cool air at the base to feed the in a regular tornado, drawing up ing more common. Either way, firenadoes are el- captured a swirling tower of flame flames. not only burning embers and Some have said it’s from an evating the “new normal” for and smoke reportedly a quarter of Moisture from burning trees long tongues of flame but also overall increase in atmospheric wildfires to a more dangerous a mile high, allegedly generating and other vegetation is heated tree limbs, brush, home siding temperatures due to global level. 00 winds estimated at 140 mph and by the fire to create a moist air and shingles, potted plants, patio warming. 1 SANTA MARIA SPECIAL SECTION WILDFIRE COUNTY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020 | S3 Changing environment also changing nature of wildfires Fires not more unpredictable, just more intense, harder to fight

LEN WOOD, STAFF A fallen pine tree rests next to manzanita bushes in the Burton Mesa chaparral near Vandenberg Village. Experts say drought-stressed trees die and become an ideal fuel for wildfi re.

MIKE HODGSON [email protected] anta Barbara County’s fi re Same tools, new marshal has become an expert technology Sin fi refi ghting. Over the years Rob Hazard, While techniques and strate- 45, has seen almost every aspect gies for fi ghting fi res haven’t of fi refi ghting, from being in the changed, the equipment has trenches to behind the desk as an improved. administrator. Leather helmets initially worn by He started his career in 1988 as fi refi ghters gave way to helmets a member of the Los Padres Hot made of brass, nickel and alumi- Shots, then fought urban fi res num. Those were later replaced with the County Fire Department by composite helmets of plastic in 1990. He returned to fi ght wild- and lightweight polymers that land fi res in 2005 with the creation are stronger and resist heat of a new hand crew program. better. He’s now one of the few admin- istrators who still goes out on fi res. When Santa Barbara County Fire While Hazard doesn’t believe Marshal Rob Hazard was start- wildfi res are becoming more un- ing out, fi refi ghters wore helmet predictable in their behavior, he lights requiring large, heavy does acknowledge conditions are batteries that went dead quickly changing, which is making wild- and cast very little light. fi res more di cult to contain. Today, helmet lights use smaller, And that means wildfi res are be- lighter batteries that have a coming bigger, lasting longer and long life powering low-demand, doing more damage. lightweight LEDs that brightly “I can’t say the fi res are more MIKE HODGSON, STAFF illuminate a wide area. unpredictable,” Hazard said. Rob Hazard, division chief and fi re marshal for Santa Barbara County Fire Department, has a collection of some “They still follow predictable pat- Fire engines, water tenders and the fi re helmets he has worn through his career with others left behind by his predecessor sitting above his terns. But they’re becoming more chainsaws have all improved desk. intense, which makes them seem predictably as technology has unpredictable. advanced, but but other than “We’re seeing phenomena we’ve materials, there has been little never seen before,” he continued. change in the tools wielded by “Like the fi re tornadoes in the hand crews. Northern California fi res. Aerial assaults, however, have “I’ve seen fi re whirls before, benefi ted greatly from advance- maybe a few feet high. But big, real ments in accuracy, navigation, fi re tornadoes that pick up cars and maneuverability, range and push fi re engines — I’ve never seen capacity. anything like that before.” The forest fi re chief for the Los Aerial fi refi ghting began in 1955 Padres National Forest has also with a 1939 Stearman biplane seen wildfi res increasing in fre- dropping 170 gallons of water quency and intensity, a trend that on the Mendenhall fi re in Men- has accelerated in recent years. docino County. Jim Harris, 44, started his ca- Today, the smallest single-en- reer in 1992 on the 460,000- gine fi xed-wing aircraft and acre Cleveland National Forest in helicopters can drop up to 599 Southern California, where two of gallons, while the megatankers the state’s biggest and most de- MIKE HODGSON, STAFF can unleash as much as 20,000 structive wildfi res have burned, Los Padres National Forest Fire Chief Jim Harris points to an area of high wildfi re risk on a map of the forest. He gallons at a time. both driven through chaparral and said 90% of wildfi res are human-caused. coastal sage scrub by gale-force Santa Ana Winds. a dead tree — and an ideal fuel for The most recent was the Cedar wildfi re. By the Numbers fi re in San Diego County, which Like Harris and Hazard, other National Wildland Fire Facts burned 273,296 acres at a rate of longtime fi refi ghters also have seen for 2018 3,600 acres per hour in 2003 — the the changes in conditions — lower same year Harris transferred to the humidity, higher temperatures and $3.1 billion — Federal suppres- Los Padres. more wind. sion costs “During the drought [people “In the Thomas fi re, there were $1 billion-plus — State suppres- were] considerably surprised by the 12 days of Santa Ana winds in Ven- sion costs intensity and rate of spread,” Har- tura County,” Hazard noted. ris said. “As the dry fuels increased But the same changes taking 8.7 million — Acres burned from the drought, the fi re behavior place at night are really making 6.9 million — Average acres became more intense. But it was wildfi res much harder to contain, burned annually over 20 years not really more unpredictable. he said. In previous years, daytime “The duration of the drought was crews would try to cut line and do 6.4 million — Acres burned in unprecedented,” he added. “None what they could as heat and wind prescribed fi res of us had seen anything like that in pushed the fl ames forward and 25,790 — Structures burned our careers.” sapped fi refi ghters’ energy. And while bureaucrats declared But at night, the fi re would lay $11.5 billion — Losses claimed the drought — which started in De- down, and aided by higher hu- from California wildfi res alone MIKE ELIASON, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FIRE cember 2011 — was over in March midity, less wind and cooler tem- 120-plus — Fatalities A Los Angeles County Firehawk helicopter makes a nighttime water drop 2019, that doesn’t mean it isn’t peratures, hand crews could cut far on the Cave fi re o Highway 154 north of Foothill Road on the night of still having an impact on wildlands more fi re lines than daytime crews 19 — Firefi ghter fatalities Nov. 25. struggling to recover and likely could manage. — Source: U.S. Geological Survey have been changed indefi nitely. “In the past, we had the night,” “The e ects of the drought, I Hazard explained. “What puts out think, we’ll see for years to come,” fi re is hand crews and that skinny Thomas and Whittier fi res, where Harris said. little line they dig.” the humidity remained in the teens Like Harris, Hazard also sees the Daytime crews would return the all night long. deep impact of the drought. next day and stand amazed at how “That’s just not the normal par- “On the fuels side, there’s been much line the night crews had es- adigm,” he said. a defi nite change in fuels with the tablished, even in the dark, Hazard While the increased availability long-term drought — there’s more said. of night-fl ying helicopters has led dead fuels and less live fuels,” he However, the fi res are now being to more nighttime water drops, said. “The drying curve has been pushed forward almost as hard at Hazard said there are no notable progressively getting to the critical night as during the day. new strategies for fi ghting fi res in level earlier, even dipping below it. “What changed is those nights the face of changing conditions. “There’s more tree mortality got a little warmer, a little drier, “It’s still the guys on the because of the drought, which a little windier,” he said. “There’s ground, the hand crews cutting makes [trees] weak and suscepti- been an incremental deterioration the fi re lines, that contain the MIKE ELIASON, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FIRE ble to beetles.” A drought-stressed in nighttime conditions.” fi res,” he said. 00 A fi re whirl, the smaller version of a fi re tornado, spins up during the 1 tree attacked by bark beetles is soon As an example, he cited the Sherpa fi re near El Capitan State Beach in June 2016. S4 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020 WILDFIRE COUNTY SANTA MARIA SPECIAL SECTION

PREPARING FOR THE NEXT BIG BLAZE Mission Hills residents open up about Rucker fire

