As fire crews get the upper hand on the Lake Fire, Sedgwick Reserve announced that the wildfire has been contained near the property, leaving half of it untouched.

“We were able to map out the 3,000 acres that were burned but it’s really also a glass half-full situation because 3,000 acres are spared,” said Nikki Evans, the outreach and communications specialist for Sedgwick Reserve.

“And that includes our field station where all of our buildings are (and) a lot of the research, and so we’re really, really fortunate.”

The reserve field station was also downgraded to an evacuation warning zone this week, while other parts of the reserve are under evacuation orders.

Wednesday was the first day that staff have been allowed to return to the field station to assess the damage, Evans said.

The Lake Fire reached the property over the weekend, causing damage to much of the reserve’s research plots and wooded area.

Staff said about 3,000 acres burned, and some of that area was from backfires set by fire crews. The deliberate fires are used to burn up dry vegetation and are monitored by fire crews.

The reserve also saw damage to much of its tree population, specifically the grey pine. The pine is highly flammable and more likely to burn than others, reserve staff said.

The oak trees are more resistant to flames and staff believe that the larger trees will be able to grow back over time.

As of Thursday, the Lake Fire was 63% contained and incident commanders were demobilizing firefighting personnel.

Sedgwick Moving Forward

As of now, staff are returning to the reserve to assess the damage, which Evans says will take weeks.

Some of the damage is due to work from fire crews and their attempt to slow the fire, such as dozer lines. Firefighters are currently working to repair the lines, and the staff is assessing how to proceed.

“I’m not quite sure yet the extent of ecological restoration we may need to do along the dozer lines or whether we will allow them to kind of regrow and repopulate naturally,” Evans said.

Other repairs the staff will oversee will include damage to trails, roads, fences, signs and other infrastructure. Santa Barbara County will oversee some repairs of roads, creek crossing, and dozer lines.

Another issue is water pipes damaged by the flames. The pipes, which run throughout the reserve, cracked from the heat and are poking out of the ground. The pipes have caused multiple tire punctures.

Regarding the plots of land used for research, Evans said that some of them were able to be saved. Staff worked with firefighters to work around plots when possible and protect those that were not in harm’s way.

Despite the potential loss of research, the reserve is still receiving requests for new scientific studies. Only these studies are interested in studying the effects of wildfires on ecosystems.

“Even the folks who are doing non-fire related research are eager to come back out to check their plots,” Evans said. “And so, we have to make sure that everything’s in a safe and operational condition.”

For anyone interested in helping Sedgwick Reserve, Evans said that they will be recruiting a class of volunteers in January. She also encouraged residents to sign up for the newsletter for updates on community classes and more.

They also accept financial donations through its website.