- Home
- News Grid
- Local News
- Green Hawk
- Business
- Politics
- School Zone
- Nonprofits
- Missing Pets
- Multimedia
- Arts
- Movies
- Outdoors
- Sports
- News Releases
- Columnists
- Blogs
- Opinions
- Classifieds
- Advertise
- Donate
- Partners
Gap Fire Forum Puts Community Focus on Preparedness
Local, state and federal officials lined up to talk to the community at San Marcos High School on Thursday evening about winter preparations in the wake of the Gap Fire.
The panel consisted of members of the U.S. Forest Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Weather Service as well as Santa Barbara County’s sheriff, public works and fire departments and Goleta’s Community Services Department. Chief Michael Harris of the county Office of Emergency Services moderated the discussion.
The group discussed their various roles as emergency responders in the Gap Fire, from the front lines to the suburbs.
What could have been improved, according to speakers and the audience, was the emergency public information system. Residents complained about the lack of information from local sources.
“I’m here to say that from our perspective, news and information was very slow coming out of the county during the Gap Fire,” said Cathy Murillo, news and public affairs director at KCSB radio. Other residents aired their concerns about access to evacuated homes, and the effectiveness of hydromulch.
The rains this winter are expected to send about 300,000 cubic yards of sediment into the creeks, along with debris from burned out watersheds. Flooding is expected, and the county has been deep in preparations installing debris racks and excavating sediments basins and removing debris. The work is about half done, county Public Works Director Tom Fayram said.
Meanwhile, the city of Goleta will be modifying the culverts in its creeks to allow for higher flows.
The U.S. Forest Service will perform aerial hydromulching on its lands to prevent erosion.
Since the Gap Fire, there have been steps taken by local agencies to improve the public emergency information system, a system that will be crucial as early as the first winter rains, including Web sites, reverse 9-1-1 systems, and radio and cell phone communication. Even so, said Eric Boldt of the National Weather, people should be more weather-savvy for themselves. Flash flooding, he said, is the No. 1 reason people lose their lives in severe weather.
“I want everyone in the room to pretend they’re a midwesterner,” he said, recommending the use of a weather radio to monitor the rains.
Other pro-active measures local residents were encouraged to take included procuring sandbags and storing up to three days worth of supplies.
“Do you have a family disaster plan?” Harris asked. “Think about the ways you can get in and get out.”
Residents, particularly those in the places that have historically flooded, including those in Old Town Goleta and in the Winchester Canyon neighborhood, were strongly advised to take out flood insurance.
“We don’t get to put floods out,” said Jana Critchfield, a flood insurance specialist from FEMA. “They go till they’re done, and then they stop.”
Owners of land that has been affected by the fire are encouraged to contact NCRS for possible assistance with conservation assistance to prepare their properties and prevent erosion.
Thursday’s forum was the first of several planned meetings to discuss winter preparations in the area. The next one will be from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at Goleta Valley Junior High School, and another from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Goleta Valley Community Center. Meeting times for people who live and work in the Winchester Canyon area and along the Hollister Avenue area have yet to be decided.
Noozhawk staff writer Sonia Fernandez can be reached at sfernandez@noozhawk.com.
Comments
Noozhawk's comments are moderated, but by posting here you accept your responsibility to follow our rules as part of Noozhawk's shared online community. Please keep your comments civil and helpful. Don't attack other readers personally, and do not use vulgar, abusive or discriminatory language. Use the "Report Abuse" link if a comment violates these standards or our Terms of Use.
» on 09.12.08 @ 10:40 AM
I thought the meeting was excellent last night, and commend the agencies for the thoroughness of the presentation, and all the resources that were made available. Residents need to take personal responsibility for doing their part in safety preparation, and I’m grateful for the tools to refine my own family plan.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 09.12.08 @ 12:48 PM
A major concern regarding the hydromulching is the tackifier they have decided to use. The forrest service will be using a product that is very ineffective. The guar-gum based tickifier will not hold up to the rains that will come. Unfortunatley, the County of Santa Barbara might follow the lead of the forrest service and apply the same thing. From what I read, guar-gum based tackifiers are only about 78% effective after only 2 inches of rain. I know there are other products out there and available that can be mixed with the hydromulch such as a product called EarthGuard, that can make the application far superior. From a study I’ve read, EarthGuard is 99.5% effective.