WILLIS JACOBSON particularly in light of her inabil- [email protected] ity to run or even walk quickly if As Heather Schi thinks back the need were to arise. to navigating her vehicle to her When the Rucker fi re evacua- Mission Hills home from her job tion orders came — via a bullhorn at Vandenberg Air Force Base on from Santa Barbara County fi rst the afternoon of Sept. 29, 2017, responders who drove up and she recalls the normally routine down each street — her hus- drive being anything but. band, Mark, helped get her out “It was the worst drive of my to safety. life,” she said matter-of-factly, She was succinct when de- recalling the thoughts that scribing what would happen if swirled through her head on a day her husband weren’t around. that was burned into the memo- “I know I’m a goner,” she said ries of both her and her husband, from an electric recliner she uses Eric. to raise and her lower legs. Shortly before getting in her Her worries, she said, are car, Heather received word from boosted by Mark’s stated desire Eric that a fi re had fl ared up near not to evacuate unless absolutely their small community just north necessary. of Lompoc. “I know the reality part,” Mark After a quick online search, said, adding he didn’t think the Heather realized there were ac- conditions were conducive to tually a few fi res that had been having the Rucker fi re spread reported around the Mission to their home. “I didn’t want to Hills area and that residents were leave. But I had to go, and that being asked to evacuate as soon was fi ne.” as possible. PHOTOS BY LEN WOOD, STAFF When the evacuation orders Heather’s thoughts imme- Heather and Eric Schi moved from Mission Hills after the 2017 Rucker fi re, in part because of concerns about were lifted the next day, several diately turned to Eric and their evacuating their daughter, EmmaRose, who has special needs. residents said they were relieved 8-year-old daughter EmmaRose, to return to homes that were still who has special needs, including standing, and some expressed immobility. “Of course, you think you know what you’d grab, but you don’t. I gratitude for the support of their “[The road] was blocked o , didn’t know what to do. I was in my pajamas pretty much, so I changed neighbors. I couldn’t get home and it just Throughout Mission Hills, looked like our entire house was really quickly, put flip-fl ops on and grabbed my dogs and left.” neighbors and friends worked to- on fi re from what I could see,” - Jennifer Valencia gether to pressure-wash cars and Heather said. homes that were covered with the The three fi res that day were Phos-Chek fi re retardant that ultimately grouped together As she turned to go back in- Cellphone service became ex- three cats. was dropped from fi refi ghting as the Rucker fi re, a blaze that side, she saw the third fi re in tremely limited, with many peo- Eric noted that his anxiety at aircraft. burned 444 acres over four days heavy vegetation at the end of ple in the area unable to send or the time was compounded by Valencia noted that her hus- before containment. her street. receive calls or texts. thoughts of a di erent emer- band and neighbors even o ered More than 500 fi refi ghters Although fi rst responders were Valencia was among those who gency that ended tragically for to pressure-wash a passing Santa from seven area agencies fought not yet on scene, Valencia knew could at least receive messages — his family: His father died in 1995 Barbara County Fire Department the fl ames, which threatened she had to get out. she said she couldn’t send them from fl ooding in Santa Barbara SUV that had been blanketed by more than 150 homes. “Of course, you think you — but that might’ve done more that also destroyed his parents’ the reddish-pink retardant. O cials blamed the series know what you’d grab, but you harm than good for her mental home. The driver of the vehicle ini- of fi res, which seemed to spark don’t,” she said. “I didn’t know state. “It just brought all that back tially declined, then drove back alongside roadways, on a vehi- what to do. I was in my pajamas “I’m thinking my house and it was tough,” he said. around and took him up on the cle’s malfunctioning catalytic pretty much, so I changed really must’ve caught fi re, because of He credited EmmaRose, who o er. converter. quickly, put fl ip-fl ops on and all these messages I’m getting,” su ers from Angelman syn- “It was a fun thing for them to While the Rucker fi re did not grabbed my dogs and left.” she said. drome, as being a calming infl u- do,” she said. result in any deaths or signifi cant She decided to go to the home The lack of cellphone service ence. “Still to this day, you can prob- structure damage, it did serve as of a friend in Vandenberg Village was also increasing the stress Due to her condition, Emma- ably go and fi nd traces of that a wake-up call for many of the but fi rst took her dogs to the vet- level for the Schi s. Rose is nonverbal, but she appar- stu ,” she said of the retardant. residents whose homes and lives erinarian to see if they could be “Everybody was calling every- ently enjoyed watching her dad The Schi and Valencia fam- were precariously close to its path boarded there. body, I’m sure, so I was just get- scramble to evacuate. ilies moved away from Mission of destruction. A person at the vet’s o ce ting a busy signal,” Heather Schi “She thought it was great with Hills in the months after the “When we got back up there, asked if she was forced to evac- said of her calls to her husband as me running around and all that Rucker fi re — both families cite we were just surprised at how uate due to the fi re, and Valencia she tried to make it back home. stu ,” Eric said. “I had her in her the fi re as among the reasons for close it actually got,” Heather said her emotions took over. “It was pretty much the worst. wheelchair [in the van] and she their relocation — and acknowl- said of her family’s post-evacu- “I just said, ‘I don’t know,’ and The last I heard [from Eric] was had the two big dogs jumping all edge the blaze opened their eyes ation return home the day after started crying, because I really that he was trying to get the pets, over and she was just having a to just how dangerous a quickly the fi re started. “It was crazy.” didn’t know,” she said. so I was just telling him to get out blast. She was cracking up.” spreading fi re can be. Valencia made a quick call to and get what you can.” “The area was nice and quiet ‘Didn’t know what to do’ her husband, who was working “I could imagine how freaked The aftermath and our neighborhood was Jennifer Valencia was at her in Santa Barbara at the time, be- out she was,” Eric said, noting Katherine Schupferling, who good,” said Heather Schi , who home in the northwest portion fore setting out to reunite with his wife could only see smoke su ers from mobility issues as lived with her family in Mission of Mission Hills when she saw her daughters, who were still in billowing from their neighbor- the result of a stroke, said she Hills for four years. “I never even an alert online about a fi re near school — one at Cabrillo High hood as she made her way down was thankful her Mission Hills thought about [any dangers] until La Purisima Mission. School and the other at Vanden- Highway 1. home and surrounding neigh- that day.” When she walked outside to see berg Middle School. Eric made sure to get his borhood were spared during the if she could view the fi re south of Like the Schi s, though, she daughter into the family’s van 2017 scare. Willis Jacobson covers the city her house, she was surprised to said she quickly realized that fi rst, along with some of her Schupferling, who can walk of Lompoc for Lee Central Coast see a fi re burning in brush to the communication would be a prob- medications, then went back to slowly with the use of a cane, said Newspapers. Follow him on Twit- north of her home. lem. try to corral their two dogs and she always worried about fi res, ter @WJacobsonLR. Volatility increases with age, heightening danger MIKE HODGSON Hills areas of Lompoc in the north- Release Component, a measure of [email protected] Major vegetation types in Santa Barbara County western part of the county. fuel fl ammability, and the related Chaparral is the fuel that makes “They don’t typically get fi re Live Fuel Moisture Data. Santa Barbara County wildfi res so weather — they have cooler tem- On the computer in his o ce at dangerous and di cult to control. peratures, higher humidity and Los Padres headquarters in Goleta, 166 Agriculture It most areas of the county, it Tepusquet northwest winds,” Hazard said. Harris pulled up a graph showing Canyon makes up one arm of wildfi re’s Guadalupe Santa Chaparral “But they have a unique fuel. In the moisture levels measured in Maria triangle of ingredients — fuels, 1 Cuyama. fact, it has its own name. It’s called live fuels Aug. 15 at fi ve locations 135 Grassland weather and topography. Orcutt the ‘Burton Mesa chaparral.’” in the national forest. Its mix of woody brush and Oak Woodland At home on the sandy terraces The varying moisture levels at shrubs of chamise, ceanothus and north of Lompoc in the lower those sites averaged out at 70.87%. Coastal Scrub manzanita are found everywhere 101 reaches of the Santa Ynez River But the graph showed that all of Vandenberg — blanketing the Santa Ynez, Si- Village. watershed, Burton Mesa chaparral them for several days had been on a erra Madre and San Rafael moun- includes two manzanita species, steady downward slide toward the Lompoc 246 tains, covering the Casmalia, Sol- Buellton two ceanothus species and an un- critical level of 60%. oman, Purisima and Santa Rosa Solvang usual form of coast live oak trees. Then Harris pulled up a graph hills and overlaying large swaths 1 154 That combination of fl ora tends of the Energy Release Component, of the Lompoc Valley and Tran- to counterbalance the cooler tem- which provides an estimate of the quillion Peak areas of Vandenberg 101 peratures, higher humidity and fl ammability for all available fu- Santa Air Force Base. Goleta Barbara cool, wet winds on the weather els — living and dead — based on . Firefi ghters say its volatility in- SOURCE: CalFire arm of the wildfi re triangle, lead- moisture content. creases with age, heightening the Carpinteria ing to swift, dangerous wildfi res in “We’re always analyzing fuel danger in places like Tepusquet LEN WOOD, STAFF the hills near Lompoc. moisture,” he said. Canyon, which hasn’t seen a But another factor a ecting Measured Aug. 20, the forest’s sweeping wildfi re in 65 years. Once chaparral’s age gets be- the heat needed to ignite the hard the fuel element is the amount of fl ammability stood at 50 on the “Chaparral fuel is relatively yond 20 years, the individual wood of oak trees, according to fi re moisture it holds, and the impacts graph’s scale that runs from zero nonfl ammable the fi rst 20 years,” plants have gotten bigger and ecologists. of that became apparent during to 80. The crucial number of 61 said Rob Hazard, division chief and thicker, grown closer together Sometimes the fl ames will race the recent historic drought. equates to an overall moisture level fi re marshal for the Santa Barbara and built up a layer of dead leaves across the top of an oak canopy, of 10%. County Fire Department. “Most and downed branches, making it burning o the leaves but leaving Raising the red flag “That 10% moisture level rep- fi res stop when they hit a [burned burn more easily and with greater the heart of the trees relatively un- Determining the level of wild- resents severe fl ammability,” Har- area of chaparral] that’s less than intensity. scathed and capable of eventually fi re risk, usually communicated by ris explained. “It’s considered the 20 years old.” “When it gets into 40 to 50 years recovering. colored “fl ags,” is a more complex critical point.” He displayed a map showing [old], that’s when it’s the most Wildfi res sometime ignite in process than it might seem. From mid-June to the beginning where recent fi res raged right dangerous,” Hazard said. the county’s wine country, Hazard It’s really an ongoing scientifi c of November this year, the height up to the border of an earlier fi re Chaparral burns hot, fast and said, but the topography is di er- process that relies heavily on mea- of wildfi re season, the number and burned no farther — the 2017 long — growing beneath oaks, ent from the chaparral-covered suring the moisture content of the reached 67, representing a mois- Whittier fi re against the 2008 Gap pines and sycamores, it’s like the slopes of the Santa Ynez Moun- fuels as well as relative humidity, ture level of just 3%. and the 2016 Sherpa fi res; the 2016 kindling stacked beneath the logs tains. air temperature, and wind direc- “Three percent moisture level is Rey fi re against the 2013 White in a fi replace. The hills are not as steep, and tion and speed. extreme fl ammability,” Harris said. and 2007 Zaca fi res; and the 2017 Wildfi re will race even faster irrigated crops aren’t as volatile. Two of the tools used by Jimmy “It’s beyond critical. … The last six Thomas fi re against the Zaca, 2008 through dry grasses, but it will An exception is the Burton Mesa, Harris, fi re chief of Los Padres or seven years, fi re danger has been 00 Tea and 2009 Jesusita fi res. pass so quickly it doesn’t build up Vandenberg Village and Mission National Forest, are the Energy at the maximum.” 1 Santa Maria Special Section WILDFIRE COUNTY Wednesday, March 4, 2020 | S5 Being prepared for wildfire Boy Scouts putting themselves to the flames, but the Like the other buildings planned people inside will be kept safe until at the camp, the living quarters use lessons learned rescued. prefabricated structural insulated Ken Miles, development director panels, or SIPs, for the exterior to good use for the Los Padres Council, noted walls and roofs. they’ve also been keeping the SIPs consist of a foam core be- MIKE HODGSON grasses cleared away around the tween two layers of thick particle [email protected]‌ entire camp. board, forming panels more than ‌Just 2½ years after the Whittier “We’ve weed-whacked twice 8-inches thick that are manufac- fire razed Rancho Alegre Boy Scout already this summer,” Miles said, tured with the cutouts for doors Camp and Outdoor School, work as he led a tour of the construction and windows to match the building is well underway on an $18 million underway at the camp in early No- plan specifications. reconstruction of the camp, with vember, adding that workers from Fabricated in Seattle, they were LEN WOOD, STAFF‌ a target date of October 2020 for the Center for Employment Train- shipped to Rancho Alegre aboard New, wider roads are under construction for improved fire safety at reopening the Outdoor School. ing have been invaluable in clear- a big-rig and take about a week to Rancho Alegre Boy Scout Camp. Los Padres Council officials say ing brush and cutting up wood. assemble. the new camp will be better than Miles said up on the mountain- Charlie McCoy, the contractor self-adhesive covering. fire,” he added. the old one and will incorporate side, the water tanks that fill with whose crew is assembling the res- Outside, the posts that support But using SIPs for the roofs does lessons learned from the Whittier spring water to supply the camp idences, said the SIPs themselves covered porches are made not increase the structures’ resistance fire as well as new county con- are being enlarged to hold extra are not fire-resistant. with the usual 4-inch by 4-inch to fire because there are no attics struction standards. water for fighting fires. “They’re environmentally wooden posts but with sheathed and no exposed eaves and result in “We learned a lot about mate- In November, the foundations friendly, but they’re highly flam- 8-by-8 SIP posts that can with- cathedral ceilings inside. rials that are more sustainable to were just being poured for the mable,” McCoy said, referring to stand fire much longer before “When you look up in the eaves fire,” said Carlos Cortez, Scout ex- medical building and dormitories, the foam core. “The Hardie Board they lose structural integrity and [of conventional houses], you see ecutive and CEO. and forms were still being built for and drywall give it the fire rating.” collapse. the little vent up there,” McCoy Glen Goddard, properties man- the foundations to support coun- Interior walls are covered in “They want an hour to an hour said, pointing up under the peak ager for the Los Padres Council, seling staff housing. one-hour-rated drywall. The ex- and a half burn time to save the of the roof where the side is flat agreed. But three other new buildings terior walls are covered with con- people inside,” Miles said of Santa and smooth. “We’re building things much — the residences for the camp crete Hardie Board, then a mois- Barbara County’s code require- “The embers from the fire more fire-resistant,” Goddardranger, camp cook and camp di- ture-proof fiberglass sheathing. ments. go right in [the vents],” he said. said, adding that the exterior rector — had popped up seemingly The SIP roof panels are topped “It will also give us a chance to “That’s why you often see burning of the buildings might sacrifice overnight. with a titanium-based Class A save the building if there ever is a in the attic first.” Opinions differ about chaparral, wildfire, prescribed burns MIKE HODGSON becoming unbalanced. In the late 18th century, the Chu- “Old-growth chaparral is a litter and shade provided by older [email protected]‌ Historically, wildfires at regular mash were observed intentionally beautiful, healthy ecosystem. It chaparral stands for their seeds to ‌Biologists, botanists, ecologists intervals were found to improve burning the native vegetation to does not need fire to ‘renew’ or germinate successfully. and fire scientists generally em- the health of ecosystems and re- promote growth in certain plants. clean out ‘built-up’ or ‘overgrown’ “Instead of becoming ‘trashy’ brace the concept that fire is a nec- duce the incidence of massive, However, not everyone agrees vegetation,” the institute says. or unproductive, as some have essary part of the natural life cycle high-intensity fires that damaged that wildfire is necessary for chap- “Old-growth chaparral contin- claimed, old-growth chaparral (in of chaparral and other ecosystems. the environment. arral’s health. ues to be a productive ecosystem, excess of 40 to 50 years) is actually They say that without fire, Santa Some wildfires were sparked The California Chaparral Insti- growing fresh, new growth in its just beginning a new cycle of life.” Barbara County’s chaparral hab- by lightning, but Native Amer- tute lists that as one of five myths upper canopy every year,” the in- To read more from the Califor- itat becomes unhealthy, with the icans were aware of the value of about the habitat that it exposes on stitute continues. “In fact, some nia Chaparral Institute, visit www. ratio of dead to live plant material fire and used it to their advantage. its website. chaparral plants require the leaf californiachaparral.com.

