Tracy Lehr
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Wildfire preparedness is now a hot topic year-round and as recent fires have shown living near the ocean doesn’t protect homeowners from wind-driven embers.
That’s why Santa Barbara County’s Office of Emergency Management hosted a South Coast Wildfire Preparedness Community Meeting.
The meeting took place at Santa Barbara City College’s Business / Communication Forum on the West Campus.
First responders, including firefighters, and emergency management leaders, spoke with residents.
Montecito Fire Department Wildland Fire Specialist, Maeve Juarez, said now is the time to learn how to harden your home.
“This wind is a great reminder that there is not really a fire season in Santa Barbara County we are kind of always under that watch we have to kind of be prepared anytime of the year and this is the best time of year to really go back home and try to prepare your home,” said Juarez.
First responders say there is more to it than the old Ready-Set-Go saying.
“We need people to be responsible, to be able too help themselves and to be able know when to leave, we preach Ready-Set-Go but we are really starting to emphasize more of when you are set, maybe it is time to go, not to wait until somebody tells you to go, we saw that in the Palisades Fire and that is how we ended up with gridlock on Sunset Boulevard because it was just a massive exodus. If we can get some people to have their go bags and be ready to go sooner and perhaps leave earlier there is nothing wrong with that,” said Santa Barbara City Fire Dept. Chief Chris Mailes.
Mailes said the community is well prepared thanks to collaboration and experience.
“We have been through some horrific fires,” said Mailes.
Mailes said he has a go bag at home and at work.
The meeting emphasized the work of the National Weather Service, located in nearby Oxnard, that sends out watches and warnings.
Firefighters said a wet winter changes the fire behavior the following summer.
Hardening your home often depends on where you live.
People in fire prone areas need to get rid of combustible materials near their homes and that included wooden fences
People with large animals need to practice their evacuations and call for help when needed.
The President of the Santa Barbara Equine Evac said they have volunteers ready to help.
“You want to get out early before it is dark be prepared dont hesiste to call us to get your animals to a safe place,” said Hathaway.
Thanks to the Regional Dispatch Center the closest resource from dozens of fire stations now respond regardless of jurisdiction.
Santa Barbara City Fire Marshal Ryan DiGuilio said there is collaboration between departments .
There is also mutual aid with state and federal agencies including the Los Padres National Forest and Vandenberg Space Force Base.
“We want the community to know we want to partner with them, just like we partner with our other jurisdictions, so it’s going to take a whole community to tackle this wildfire problem,” said DiGuilio.
Now is the time for residents to do their part by signing up for emergency alerts.
First responders also suggests having a NOAA radio to listen to AM stations for alerts.
They also recommended downloading the Pulse Point App and even the unofficial Watch Duty App.
The meeting was recorded to be shared on social media by every department that took part.
It will also be transcribed into Spanish.
For more information visit https://countyofsb.org and https://readysbc.org
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