The forrest service and SB County are spending nearly 10 million dollars for the aerial hydro-mulch. In my opinion, they are wasting their money, endangering lives and the environment by using a Guar-gum tackifier. Theses agencies are not doing their due dilligence in finding out what kind of erosion control products are best for this situation. Hopefully they will reaccess what they are going to spray on the burned hillsides and use something that is actually going to work.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 09.12.08 @ 01:34 PM
I ditto you on much Beto- you too Goleta resident
- good meeting last night- but we lost the focus of what we need to do now.. by the time the panel got done with their synapsis- the crowd had thinned to just a few dozen..
GAP FIRE- Pretty darn good response by the fire people and the sherrifs dept. to keep things under control.
It was interesting to hear the local agencies say what they did while the fire was so threatening
SB Flood is doing the right thing by cleaning out and getting ready for the mud/ debris… but I dont know why they are waiting until Nov to actually do some erosion control on the private land. This seems to be very slow response.
THINK ABOUT IT….If you can do good erosion control ( keep the soil from moving in the first place)- then you wont have to contend with the costs/ burden/ damage of expensive sediment containment/ cleanout. They are estimating that both SB AIrport and 101 Freeway could see extensive mudflow/ closures !! Hope all the ranchers and people in flood zones buy that insurance they were pushing last night.
It is really such a sham ! I agree with 2 of the audience members last night- both in the erosion field I think- The aerial hydromulching is such a waste of taxpayers dollars.
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT- ANYTHING we can do to keep the barren soil up on the hills is better than nothing- but to spend over $3,000/ Acre to paint it green with a very temporary ( 3 months max) is like peeing in the wind.
There is so more protection that could be had for less money.
If the USFS and the County and NRCS wanted to truly be more effective- they would do their homework and consult with the Erosion Control professionals- who work every day on keeping the soil in place and re-establishing vegetation. The USFS has pretty much told SB County - we’ll do what our BAER guys want- ( which is really just window dressing- not very effective or long lasting.) The BAER report says it will be 3-5 years before that native plant community gets stable again. What is gonna happen next year ?
Ultimately, only plants and vegetation will anchor the soil and provide good erosion control. How come nobody is putting seeds out ? I know there are native seeds that are available that would grow with the first rains.
I recently saw an article on a burn area(http://www.landandwater.com/features/vol52no4/vol52no4_1.php)where Cal Trans used seeds and other soil stabilizers along the charred roads in San Diego this past year and they really kicked butt. I sure hope the rains are light.
Cant say I didnt warn you….
say some prayers…
GB
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 09.12.08 @ 03:15 PM
Ditto Beto-
Too bad the NRCS and the County dont develop their own plan and get stabilizing the soil NOW. It has been 60 days since fire now and nothing done to actually cover the erosive soil. It will be at least another 60 days - until November - when the Helicopters and planes will finish the USFS portion. Then- it will be another 60 days- well into December before the very weak soil cover (only 70% of the ground will be covered) will be in place on the private land and in these exposed canyons and watersheds. That level of protection will only last 3 months.
At a cost of more than $3,000/ Acre- they could have gotten so much more. Why no seeds either ? Seeds and plants have to be the best soil holders dont they ?
Oh well. I’ll get my boots ready !!
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
» on 09.16.08 @ 03:39 PM
Dear Beto, Reading one study on hydromulching does not make anyone an authority on the subject. I am a fire fighter with the US forest Service and worked for weeks on the Gap Fire. There have been extensive studies on costs and application and hydromulching is one of the best and fastest ways to keep Goleta from becoming a certain mud bowl, if we get early rains. $3000 an acre is cheap considering the cost of the cleanup if an acre of topsoil comes down on your house.
ps…forest is spelled with 1 “r”.
You don't have permission to flag this entry.
More Local News »
Authorities Locate SBCC Student Reported Missing
His mother had asked for the public's help finding her 20-year-old 'special needs' son
Red Flag Warning Canceled; Wind Advisory Still in Effect
Sunny skies are expected to give way to some clouds over the weekend
Santa Barbara Breaks Record With High of 86 Degrees
Previous mark for May 23 was 82, set in 1949, according to the National Weather Service
Santa Maria Man Facing Child Molestation Charges
Victim reports being sexually abused over a period of time by the suspect
Police Seek Public’s Help Identifying Suspect in Retail Thefts
Surveillance photo shows person wanted in connection with thefts at two Santa Barbara stores
Weather: A Few Clouds 52.0º
Search Noozhawk »