TRUTH OR NOT: Supersundowner wind of 1859 reportedly heated Santa Barbara to 133 degrees

MIKE HODGSON push it downward against the land spikes in temperature, extremely Coastal Pilot of California. gardens and heavily damaging [email protected]‌ below, squeezing out its moisture low relative humidity and gale- According to the report, the trees before eventually falling to ‌Sundowners — the equivalent and helping wildfires ignite and force winds that force-feed wild- morning air temperature of 75 122 around 5 p.m., the newspaper of Southern California’s Santa spread. fires. to 80 degrees rose steadily until reported. Ana winds — blow over the ridge- Earning their name because Half a dozen times a century, about 1 p.m., when a series of su- According to the Coastal Pilot, tops and through the passes of they frequently appear in late af- Supersundowners blast super- perheated waves of wind blasted a fisherman who had been on an the Santa Ynez Mountains to flow ternoon and early evening, mild heated air across the coastal plains the Santa Barbara area. open boat in the channel returned downslope onto the coastal plains Sundowner winds can result in at higher than gale-force speeds. By 2 p.m., the air temperature with his arms severely blistered. around Santa Barbara. slight increases in temperature. Perhaps the most powerful Sun- reached 133 degrees and hovered Around 7 p.m., the temperature The bane of firefighters, they But a few times a year, stron- downer, dubbed a “poison wind,” there for three hours, killing small finally fell to 77 degrees, the report heat the air by compression as they ger Sundowners can bring sharp was reported June 17, 1859, by the animals, destroying fruit, ruining said.

CAREERS START HERE Fire Technology

www.hancockcollege.edu/cte

00 1 S6 | Wednesday, March 4, 2020 WILDFIRE COUNTY Santa Maria Special Section

FRANK COWAN, CONTRIBUTOR‌ Flames from the Alamo fire burned close to this home at the west end of TepusquetC anyon as seen in this photo from July 14, 2017. An aerial tanker laid down a line of red Phos-Chek behind the house that helped protect it from the flames.

it, and it was just jaw-drop- ning, it was coming over the Tepusquet ping. You could see it from ridge.” The name of From S1 down in Santa Maria.” When the Tunnells saw the flame LEN WOOD, STAFF‌ Blackened trees on the the flames top the ridgeline, Tepusquet Canyon resident Renée O’Neill has prepared for pumps water.’” slopes of the canyon’s west they evacuated. There have been four wildfires by installing a firefighting water system, buying a The O’Neills know just side bear witness to how “I got a little teary-eyed,” fires bearing the name of fire truck and clearing vegetation on the property she owns how much their canyon par- close the Alamo fire came. Tunnell said of their flight Tepusquet Canyon, but with husband Steve. She’s also a co-commander of FACT, the adise is at risk. They’ve seen The slope less than 100 from the canyon. “‘What am only one of three listed Fire Associates for the Community of Tepusquet, which keeps the approach of demon wild- yards behind the O’Neills’ I going to see in the morning? on fire history maps residents informed of fire dangers and been instrumental in fire and seen it beatenback. house also has charred oaks, What’s going to be left?’ spelled the name of the fuel reduction projects. but they weren’t burned by “When we came back, we community correctly. ‘This whole canyon the wildfire itself; they were drove up [Santa Maria Mesa One was a prescribed singed when a Cal Fire crew Road] and it was all burned was black’ burn, and the most set a backfire that stopped right down to the road,” she recent was so small it Wildfires have periodically the Alamo advancing down said, adding she feared the probably won’t make it threatened Tepusquet resi- the steep hillside beyond. worst. onto fire history maps. dents for at least the past 40 “They backfired every- But driving on into the years, most of them small, a thing up here,” O’Neill said. canyon, they found their The four are the Te- few of them large and some “The fire was coming down neighborhood had been pesquet fire of 1979, the that came too close for com- that mountain there, so the saved. Tepusuet fire of 2001, fort. fire crews started the back- “And I’m looking up at the Tepusquet prescribed Perhaps the closest call fire. That’s the way they do the east side and I see all burn of 2006 and the came in 2017 when the Al- it. They light it at the bottom this brush and trees, and Tepusquet fire in October amo fire sparked in San Luis of the slope and the fire gets I’m thinking, ‘Whey didn’t that was doused at just Obispo County, jumped sucked up. Fires create their this burn?’ They must have 5 acres. Highway 166 and raced to- own weather.” had bumper-to-bumper fire LEN WOOD, STAFF‌ ward the canyon. She said a man living be- trucks on [Tepusquet] road,” Tepusquet Canyon resident Roy Moffett, a 76-year-old More than two years later, tween the taller ridge and the she said. The Moffetts’ house is retired California Highway Patrol officer, talks with neighbor the cause of the fire remains shorter, closer one lost his reached by a winding, steep Renée O’Neill about the work he has done on his property to unknown. Cal Fire officials home, but the backfire kept ‘One way in, one way road, barely wide enough for prepare for a wildfire. said it ignited right alongside the flames from reaching the out’ one vehicle, that also leads Highway 166, which made it O’Neill’s house and adjacent to homes scattered on the harder to pinpoint a cause. structures. Roy Moffett, 76, and wife slopes above. “That was a huge fire Firefighters finally stopped Debby bought a house in the “There’s one way in, one that came into the canyon,” the relentless march of the canyon in 1997 after he re- way out,” Moffett said of O’Neill said of the Alamo Alamo fire by setting back- tired from his job as a Cali- his access road, which he fire, which scorched 28,687 fires all along the base of the fornia Highway Patrol offi- and other residents know acres. “It burned every- hillsides west of Tepusquet cer in the Blythe area. is equally true of Tepusquet thing from SLO County past Creek. They live about two- Road. Twitchell [Reservoir] down thirds of the way from He also remembers the to Santa Maria Mesa Road. ‘What am I going to the Tunnells’ home to the day the Alamo threatened “It burned everything but see in the morning?’ O’Neills’ property in a two- his community. that side of the canyon,” she story, wood-sided house “We stayed here until the said, pointing east across Te- Far down in “the flats” perched on a knifelike hip fire came over the hill,” he pusquet Road to the moun- near the mouth of Ruiz that thrusts out from a steep said, pointing to the high tainside dense with chap- Canyon, Linda Tunnell and ridge above. ridge to the west. “Then arral and trees. “That over husband Curtis nervously “When we moved into we sprayed the stuff on the there is a disaster waiting to waited at their sprawling this house, it had 24 pine house and got the hell out.” LEN WOOD, STAFF‌ happen.” home surrounded by oak trees around here,” Moffett “The stuff” is a fire-re- Tepusquet Canyon residents Renée and Steve O’Neill O’Neill, now 65, wasn’t trees and corrals as they said, pointing to where the tarding gel that essentially bought a fire truck to prepare for wildfires. The hill in the home when the Alamo fire watched smoke from the level yard around his house wraps a structure in a layer background behind their home was burned in the Alamo fire started, having gone to a Alamo billowing up from makes a steep plunge toward of water to keep it cool and in 2017. family reunion, but she re- behind the ridgeline to the Tepusquet Road far below. prevent it from being ig- called her first sight of the west. “The beetles took out 23 of nited by the extreme heat Santa Maria, where they protecting about six houses. canyon when she returned. “It was a wind-driven the 24 trees.” and drifting embers gener- stayed for four days. “The Fire Department did “I remember … this whole fire, and it was coming fast,” That could have been a ated by a wildfire. Moffett said a fire engine a hell of a good job on the canyon was black and had red Linda Tunnell said. “We blessing in disguise. Once The Moffetts evacuated to somehow made it up the Alamo fire,” Moffett said. Phos-Chek on the hills,” she heard that morning it was ignited, pine trees burn like their travel trailer stationed access road and took up “They drew a line on Te- said. “I came home and saw off [Highway] 166. That eve- torches. at some friends’ house in a position near his home, pusquet, and they held it.”

