Despite the June gloom, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department is urging residents to be prepared as it announced the beginning of high fire season throughout the county.
Several representatives of local fire-response agencies came together Monday afternoon to discuss the importance of being prepared for wildfires and utilizing fire-safety practices.
“It shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody that 90% of all our wildfires are caused by human actions, and because of that, we have to be prepared,” Cal Fire San Luis Obispo Unit Chief John Owens said.
Some of the actions people can take to prepare include creating an evacuation plan before an evacuation order or warning, and creating defensible spaces around homes.
More information on creating defensible space to protect homes can be found on the Cal Fire website here.
County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig added that even if prepare their homes, but their neighbors do not, their homes are still at risk, so he urged people to help their neighbors and create plans as a community.
“Fire safety is a shared responsibility,” Third District county Supervisor Joan Hartmann said. “The task is not one to leave to firefighters alone. We all have to do our part. … All of us have a responsibility, once fire season starts, to be hyper-alert and not engage in activities that can start fires.”
Santa Barbara City Fire Chief Chris Mailes reiterated that, while local fire departments will likely be participating in mutual-aid efforts to help other jurisdictions across the Western United States, protecting the Santa Barbara County community is their main priority.
“Your county fire chiefs all oversee individual jurisdictions, but collectively we share the same vision of collaborations and care for the entire community,” Mailes said. “Our primary responsibility is always and will continue to be care for our community.
“We never compromise our mission, which is to care for Santa Barbara County and all of the local jurisdictions contained within.”
Los Padres National Forest Division Four Chief Mike Scott reminded residents that the ban on open fires in the Santa Barbara front country — on both East and West Camino Cielo — is still in effect.
“One of the key takeaways from today’s events will be the importance of hoping for the best, but preparing yourself and your family and your neighborhood for the possibility of wild land fires occurring in our county,” Sheriff Bill Brown said.
“The fire season is no longer just occurring in the summer months; it’s now a year-round phenomenon.”
More information on fire safety and preparedness can be found on the county Office of Emergency Management’s website, ReadySBC.org — where people can also sign up for alerts and updates — and the county Fire Department’s website and its Ready, Set, Go! Action Plan.