east of Santa Maria hasn’t Risk burned since 1953 when the Is agriculture a From S1 Big Dalton fire raged through viable wildfire the area. and the Painted Cave fire in So for 65 years, the chapar- barrier? 1990 as wind-driven blazes ral and trees have grown and A few people have sug- that swept the steep South matured, dropping leaves gested creating wide ag- Coast slopes. and branches to create a thick ricultural or green spaces “All those fires burned carpet of duff below a forest around communities in down those ridges,” he said. of fuels primed to burn. areas of high wildfire “You can see it’s cyclical, the risk. fires in the 1960s and ’70s. Lower risk “Of course, the 1955 Refu- In the Santa Ynez Valley and But while irrigated, gio fire burned all the coast,” the foothills surrounding green, high-moisture he added. Santa Ynez, the ratio of plants might prevent But there have also been elements in the wildfire wildfire from sweeping significant fires without the triangle change, and so does through a community, push of the Sundowners: the the risk. firefighters say the idea Zaca fire in 2007, the Ray fire is impractical for many in 2016, the Marre fire in 1993 “The risk [there] is more reasons. and the La Brea fire in 2009. defined by hotter days Not all soil is suitable While the county is blan- throughout the summer, but for agriculture, and keted with areas at risk for there are also lighter fuels,” neither is the climate in wildfire, there are some areas Hazard said. many high-risk areas. where the risk is significantly Harris agreed, noting the Getting all landowners higher. rolling hills are mostly cov- around the fringe of a ered with grasses, “light, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT‌ community to commit Highest risk flashy fuels, where fires are Major fires inS anta Barbara County, from 1912 to 2018, with their names, approximate size to agriculture would be easier to suppress, easy to and the year they occurred are shown on this map with burns color-coded by decade. impossible, and govern- In Los Padres National put out with aircraft and ments wouldn’t have the Forest, the most at- bulldozers.” amount of money needed risk areas are in the But grass fires also can to buy up enough land to “backcountry” along move fast. surround a community highways 154 and 166, Occasionally there are fires with a park. Plus, com- around the numerous in the wine country, Hazard munities inevitably grow campgrounds, astride said, but the topography is and would outstrip the the Santa Barbara urban- different — the hills are not green space. rural interface and in the as steep, and irrigated crops areas that haven’t recently aren’t as volatile. Firefighters say a bet- experienced a wildfire, ter solution is for each Harris said. Where little risk exists property owner to create “In areas that haven’t There are areas in the their own defensible burned in a long time, the county where many wildfires space and fire-harden fires are a lot more intense, ignite, but none of them burn their structures. harder to put out,” he said. large areas, much less balloon “Those include the Te- into monsters. pusquet and Pine Canyon “We have lots of ignitions land sweeping from Buellton areas where it hasn’t burned where there are no fire haz- through Guadalupe shows in a long time, the Cuyama ards,” Hazard said. “Where a lot of ignition points but Valley north of the Zaca fire we don’t have a history of big burn footprints sometimes and around Figueroa Moun- fires is Buellton, Los Alamos, too small to even show up. tain. Orcutt. The topography con- Hazard said the risk to “There’s a lot of growth sists of lighter fuels, there’s Santa Maria and Guadalupe around Figueroa,” he added. lots of access and they have is extremely low because “Figueroa is one of the spots moderate weather.” they are insulated by miles CONTRIBUTED GRAPHIC, CAL FIRE‌ we need to focus on. And the A map of fire history in of agriculture, perhaps the C alifornia’s top 20 wildfires from 1932 to 2017, in total acres burned, is shown. Fourteen of [Highway] 166 corridor.” the county bears out that best buffer there is against the 20, listed in red, are fires that occurred since 2000.H owever, the graph does not include 00 In fact, the Tepusquet area assessment, as a swath of wildfire. the massive wildfires of 2018-19. 1 Santa Maria Special Section WILDFIRE COUNTY Wednesday, March 4, 2020 | S7 Whittier fire struck hard at Santa Ynez camps But in addition When it burns, to hours of fear, it incinerates devastating loss, The Whittier fire wasn’t the fire brought tales of only blaze that raged through Santa Barbara County in the heroism, cooperation early days of July 2017.

MIKE HODGSON Just two days before the Whit- [email protected]‌ tier ignited, the Alamo fire ‌On Saturday, July 8, 2017, Santa roared to life near Highway 166 Barbara County sat baking under a in San Luis Obispo County. blazing sun in a cloudless blue sky Driven by the same winds that as temperatures pushed into the pushed the Whittier through 90s in the Santa Ynez Valley. the Santa Ynez Mountains, the At the nearby Cachuma Lake Alamo leaped across Highway Recreation Area, campers relaxed 166 and entered Santa Barbara in the shade while their children County. splashed in the swimming pool, unaware that across Highway 154 The flames raced past Twitchell behind low ridges covered with Reservoir toward Tepusquet Canyon, where it threatened oaks, a juvenile was driving a pas- CONTRIBUTED PHOTO‌ 100 homes until it was halted senger car through dry grass on a A building burns at Rancho Alegre Boy Scout Camp and Outdoor School during the Whittier fire in July 2017. hillside above Camp Whittier. by a series of backfires that At 1:40 p.m., heat from the cat- “I thought I had at least maybe prevented it from entering the alytic converter or perhaps a spark 45 minutes, if we had to evacuate canyon. from the vehicle’s exhaust ignited at all,” Pam said. By the time it was fully con- the dry grass on U.S. Bureau of Her friend went out to her car tained July 19, it burned 28,687 Reclamation land, and the Whit- to get her daughter a dress so she acres and destroyed one house tier fire ignited. wouldn’t have to evacuate in her and another building. Flames raced along Highway 154, bathing suit. When she came back sending panicked campers fleeing in, she said, “The fire’s in your from Cachuma Lake, leaving their yard.” tents and other gear behind. Pam put her grandchildren and Risks of “When we saw it, it was just the dog in her car, while her friend evacuation across the road,” said Edwin and her kids piled into theirs, then Figueroa of San Diego. “Our Pam headed back for her hamsters Santa Barbara County sher- campsite was right alongside the and laptop. iff’s deputies who braved the highway. I thought, ‘This is pretty “I took a picture down the hill flaming forest as they tried close.’ You could hear the crackling of the flames,” she said. “I turned CONTRIBUTED PHOTO‌ to reach campers trapped at of the fire.” my head, and when I looked back C ampers climb into a Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue van for Circle V Ranch Camp during The flames and the smoke cast the fire had come 20 feet in three evacuation from Circle V Ranch Camp as smoke drifts in the air during the the Whittier fire may have put an eerie light over everything. seconds.” early hours of the Whittier fire onS aturday, July 8, 2017. themselves more at risk than “When we were young, we had She added, “The trees didn’t they realized. an experience with a fire in our have time to catch fire and burn. including a convoy of eight patrol cue vehicles, and the campers and Rob Hazard, county fire mar- neighborhood that changed the The fire wasn’t under them cars, would try repeatedly to reach staff were loaded up. shal, noted that when a wildfire color of the atmosphere,” said long enough. It was just rushing the camp, only to be turned back In a long convoy, led by Linane is burning at a low intensity Dennis Alcazar of Los Angeles, through the dry grass.” by walls of flame, thick smoke and in his bulldozer, they were driven away from the road, anyone whose family was camping with While Pam and her friend bar- falling flaming debris. out through the flaming forest to evacuating in a car can drive the Figueroa family. “I knew this reled out of the camp, Cookie Then Forest Service Patrolman Highway 154, where they were through that. was not good.” was evacuating 100 members of a Dave Dahlberg, who had trained for loaded into buses sent up by the Without a moment’s hesitation church group staying there. structure protection in simulations Chumash Casino Resort and taken But when the flames are roar- they decided to evacuate, driving Most of Camp Whittier sur- at Circle V, made the mile-and-a- out of the area. ing right next to the asphalt their SUVs out of the campground vived, but the Fortunes’ home did half drive up the access road and and sweeping across the road: STRUCTURES REDUCED TO right past the raging flames along- not. They found out when they saw reached the camp. “A car can take about a minute RUBBLE AT RANCHO ALEGRE side Hwy. 154. a photo taken by a Santa Barbara With the fire increasing in in- of that,” Hazard said. “Then “We had to leave everything be- County firefighter and recognized tensity at the mouth of the canyon, the windows blow out, the fire hind,” Evelyn Figueroa said. “All their two concrete bulldogs rising fire officials decided the campers The next target for the Whittier comes in and you’re dead.” the camping gear, the tents, the from a pile of ash and burned rub- should shelter in place. fire was Rancho Alegre Boy Scout coolers, the food.” ble. Meanwhile, county firefighter Camp and Outdoor School, where “The beer,” Alcazar lamented. Mark Linane had offloaded his everyone had already left for the still rising from hot spots in the CAMPERS TRAPPED BY WALL bulldozer and was working at cut- weekend except two staff mem- burned-out stumps and trunks of ‘THE FIRE’S IN YOUR YARD’ OF FLAME AT CIRCLE V ting fire lines on the Camp Whit- bers. trees, and everything was covered The fire devoured trees, grass tier side of the fire when he heard As the flames marched toward with a coating of gray ash. and chaparral as it entered U.S. As the fire raged east along the there were kids trapped at Circle V the camp, the two staffers fled for Still, there were signs of hope: Forest Service land in the rugged highway and southward up the Ranch Camp. He turned his dozer their lives, leaving all their belong- A large hawk hunted among the hills between the Valley and Santa slopes of the Santa Ynez Moun- and headed for the camp. ings behind. skeletal trees, a few squirrels and Barbara and bore down on Camp tains, 30 young campers and 12 “He told me later he knew his No one was there to witness the lizards scurried around in the Whittier, where groundskeeper staff members escaped from Cir- all-metal dozer could take a lot destruction of the camp, but the ashes and a skittish deer cautiously Cookie Fortune and his wife, Pam, cle V Ranch Camp along the dirt more heat than the vehicles, so he following day the level of devas- picked its way downhill. made their home. access road to Highway 154. started up the Circle V Camp road,” tation was clear. Before it was finally declared Pam, two of her grandchildren, But just half an hour after igni- said County Fire Division Chief Mobile homes were little more fully contained Oct. 5, the Whit- one of her friends and two of her tion, the fire blocked the Circle V Steve Oaks, who had become the than piles of rubble surrounding tier fire incinerated 18,480 acres friend’s children were all in their access road as boulders and flam- evacuation supervisor. warped steel frames. Melted sheet and destroyed or damaged 53 bathing suits, preparing to head ing trees crashed down across it. Dahlberg kept the youths calm metal roofs and sheds attested to structures. down to the camp swimming pool. In the blink of an eye, 83 peo- for two hours until Linane arrived, the heat. Forty-seven of those 53 struc- Cellphones don’t work in the ple, including 56 young campers, followed shortly by County Fire A pickup truck and a station tures were at Rancho Alegre. canyon where the camp is located, were trapped in Circle V by a wall Battalion Chief Matt Farris and wagon were reduced to burned- But even as the fire raged on to- but the hand-held radio that linked of flame. Oaks, and the four began active out shells outside the homes of ward the crest of the Santa Ynez Pam and Cookie was on. They took shelter in the camp fire suppression efforts to protect the resident counselors, who lost Mountains, the leaders of the Boy “All I heard was ‘Cookie, Cookie, dining hall as U.S. Forest Service, the campers and structures from everything they owned. Scouts of America Los Padres there’s a fire,’” Pam recalled. County Fire and Sheriff’s Office the approaching flames. Nearby, a sign warning of “ex- Council vowed to rebuild, and The fire was half a mile away, but personnel converged on the area. Before long, Sheriff’s Search and treme” fire danger was partially within days they launched a fund- they decided to get ready to evac- Over the course of an hour, Santa Rescue Team members and depu- burned by the flames. raising campaign. uate anyway. Barbara County sheriff’s deputies, ties made it to the camp with res- In many places, smoke was Construction now is underway.

Agencies prepare for wildfires by prestaging, upgrading A little help from our friends ting rid of wildfire fuels. County embarks In Los Padres National Forest, Both Los Padres National For- on major vegetation prescribed fire primarily means est and Santa Barbara County cutting and piling up dead trees, Fire Department rely on mu- reduction program limbs, slash and debris and burn- tual aid, as does virtually every ing those piles. other fire protection service in MIKE HODGSON A similar system has been em- the nation, to help fight major [email protected]‌ ployed by County Fire, but the wildfires. ‌When a structure fire broke out agency also burns off light fuels Usually, official mutual aid July 6, 2018, on North Fairview like grasses, particularly on pri- agreements are signed be- Avenue in the hills at the edge of vate grazing land in cooperation tween regional agencies, but it Goleta, the flames, later dubbed with ranchers. doesn’t matter if no agreement the Holiday fire, spread explosively County Fire has wanted to do exists when disaster strikes. through the neighborhood. more prescribed burning but until Driven by hot Santa Lucia winds 2016 was hampered by regulations When one agency needs assis- rushing down the Santa Ynez requiring extensive and expensive tance, other agencies respond Mountains, the fire began gobbling environmental assessments as almost without question, send- up other homes as panicked resi- well as a lack of funding. ing whatever resources they dents fled and traffic on the narrow LEN WOOD, STAFF‌ But that year, the state began can spare to help deal with residential roads became chaotic. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department increased staffing in early lifting California Environmental whatever disaster has erupted, When it was finally fully con- September because of forecasts of high fire danger. Bulldozer operator Quality Act requirements on fu- because they know someday tained five days later, however, the Joseph Gavlak and assistant operator Ryan Rosdail had their hours el-reduction projects, including they may be the ones asking fire had been held to just 113 acres. increased at Station 24 in Los Alamos as a result. three high-priority South Coast for help. Only 10 homes and 14 outbuild- projects that were shovel-ready, “We send assets where they’re ings were destroyed, while three considered year-round in Santa wildfire — fuel, topography and Hazard said. needed as requested,” said homes sustained damage. Barbara County and throughout weather,” Santa Barbara County However, areas of the North Jim Harris, forest fire chief for Given the fast downslope winds, most of California, the danger Fire Marshal Rob Hazard ex- County also were high on County Los Padres National Forest. low humidity and high tempera- level increases when a mild spring plained. “We can’t control the Fire’s priority list. “We may send a hotshot crew tures that night plus the relatively warms into a hot summer and then weather. We can’t change the to- “Burton Mesa has been on our to Alaska, an engine to Texas, dense clusters of homes, it could bakes into a blazing fall. pography. But we can modify the radar for 30 years,” Hazard noted. a helicopter to Inyo [National have been much worse. “Our engines, hand crews, hot- fuels. So the county applied for and Forest].” But anticipating the weather shots and bulldozers are here year- “It’s all about reducing the in- this year received a $2.23 mil- conditions, Santa Barbara County round,” said Jim Harris, fire chief tensity of the fire,” he added. lion grant — which is boosted by When the Cave fire erupted Fire Department had staged addi- for Los Padres National Forest. Modifying the fuels means $222,000 in matching county around 4:15 p.m. Nov. 25 near tional resources not far away on “But seasonally, they’re boosted.” clearing out brush and excessive funds — that will be used to create Highway 154 and Painted Cave Cathedral Oaks Road, and at the Like the U.S. Forest Service, the undergrowth, thinning chaparral fuel breaks around Burton Mesa Road, calls went out for assis- first alarm, they began pouring into County Fire Department also in- and removing such forest debris as communities and along ridgelines tance as the wind-driven blaze the neighborhood. creases staffing and the number fallen trees and limbs. separating the Los Alamos and exploded to nearly 3,000 acres Prestaging engines and crews in of engines, bulldozers and other While goats have been used Lompoc Valleys. by midnight. or near high-risk areas is a short- resources it has available as that by cities and special districts for Funds also will be used to con- By the next day, at least 600 term tactic based on weather annual heating and drying cycle mowing down weeds in relatively duct prescribed burns on La Puri- firefighters plus engines from forecasts and other factors — like begins. small, focused areas, fire officials sima State Park. departments in San Luis an influx of visitors for a Fourth of Using a long-term tactic, both say they haven’t proven effective, “It’s a huge project,” Hazard Obispo, Ventura, Los Angeles, July holiday. the Forest Service and County Fire efficient or economical for the said. Orange and Kern counties were But agencies also prepare for prepare for wildfires by modifying large-scale projects required for The county also plans to increase on the fire lines alongside potential wildfires on a seasonal fuel conditions to keep flames from wildfire management. the number of prescribed burns crews from County Fire and the basis. spreading out of control. Prescribed or controlled burns countywide, with a goal of burning 00 U.S Forest Service. 1 Although “fire season” is now “There are three elements to are one of the easiest ways of get- 1,000 to 2,000 acres a year, he said. S8 | Wednesday, March 4, 2020 WILDFIRE COUNTY Santa Maria Special Section

The cost of becoming impervious Americans, Californians or Santa Barbara County residents could “build a society virtually impervious to fire,”S anta Bar- bara County Fire Marshal Rob Hazard said. It would require developing new architectural and design standards, changing an entire construction industry and com- pletely upgrading outdated and inadequate infrastructure at tremendous cost. Generating the cultural ac- ceptance and collective will to undertake such a sweeping project and devising a viable yet equitable way for society to pay for it are barriers that may be insurmountable. Hazard cited fire hydrants as just one example. Most neigh- borhoods don’t have enough JOHN LINDSEY, CONTRIBUTOR‌ of them, but how do you add Pacific Gas andE lectric Co. technicians install weather stations and wildfire detection cameras on aC entral Coast power pole as part of the company’s more to provide adequate pro- effort to increase wildfire safety. tection? A few are added here and there through improvement projects and minor development. When someone pulls a building permit for remodeling, a home Preventing wildfire addition or an infill project, that person usually has to install a new hydrant, which can easily increase the cost of a project by $7,000 to $12,000 or more. Hazard said it would be hard, if not impossible, to require easier said than done residents of established neigh- borhoods to pay the costs of important in preventing wildfires. installing the necessary addi- Society impervious “On mountain roads, partic- tional fire hydrants. ularly in fire season, we will use to fire possible, hand crews, saw teams, a chipper but at what cost? and an army with weed whackers, raking and sweeping,” Hazard said. they’re less likely to cause wild- MIKE HODGSON “It pays huge dividends in previ- fires and putting up signs warning [email protected]‌ ous ignition areas.” of fire danger levels and reminding ‌The best way to prepare for Power lines are also at the top people of all those things Smokey wildfires is to prevent them from of Hazard’s list because in strong has been saying since 1943. igniting in the first place. winds, they can slap together, arc Harris said he also supports in- But that may be far easier said and spew sparks, snap under the stalling gates at strategic locations than done, because the primary strain or drop when hit by falling and locking them to bar public en- cause of wildfires is people. trees and limbs. try into high-risk areas when the “Ninety percent of fires are hu- Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s fire danger rises to extreme. man-caused,” said Jim Harris, fire equipment has been blamed for Hazard said there are other chief for Los Padres National For- more than 1,500 fires between engineering programs that could est. “Most fires start within 20 feet June 2014 and December 2017, make communities far safer from of a roadway.” according to a report by the Wall LEN WOOD, STAFF‌ wildfires, but he admitted the People may cause them directly Street Journal. Rudy Gaytan, a member of the U.S. Forest Service Hotshot team out of costs would be prohibitive and through carelessness, negligence PG&E admitted its equipment Arroyo Grande, monitors a burning pile of dead trees cleared from the public support lacking. or willful disregard of common was to blame for the 2018 Camp Pino Alto Picnic Area on Figueroa Mountain during a prescribed burn “We could build a society vir- sense and government regula- fire, California’s deadliest and operation on March 28, 2018. tually impervious to fire,” Haz- tions, or indirectly through the most destructive wildfire that ard said. “We could stop building failure of equipment, conditions burned 153,336 acres, destroyed with wood. … Another way we can not apparent or unintended con- 18,800 structures, killed 85 peo- make communities safer would be sequences. ple and injured five firefighters and to build more fire-resistant, wider “Cars and power lines are the 12 civilians. roads for evacuation. No. 1’s” for causing fires, noted Southern California Edison Co.’s “That side of the equation is Rob Hazard, fire marshal for Santa equipment also has been blamed historically a challenge,” he con- Barbara County. for starting wildfires, including tinued. “We’re dealing with exist- So is it even possible to attain the 2017 Thomas fire that burned ing noncompliant infrastructure. the goal of eliminating all or even 281,893 acres, destroyed and dam- … How do we pay for upgrading all but a few wildfires? aged 1,063 structures and left two infrastructure?” Harris said there are “three E’s” people dead, and the 2018 Wool- to fire prevention — education, sey fire that burned 96,949 acres, ENFORCEMENT‌ engineering and enforcement. destroyed more than 1,600 struc- “Enforcement” becomes neces- tures, killed three people and in- sary when people ignore engineer- EDUCATION‌ jured three firefighters. ing, reject education and disregard “Education” means getting Facing a tsunami of claims and CONTRIBUTED PHOTO‌ regulations. people to automatically do all the lawsuits, PG&E filed for bank- A Pacific Gas andE lectric Co. helicopter flies above electrical power lines “Enforcement is for the knuck- things Smokey Bear has been try- ruptcy, while SCE agreed to pay as part of the company’s accelerated wildfire safety inspection program leheads who should know better,” ing to hammer into the public psy- $360 million to settle the suits it that also includes electrical substations and transmission towers in Harris said. che since he became the spokes- was facing. northern Santa Barbara County. Hazard said more strictly en- bruin for fire prevention more than But both companies also have forcing fire and building codes 75 years ago. instituted “public safety power and zoom and have near-infrared While PG&E and SCE may be would help with creating a It means not leaving a campfire shutoffs” when high winds are capabilities experts in power lines and elec- fire-impervious society. without fully extinguishing every forecast in fire-prone areas, leav- The system will allow firefight- trical equipment, Hazard said Issuing citations, levying fines last ember, not using gas-powered ing millions of people in the dark ers, first responders and such they aren’t experts in wildland and forcing property owners tools in danger zones, not doing this year, although PG&E officials companies as PG&E to confirm terrain, wildfire fuels and wildfire to redo structures not meeting work that throws sparks into dry said the blackouts prevented hun- and monitor wildfires. behavior. county and state codes or clean grass, not flicking hot cigarette dreds of fires from igniting. By 2022, PG&E plans to have “The Fire Department and up flammable debris around their butts out car windows, among PG&E also announced this installed 1,300 weather stations utility companies should conduct homes would make communities other things. month it has added more weather — one weather station for roughly joint inspections of power lines more fire-resistant, he said. But it also means teaching stations and high-definition cam- every 20 circuit-miles — and 600 and the terrain around them,” Harris suggested that citing people to make sure the catalytic eras to monitor wildfire conditions cameras for video coverage of Hazard said, which he believes people who knowingly violate fire converters on their cars aren’t in its service area, bringing the roughly 90% of the terrain within would provide a better assessment safety regulations or negligently malfunctioning and blowing hot system to more than 600 weather the areas of its service territory of the dangers and how to mitigate operate power tools or internal bits of metal out the exhaust pipes, stations and 130 cameras. with the highest fire risk. them. combustion engines in wildland to be sure the safety chains on the The high-def cameras, part of Both PG&E and SCE have also areas might serve as a strong de- trailers they’re towing aren’t drag- the ALERTWildfire Camera Net- stepped up safety inspections of ENGINEERING‌ terrent to others. ging and throwing sparks. work, built by the University of their transmission lines, concen- Harris’ second “E” — “engi- At the very least, he said, steep Most people don’t think about California at San Diego, the Uni- trating on those carrying the high- neering” — means such things fines might prevent the individu- those kinds of things, and that’s versity of Nevada, Reno, and the est voltage and in the areas most at as constructing safe parking ar- als who are cited from becoming why roadside weed abatement is University of Oregon, can pan, tilt risk of wildfires. eas, locating campfire sites where repeat offenders. Smokey Bear may not be who you think The iconic symbol of many people believe. In fact, the but he wasn’t based on the res- ton, D.C. reverse is true. cued bear cub later associated Smokey became so popular with wildfire prevention not Smokey grew out of the Wild- with him. the public that he received an av- named for orphan cub fire Prevention Campaign started Smokey was named for erage of 13,000 letters a week — so during World War II when most “Smokey” Joe Martin, a New York many the U.S. Postal Service even- MIKE HODGSON experienced wildfire fighters were City Fire Department firefighter tually gave him his own ZIP code. [email protected]‌ off fighting Germans and Japa- who suffered severe burns and Smokey died in 1976 and was ‌Smokey the Bear, Smokey the nese. blindness in a heroic 1922 rescue. buried in Smokey Bear Historical Bear, With America’s forests and It wasn’t until 1950 that Park in Capitan, New Mexico. Prowlin’ and a-growlin’ and grasslands protected by only inex- Smokey’s living symbol was dis- He was replaced by Little a-sniffin’ the air. perienced novices, the goal of the covered: a 3-month-old black Smokey, renamed Smokey Bear He can find a fire before it starts campaign was to reduce the num- bear cub with burned paws and II, who was the “adopted son” of to flame, ber of fires they would have to fight hind legs that had climbed a tree Smokey and lifelong companion That’s why they call him Smokey by getting the general public to be to escape the Capitan fire in New Goldie. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO, U.S. DEPART- ‘Cause that’s how he got his more careful with fire and ignition Mexico. Smokey Bear II died in 1990 and MENT OF AGRICULTURE, U.S. FOREST name. sources. Rescued by firefighters, the was not replaced. SERVICE‌ — From “Smokey the Bear,” 1952 The first icons were characters cub initially was named Hotfoot The Wildfire Prevention Cam- An “Uncle Sam wants you” style of sung by Eddy Arnold from the Disney film “Bambi” — Teddy, but he was later renamed paign is the longest-running pub- poster needs “only you” to remind For 75 years, Smokey Bear has which features a terrifying wild- Smokey after the iconic bear of the lic service campaign in U.S. his- people of Smokey Bear’s message: been the U.S. Forest Service’s fire scene — that were loaned to the advertising campaign. tory, and the Smokey Bear element “Only you can prevent forest fires,” iconic representative for wildfire campaign in 1942 for one year only. He became famous when he of the campaign is considered one which was later changed to “Only prevention, but he wasn’t named The critter chosen to succeed was flown to his permanent home of the most powerful of all public 00 you can prevent wildfires.” for a burned orphan bear cub as them was a bear named Smokey, at the National Zoo in Washing- service advertising. 1 Santa Maria Special Section WILDFIRE COUNTY Wednesday, March 4, 2020 | S9 Fuel breaks, prescribed burns controversial wildfire tools Opponents say they do more damage than good, waste funds

MIKE HODGSON [email protected]‌ ‌Two traditional methods of preventing and controlling wild- fires are so mired in controversy that getting their use approved is difficult and, if they are approved, opposition sometimes brings them to a halt. Firefighters say fuel breaks and prescribed burns are effective weapons in their arsenal for bat- tling destructive wildfires. Opponents say they don’t work, are a waste of money and do more damage to the environment than the fires themselves. Ironically, both sides cite the Thomas fire as evidence to bolster their positions.

THE SUPPORT As a result of devastating wild- fires in recent years, state legis- lation has made it easier to get approval for prescribed burns, which Santa Barbara County Fire Department has traditionally used and wants to use more. “There’s a lot of history of in- volvement. It’s how we started LEN WOOD, STAFF‌ out,” said Rob Hazard, fire mar- In late February, firefighters from theS anta Barbara County Fire Department burn piles of tree branches and brush that were cleared to create shal for Santa Barbara County Fire defensible space from wildfires on the Burton Mesa. Department, explaining the de- partment was originally formed in gerous, frankly,” he said. 1926 as the Santa Barbara County Prescribed burns are opposed by Forestry Department. “They con- ForestWatch because “they may be ducted controlled burns with the causing more ecological damage ranchers.” than people realize” and, like fuel This year, the department has breaks, don’t stop wildfires. been burning brush and organic “Our region is mostly coastal debris around Lompoc and plans sage scrub and chaparral,” Baker to do more, including at La Puri- said. “Chaparral consists of na- sima State Park, using a recently tive shrubs that … have very unique received $2.23 million state grant. ways of dealing with fire.” Hazard said County Fire’s tar- However, because of chang- get is to burn 1,000 to 2,000 acres ing conditions, chaparral is being a year. subjected to more frequent wild- In Los Padres National Forest, fires than anytime in history. So the U.S. Forest Service uses a lim- applying prescribed burns delivers ited amount of prescribed burning a one-two punch to its sustainabil- to remove fire fuels. ity, he said. “Los Padres National Forest is “The problem is you’re intro- 2 million acres of land, so to clear ducing fire into a system that’s al- out all the dead stuff would be ready experiencing too much fire,” impossible,” said Jimmy Harris, Baker explained. the Los Padres fire chief. “We do a Because the chaparral is burning lot of that work in the urban-ru- more frequently, it isn’t maturing ral boundary. We focus on values enough between fires to produce at risk, mainly communities and MIKE ELIASON, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FIRE‌ the number of seeds necessary infrastructure. Santa Barbara County Fire Department bulldozers cut contingency fire lines ahead of the Whittier fire in 2017. to properly regenerate after it’s “We do some controlled burns, burned, he said. mainly slash piles, because we are The nonprofit organization “When the fire comes through, limited by humidity, wind and air formed in 2004 is dedicated to it takes out all the vegetation above pollution concerns,” he added, protecting and restoring the for- the ground,” Baker continued. noting prescribed burns can only ests, chaparral, grasslands, rivers, “That’s exactly normal for chap- be done when weather conditions wildlife and wilderness on pub- arral. But there are seeds down be- are right and several air pollution lic lands along the Central Coast low that have been building up over control districts give the OK based through community outreach, decades, and some [native plants on air quality. scientific collaboration, field work like ceanothus] only come up after But he also admitted the amount and research, lobbying and litiga- a fire because the seeds have been of air pollution from a prescribed tion. exposed to extremely high heat.” burn is relatively small compared ForestWatch opposes using pre- And because prescribed fires to that produced by a wildfire. scribed burns and fuel breaks for a burn less intensely than wildfires, “The smoke goes in the air in a number of reasons and promotes they’re not hot enough to induce wildfire, and it doesn’t ask permis- alternative methods, said Bryant germination in the seeds of a lot of sion,” he said. LEN WOOD, STAFF‌ Baker, conservation director for chaparral species. County Fire also plans to use its Firefighters from theS anta Barbara County Fire Department burn piles ForestWatch. Baker said when the native state grant money to cut fuel breaks of tree branches and brush that were cleared to create defensible space “Vegetation management has shrubs disappear, they are being around communities at risk, like from wildfires on the Burton Mesa in late February. The area west of to be done at the home,” Baker replaced by non-native grasses like Mission Hills, and along the rid- Rucker Road and east of the East Mesa Oaks subdivision was the first of said, which means fire-hardening wild oats, bromes and cheatgrass. gelines separating the Los Alamos three plots extending to Vandenberg Village that were burned. structures and creating defensible “The spread of invasive grasses is and Lompoc valleys. space, although he said there are increasing the frequency of fires,” Except for those carved out uses for fuel breaks right around he said. “They pose a greater fire when fighting wildfires, virtually case when fire breaks are cut while fighters, are a place to stage engines communities. risk because they dry out earlier no new fuel breaks have been cut a wildfire is burning, Hazard said. and set up water tanks, and provide But out in the wildland, he said, in the year … and have a very low in decades because of opposition “We do an environmental anal- a starting point for setting back- they don’t stop wildfires or prevent ignition point. over environmental and aesthetic ysis whenever we do a project,” fires. homes from burning. “If you look at all the fires, most impacts. he said. “We spend a significant “The Thomas fire burned two “Fuel breaks do not do any good of them have started in grass,” he “We aren’t cutting new fire amount of energy and resources weeks before they could mount a because the embers move over added. “The flames move quickly breaks, but we are maintaining to address the concerns of the en- direct attack,” Hazard said. “It was them and the fires move through [through grass] and spread into those that exist,” Harris said. “A lot vironmental groups. stopped by the Camino Cielo fuel them,” he said, noting embers can chaparral.” of environmental groups say they “When the fire is burning, there break that was cut in the 1970s. blow as far as 5 miles ahead of the Baker said another issue is that don’t work [and leave] a mark on may be 30 dozers cutting line with- That was the second time it was fire front. “The Thomas fire burned prescribed burns are usually cover the environment. That’s not true out any thought to environmental used to successfully stop a wildfire. over 70 miles of fuel breaks be- only a small area — too small to be in my experience. … Time and time issues.” “Was it worth it?” he asked. tween Ventura and Santa Barbara.” effective. again we see fire stopped at the fuel Hazard put the effectiveness of “That’s the debate, and it’s ongo- He said fuel breaks may be use- “What you see is when wildfire breaks.” fuel breaks at 50%, noting they ing.” ful for igniting backfires, but he moves across country, it either Usually carved along ridgetops won’t always stop a wildfire but refuted the theory of fuel breaks moves right through that [small using bulldozers, fuel breaks that they will reduce its intensity and THE OPPOSITION‌ as safe zones. prescribed burn area] or goes are cut before a wildfire erupts are slow its progress. Los Padres ForestWatch is “In extreme wind-driven fires, around it,” he said. “The Thomas created in an environmentally re- Both he and Harris said fuel among the organizations opposed firefighters are not being placed in fire went through areas of pre- sponsible manner, which is not the breaks provide a safe zone for fire- to prescribed burns and fuel breaks. these fuel breaks because it’s dan- scribed fire before it hit Ventura.” ForestWatch advocates hardening homes Simple steps better steps homeowners can take to then ignite exposed timbers in at- “Those are two key things, and while trying to evacuate. … Every make their houses more resistant tics and furnishings in the rooms. we’re not putting any money to that at-risk community should man- than fuel breaks, to wildfires. “A home is sort of like a vacuum, at the state or federal level,” he said. date these community shelters.” prescribed burns Bryant Baker, conservation di- sucking the embers in,” Baker said. “We’re putting $1 billion to vegeta- Like the community tornado rector for ForestWatch, said the As an example, he pointed to tion management but zero to home shelters in the Midwest, com- MIKE HODGSON U.S. Forest Service Fire Science homes burned in Paradise during hardening.” munity fire shelters would be safe [email protected]‌ Laboratory has found 95% of the Camp fire while the trees, He said funds also should be havens for residents who don’t ‌Los Padres ForestWatch says homes that burn don’t do so be- brush and grass around them were spent to create defensible space have time to get out of an area if a conducting prescribed burns and cause the wildfire burns right up untouched by flames. around entire communities as well fast-moving wildfire threatens or carving fuel breaks are a waste of to the house. Baker said California’s vegeta- as around individual homes. whose evacuation routes have been time and money that would be bet- They burn because embers get tion management funds would be “The other one we’re not doing at blocked by the fire. ter spent on fire-hardening homes inside the home, either through better spent on grants to install all — nobody is even talking about “We have to recognize that these and communities. vent holes under the eaves or ember screens over attic vents and this — is building community shel- large fires are inevitable, so we need The nonprofit advocates simple, through windows blown out by retrofit homes with double-pane ters,” Baker said. “Those 85 people to find how to protect people’s 00 1 but not necessarily inexpensive, heat and pressure differentials, windows. who died [in the Camp fire] died lives,” Baker said. S10 | Wednesday, March 4, 2020 WILDFIRE COUNTY Santa Maria Special Section Tepusquet community a model of fire safety

we faced what seemed like annual Firefighter’s advice, wildland fires … we added several backup commanders. Now we experience pushed have five commanders and a dozen fire captains. preparation “We also have folks assigned as ‘lookouts,’ depending on their MIKE HODGSON vantage points,” she continued. [email protected]‌ “We all pull together when we are ‌While the approaching Al- faced with any emergency. We amo fire sparked apprehension even have a community Facebook and fear in Tepusquet residents, page.” panic wasn’t part of the equation If a wildfire threatens the can- — the neighborhood is one of the yon, county emergency services best prepared for wildfire in the personnel will contact Renée and county. Linda or, if they aren’t available, In fact, after completing a fu- backup commanders. els treatment project, Tepusquet The commanders will relay in 2009 was designated a Model emergency information to the Fire Safe Community. 12 captains, who will then begin But it took a fire captain’s sug- calling residents in their micro- gestion, Santa Barbara County communities. Fire Safe Council information, a Because disasters can happen at spot fire, a barbecue and the threat any time, commanders are essen- of the Zaca fire to bring it to to- tially on call 24/7. day’s level of preparedness. “You always have your list with *** you, no matter where you go,” Curtis and Linda Tunnell were LEN WOOD PHOTOS, STAFF‌ Renée said. introduced to wildfire danger Tepusquet Canyon resident Linda Tunnell checks a fire hydrant system she and her husband installed to fight *** in Tepusquet shortly after they wildfires on their property. Trees have been trimmed up to minimize fire danger. Linda and Renée have strong moved to their ranch near the bot- opinions about what’s needed tom of the canyon in 1987. partment personnel, including at the government level to make Curtis was out near the road retired County Fire Capt. Alan their community — and others — cutting pipe to build a corral when Queoff, who began teaching the more fire-safe. a spark ignited dry grass, and the O’Neills about defensible space They said a coordinated, stra- flames began spreading fast. and other fire-safety concepts. tegic fuel-reduction program is Curtis ran to the shed to get a “We took his advice to heart and vital in areas where the forest and shovel while Linda ran for the got to work on our place,” Renée chaparral growth are thickest, and house to call 911. said. grasses must be cleared in a wide “I was thinking, ‘My God, if They began clearing away brush swath along all rural roadsides. that gets into the creek … ,’” she and grasses around their struc- Both said for safe and efficient recalled. tures, trimming up tree limbs, evacuation, the rough and wind- Moments after placing the call, mounting sprinklers at regular ing Tepusquet Road, in some she was surprised to see an army intervals along their roofs’ ridge- places barely more than one lane of volunteers attacking the fire. lines and installing three fire hy- wide, must be improved, espe- “I don’t know how many neigh- drants, each with a red metal box cially considering the increasing bors were driving by, stopped and containing a long section of fire number of large trucks using it. jumped the fence with whatever hose and a nozzle for firefighter They also said all wildland tools they had or ran to the shed use. firefighting agencies need more to grab a bucket or whatever,” she “We have a high-pressure well Tepusquet Canyon landowners Linda and Curtis Tunnell installed water personnel “at the bottom, not at said. “By the time the Fire Depart- to fill up the [Fire Department] storage tanks to fight wildfires. the top.” ment got here, the fire was out.” water tenders,” Renée said. “We As for individual properties, The couple decided they needed can pump water onto all the struc- they also have recommendations. to do something nice for the com- tures that we own.” Because there is no cellular munity in return, so they put to- They also have a 500-gallon phone service in the canyon, gether an address list and sent water trailer, a 1975 Mack fire and electrical service could fail invitations to everyone to attend truck her husband bought from in a wildfire, Renée said people a thank-you barbecue. Hancock College, full firefighter should get a land-line phone “That was the start of the Te- turnout gear and air packs. service. pusquet Barbecue,” she said, re- Renée admitted they’ve gone She also advised people to not ferring to the event that still fills beyond what the average resident use a cordless phone on that line their big patio with canyon res- needs or would be willing to do, but to buy an old-school touch- idents every year. “The fire list but above all else she emphasized tone phone, because they will originated from that list. creating defensible space around work without electricity. “At first, a lot of people were structures and being careful with “Have well-marked driveways hesitant — they didn’t want to be sources of ignition. and well-marked addresses,” on the list,” she added. “Then we *** Renée said. “First responders had the Zaca fire, and all of a sud- Renée got involved with the Fire can’t find you without marked den a lot of people wanted to be Safe Council at Queoff’s sugges- driveways and clear addresses. on that list.” tion, and at a 2004 informational Make a plan and execute that Tepusquet residents, from left, Roy Moffett,R enée O’Neill and Linda Her friend and fellow Tepusquet meeting at Blochman School, she plan.” Tunnell talk wildfire planning for their community during a meeting at resident Renée O’Neill agreed. was named the Tepusquet liaison. Linda added, “Know what you Tunnell’s home in September. “That was the fire that mo- She began sharing fire safety have to take. And have it ready.” tivated people. It figuratively information with Linda, who “For people who live in the ru- lit a fire under everybody,” said also began attending the meet- with foams [and] gels before evac- phone tree list is further divided ral interface, the most important O’Neill, who was instrumental in ings. Eventually, the two served uation … too much to list.” by the 12 “microcommunities” thing is to get involved with the organizing canyon residents after as a team director on the council The two also became co-com- that make up the 15.6-mile-long Fire Safe Council,” Renée con- being inspired by a Santa Barbara board. manders of FACT, the Fire Asso- community. tinued. “That meeting was what County Fire captain. Together, they organized several ciates for the Community of Te- Together, the lists not only started to educate us on what we *** community meetings where they pusquet, which maintains the fire have residents’ names, addresses needed to do. Steve and Renée O’Neill bought shared wildfire preparedness in- list that grew out of the barbecue and phone numbers but also how “And people, by gosh, should their 70-acre ranch in 1987 near formation. list before the advent of reverse many people live at each address, sign up with Aware and Prepare the top of the canyon, where the “We learned a great deal from 911 notifications. their ages, any medical or physi- and the [County] Office of Emer- walls grow narrow and the vege- them,” Renée said of the Fire It is now actually three lists: cal conditions making evacuation gency Management.” tation grows thick. Safe Council. “Fuels reduction The alpha master list is organized help necessary, and the number Of course, she pointed out, all The property includes a … emergency preparedness, no- alphabetically using residents’ and type of structures, vehicles that advice is in “Welcome to Te- one-bedroom cabin that over the tifying residents of fires, evacua- names; the address list is orga- and animals at each site. pusquet,” a letter FACT sends ev- years has been rented to various tion plans for people and animals, nized in linear form from one end “Each fire we learned how to get ery new resident who moves into Santa Barbara County Fire De- firescaping … protecting homes of the canyon to the other; and the more organized,” Renée said. “As the canyon. Defensible space best protection from wildfire sure the owners have complied Other measures can with requirements. Those who Zone 2‌ haven’t can be cited. „„ Mow annual grasses down to help fire-harden house To help homeowners in wild- no more than 4 inches tall. land areas, County Fire and fire „„Remove dead leaves, pine MIKE HODGSON ecologists offer the following needles, bark, pine cones and [email protected]‌ guidelines for creating defensible small branches that have fallen to ‌Firefighters and fire scientists space, which should consist of the ground. say the most important thing you two zones — the first extending 30 „„Create vertical spaces be- can do to protect a home in wild- feet out from structures, the sec- tween low grass and shrubs and fire country is to create defensible ond reaching 70 feet beyond that. higher tree limbs. space around it, then fire-harden „„Create horizontal spaces be- the structure with a few simple Zone 1‌ tween shrubs and trees. improvements. „„Remove all dead plants, grass, Other retrofit measures can Santa Barbara County Fire De- weeds. help fire-harden a home, includ- partment Fire Marshal Rob Haz- „„Remove or prune back flam- ing replacing wooden shakes and ard said in addition to keeping an mable plants and shrubs near asphalt shingles with Spanish advancing wall of flames away windows; remove flammabletiles or, better yet, concrete panels CONTRIBUTED PHOTO, SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT‌ from a structure, creating defen- vegetation and items around and that look like shingles and Spanish sible space can give firefighters an under decks. tiles. Although this house is surrounded by green trees, grass and shrubs, the open area where they can mount a „„Prune away tree limbs below Make sure real Spanish tile roofs area outside that had been turned into a defensible space by mowing home defense. eight feet from the ground; trim are completely sealed along the down grasses and removing shrubs and burnable debris, leaving it an But it also works in reverse, too. back branches to keep them 10 edges and along roof ridges, and island of safety amid a sea of flames. “[Defensible space] not only feet from the branches of other block open tiles along the eaves protects firefighters and thetrees and your chimney; remove to prevent embers from blowing but they’ll also insulate the cooler eas where evacuation could be a houses from wildfire, but it can branches that hang over the roof. into them. inside air from the blast-furnace problem, consider building a fire also keep a structure fire from „„Keep rain gutters cleared Speaking of embers, screens heat of a wildfire, making it harder shelter below ground, with an becoming a wildfire,” he said. of dead leaves and rake up dead are available for roof vents that for them to blow out due to tem- insulated door and stocked with That’s what happened July 6, leaves in the yard. will prevent embers from flowing perature and pressure differen- water. 2018, when flames from a burn- „„Separate items that can catch into attics. tials. Similar to a Midwest tornado ing home moved into surrounding fire — wooden and wicker patio Open eaves should be boxed Powders are available from a cellar, fire shelters offer a short- vegetation and adjacent homes, furniture, wooden swings and in to prevent embers from being number of manufacturers that can term refuge if evacuation is im- touching off the Holiday fire, play sets — from each other and lodged up in the corners and crev- be mixed with water to become possible as well as a place to stash which burned only 113 acres but from trees and shrubs. ices. a gel that is then sprayed on the important documents, family destroyed 10 homes, damaged „„Move firewood and construc- Single-pane windows should be exterior of a home to wrap it in a photographs and other keepsakes three and destroyed 14 outbuild- tion wood piles to Zone 2. replaced with double-pane win- layer of water that will insulate it until a wildfire passes. ings. „„Consider landscaping a yard dows, but make sure the frames from the heat of a wildfire. Note that shelters are subject to Hazard noted creating defen- using rocks, gravel and decom- are made of materials that won’t However, be aware that some of county regulations and permits sible space isn’t just smart, it’s posed granite along with cactus easily melt. those gels can be extremely diffi- and state code requirements, and also state and county law. Every and succulents that hold a lot of Double-pane windows will not cult to remove once the danger has although prefabricated versions spring, County Fire personnel water and don’t burn easily. only keep a house cooler in the passed. are available, building such a 00 begin inspecting homes to make summer and warmer in the winter, In rugged and isolated rural ar- shelter isn’t cheap. 1 Santa Maria Special Section WILDFIRE COUNTY Wednesday, March 4, 2020 | S11 ‘Be prepared’: Mission Hills residents stress importance of planning for wildfire dangers

WILLIS JACOBSON [email protected]‌ ‌Although Heather Schiff’s job involves emergency planning and management, the Lompoc resident didn’t carry those aspects of her work life home with her. That all changed two years ago. Schiff and her family were living in Mission Hills when the Rucker fire spread around their community in September 2017. Going through that experience — particularly given that she and her husband, Eric, have a daughter, EmmaRose, with special needs — highlighted how critical emergency planning can be, she said. “We had nothing at home,” she said recently, as she recalled the blaze that burned nearly 450 acres and threatened more than 150 homes just north of Lompoc. “We didn’t have anything set up for the dogs or the cats, we didn’t have [EmmaRose’s] medicines CONTRIBUTED PHOTO‌ gathered, we didn’t have supplies for her or us, we didn’t have any Fire retardant dropped from air tankers covers a home in Mission Hills during the Rucker fire inS eptember 2017. clothes,” she added. “We didn’t have anything — absolutely noth- ing.” Although the Rucker fire was scary at the time, it ultimately proved to be a learning experience for the Schiffs and other families who are now more prepared. “We definitely have more prepa- rations now,” Heather Schiff said. Getting the essentials Jennifer Valencia, whose family also lived in Mission Hills at the time of the Rucker fire, said she was similarly caught off-guard when it came time to evacuate. “We’re pretty good about talking about stuff and planning things out, LEN WOOD, STAFF‌ but I had no idea what to grab,” she Mission Hills residents evacuate from the Rucker fire in thisS ept. 29, 2017, said. “But, I think in that moment file photo. I couldn’t even think straight. I had no choice really; I had to leave.” CONTRIBUTED PHOTO‌ After the fire, she and her hus- Fire retardant dropped from air tankers covers the window of a home in Sign up for alerts band, along with their two daugh- Mission Hills during the Rucker fire inS eptember 2017. R egardless of where they live ters, discussed what to do in future in Santa Barbara County, res- emergency situations. First on that Beyond the medication, the to keep water production going,” he idents can sign up to receive list, she said, was to have a prede- Schiffs were also concerned about said, noting that doing so benefits emergency alerts and disaster termined safe place where everyone all the equipment they had ac- residents and also helps firefighters information as well as tips on goes to reunite. quired, some through nonprofit who may need the water to battle how to prepare for wildfires She also noted the fire empha- organizations, to help care for Em- fires. and more at Aware and Pre- sized the need to have important maRose, who suffers from Angel- The Mission Hills CSD, he said, pare, https://awareandprepare. documents and photos stored to- man syndrome. purchased a new generator in Octo- org/ or https://readysbc.org. gether in a way that would be easy That equipment includes a spe- ber amid the uncertainty of power to access and remove in case of an cial safety bed, a walker and a spe- from Pacific Gas and Electric Co., LEN WOOD, STAFF‌ emergency. cialized bicycle. which is now shutting down lines goats aren’t being replaced as they Fire retardant dropped from air “If you have a little box with all Heather said that losing it all ahead of what it deems to be con- die, so this generation is expected tankers covers streets in Mission your paperwork ready to go, that “would have been devastating for ditions conducive to fire risk. to be the last. Hills during the Rucker fire in would be the wisest thing,” Valen- u s .” The new generator, Dreizler September 2017. cia said. “And I do have a little fil- noted, is not only stronger than its Lessons learned ing cabinet now — instead of a ‘real’ Keeping community predecessor but also portable, un- As Valencia, who has moved physical checklist can make a huge filing cabinet, it’s a ‘carrying’ filing prepared like the district’s previous unit, and her family to Vandenberg Village, difference. cabinet.” can be moved to different locations thinks back to her pre-Rucker fire “I kind of laughed at people For the Schiffs, the thought of While several residents in the if needed. preparations she acknowledges, about it in a way — not out loud, losing their daughter’s medication Mission Hills, Mesa Oaks and The generator is able to power “Maybe I was a little naïve.” but you know what I mean — and and specialized equipment was Vandenberg Village communities two of the district’s three wells, “I think I would be more on it figured it’s not going to happen or harrowing. have reported being more diligent with the other being gas-powered [now],” she said of an evacuation whatever, or I’ll just wing it,” he “Medical needs are things that about emergency planning after the and able to operate without elec- situation. “I had a lot of self- said of making preparations. “But, a lot of people don’t think about,” Rucker fire, the organizations that tricity. doubt, like I should’ve done this no, nowadays you need to be pre- Heather Schiff said. “Every- provide services to those commu- “That gives us a little bit of an or should’ve done that, but I think pared.” one thinks about water, food or nities also are working to improve advantage with power outages, the biggest thing was not having Heather Schiff echoed her hus- a change of clothes. Our biggest preparations. that we have that option to use a cellphone service [due to outages] band’s sentiment. thing was medications. Loch Dreizler, the general man- gas-powered well pump,” Dreizler and not being able to communicate “If you take the time to think “Even if people don’t have ager of the Mission Hills Commu- said. with anyone. about it before [the emergency], needs as big as Emma’s, afterward nity Services District, which pri- The district also maintains veg- “I’m definitely more aware of it that can make all the difference,” it’s going to be hard to get your marily oversees water and waste- etation-free buffers around its six now, of the danger,” she added. she said. blood-pressure medication, or water usage, pointed out that his treatment ponds and other facili- Eric Schiff said his message for things like that,” she added. “That’s organization has taken steps to ties in an effort to reduce fire risk. people at risk of facing a similar Willis Jacobson covers the city of something that I’ve probably never protect water lines and wells in Grazing goats are being used to situation is simple: “Be prepared. Lompoc for Lee Central Coast News- thought about, and I don’t see that cases of emergency. help those weed-abatement ef- Don’t take it lightly.” papers. Follow him on Twitter @ too often on checklists.” “One of the main things for us is forts, but Dreizler noted that the He said that having a plan and a WJacobsonLR. Be ready if wildfire threatens your home

MIKE HODGSON water per person and per pet per day for [email protected]‌ three days. Be prepared ‌When a wildfire threatens and you have „„Dress appropriately for weather, have To find more information about being to evacuate, you won’t have time to think filter mask or bandana to cover mouth and prepared for wildfire, visit theS anta about everything you have to do, much less nose; have pet carriers ready. Barbara County Fire Department web- search for the important items you need to „„Tune to local news radio, TV or gov- site at www.sbcfire.com/ or theR eady take with you. Now is the time to prepare. ernment social media sites for information Santa Barbara County website at https:// Here’s a checklist you can use to help you and updates. readysbc.org/, where residents can sign get ready and survive. „„Remain close to home, keep pets near, up to receive emergency alerts. stay hydrated. NOW‌ „„If you feel unsafe, don’t wait for an For information about fire danger, fire „„Make digital copies of important pa- evacuation order; just go. restrictions and closed areas in Los Pa- pers and photos. dres National Forest, visit www.fs.usda. „„Have an escape plan; locate routes out TIME TO LEAVE‌ gov/main/lpnf/home. of neighborhood; plan meeting spot if fam- „„When notified to evacuate by fire- ily is separated and designate out-of-area fighters, sheriff’s deputies, police officers friend or relative as check-in contact. or reverse 911 call, leave as soon as possible; be four to five times hotter outside; leave „„Put together an emergency supply kit don’t panic. only if house ignites and, if possible, after of items packable in advance in plastic bins „„Don’t leave sprinklers running; turn on wildfire has passed. with secure lids you can grab and throw into porch light; tape note to front or garage door In your car a vehicle. Include important papers and with bold letters saying “all evacuated”; if „„Park away from vegetation, roll up photos, battery-powered radio, flashlights, time allows, turn off gas service. windows; cover mouth and nose with dry extra batteries for all items, first-aid kit and „„If heavy smoke affects visibility, drive cloth; cover yourself and others with jackets CONTRIBUTED PHOTO‌ blankets. carefully; don’t overdrive sight distance. or blankets. Santa Barbara County Fire Department „„Put together a kit for any pets with „„Go to prearranged meeting place or „„Stay in car until fire passes; if vehi- offers a free guide to help you prepare for beds, food and water dishes, leashes, re- straight to evacuation center. cle catches fire, exit only after wildfire has wildfire and evacuation. The guide can be cords of immunizations and licenses; have „„Provide American Red Cross with passed. downloaded at https://www.sbcfire.com/ pet carriers for transporting dogs and cats, status and location for worried friends and On foot ready-set-go/or picked up at any County Fire make sure they’re used to being in them. relatives. „„Find area away from vegetation, lie face location. down, cover mouth and nose with dry cloth. WHEN FIRE THREATENS‌ IF YOU’RE TRAPPED‌ If you were trapped at home „„Alert family and neighbors you may be In your home AFTER THE FIRE PASSES‌ „„Check roof, exterior walls and attic; evacuating. „„Close but do not lock all windows and If you evacuated extinguish sparks and embers; check yard „„Add last of items to you and your pet’s doors; keep family together; remain calm „„Wait until the neighborhood has been for burning wood piles, trees and fence emergency supply kits: chargers for elec- and stay inside until fire passes or rescuers cleared for return; information will be posts. tronic devices, prescription medications, arrive. available through media, at road blocks, in „„Even if you evacuated, follow that rou- 00 1 food for family and pets and a gallon of „„If it gets hot inside, remember it will shelters and on county’s social media. tine upon return. S12 | Wednesday, March 4, 2020 WILDFIRE COUNTY Santa Maria Special Section

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