Like you, I’m still wrapping my head around what happened in Los Angeles County last week.
But while we all grapple with the horrific loss and utter devastation, I’m impressed — although not surprised — with our community’s characteristic compassion and charity.
The news doesn’t stop here for wildfires elsewhere, of course, and it was another extremely busy week for Noozhawk.
According to our WordPress analytics, we had an audience of 182,075 readers over the past seven days.
What follows is my own take on the Top 5 stories you were reading over that period, as tracked by our Google Analytics.
As a reminder, this is my opinion column, not a news story.
1. Santa Barbara Areas Under Red Flag Warning Again With Gusty Winds Forecast
With very good reason, Santa Barbara County residents have been on edge this past week as dry and windy weather parked itself over the region.
As our Giana Magnoli reported, the National Weather Service issued an unusually blunt red flag warning of “extreme fire danger” in and below the Santa Ynez Mountains beginning the night of Jan. 13 and running through midday Jan. 15.
The weather service forecast warned of gusty winds of 30-50 mph in the mountains and 20-30 mph in coastal areas and valleys, heightening already sky-high fears from wildfire — like those that have annihilated large swaths of Los Angeles County.
Adding to the anxiety were Southern California Edison’s now-regular and seemingly random “public safety power shutoffs,” which affected hundreds of customers for hours and, in a couple of cases, days over the last week.
For the most part, we dodged the bullet with wind intensity this time, but we also know from experience how false that sense of security can be.
“We really are no stranger to wind-driven vegetation fires,” county Fire Chief Mark Hartwig told the Board of Supervisors on Jan. 14.
The best time to prepare for an emergency is before one happens, he stressed.
“If you’re getting ready when fire weather hits, or you know you need to go, it’s too late,” Hartwig said.
He advised residents to keep an emergency “go-bag” by the door, to stay alert during critical wildfire weather, and to not wait for an evacuation order to leave.
“Don’t necessarily wait to go until somebody tells you,” Hartwig said. “That is a decision you make for yourself.”
Of course, given the county’s geographic and microclimate diversity, wildfire wasn’t the only threat this week.
Freeze watches were forecast for the night of Jan. 14 in the Lompoc, Santa Maria and Santa Ynez valleys as overnight temperatures dropped to the low 30s.
Click here for the latest National Weather Service forecast. Good luck!
2. 6 People, Including 2 Pedestrians, Hospitalized After Stearns Wharf Crash
The multivehicle crash that injured a half-dozen people on Stearns Wharf on Jan. 11 has been ruled accidental by Santa Barbara police.
As our Josh Molina first reported, the driver of a delivery van experienced a medical emergency around 4 p.m., lost control and collided with 10 vehicles before striking two pedestrians and a wooden barrier near the end of the wharf.
The driver, three people in one car and the two pedestrians were transported by American Medical Response ambulances to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with moderate but nonlife-threatening injuries.
Sgt. Bryan Kerr told our Rebecca Caraway that investigators ruled out criminal charges after determining the incident was an accidental traffic collision and that alcohol and drugs were not involved.
He said it was not clear if the driver’s medical emergency is what caused the collision.
No identities were disclosed.
The crash left visible tire marks on the wharf and resulted in damage to wood barriers, railings and several vehicles.
3. 9 People Hurt in Head-On Crash on Highway 154 Near Santa Barbara
A three-vehicle head-on collision on Highway 154 near Santa Barbara on Jan. 11 left nine people injured, two of them seriously.
As our Tom Bolton reported, the California Highway Patrol said the crash occurred just before 6 p.m. west of San Antonio Creek Road, about 1½ miles north of Cathedral Oaks/Foothill roads.
Two injured women were transported by American Medical Response ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, according to Santa Barbara County fire Capt. Scott Safechuck.
He said seven others suffered minor injuries but declined to go to the hospital.
Firefighters had to extricate two people from the wreckage, which temporarily shut down the highway in both directions.
No identities were released, and the CHP is investigating the circumstances of the crash.
4. As Food Vendors Gain Ground, Restaurant Owners Say They’re Paying the Price
A surge in street food vendors throughout Santa Barbara County has ignited controversy between vendors, restaurant owners and local officials, highlighting tensions over regulation and economic opportunity.
Our Daniel Green has been gathering the ingredients for a story on these fry-by-night operations, and he does a far better job stirring it all together than the reheated leftovers I’m serving here.
Bachir Ramadan, owner of Casa Comal Cocina at 505 State St., says the proliferation of food stands has cut into his late-night business downtown.
“As a business owner, I’m waiting for the weekend to be busy and to make sales because the rent is not easy to pay here,” he told Daniel. “The rent, electricity, (or our) utility bills.”
He reports calling the City of Santa Barbara approximately 30 times since 2021 about vendor concerns, with little response.
Kevin Ruano, whose family has operated a street food stand for 10 years, sees it as a vital economic opportunity.
“We just make money and we don’t do anything bad,” said Ruano, whose stand draws long lines for Mexican cuisine near La Cumbre Plaza.
The issue has reached the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, where Lars Seifert, director of the county’s Environmental Health Services Division, cited concerns about food safety violations, including improper sanitation and refrigeration.
While state law protects vendors from criminalization, cities can require permits. Some residents, like Jessica Novoa, support the vendors.
“This stand was cleaner than any of the restaurants I’ve worked at,” she said, noting the transparency of open-air food preparation.
Seifert was not as impressed.
“We don’t know where the food has been prepared or whether it was done safely to begin with,” he said, “but then it’s not held within a temperature that prevents bacteria from growing.”
He also mentioned a lack of restrooms for workers and clean cooking utensils, illegal grease dumping that clogs up storm drains, and dirty sidewalks and streets.
And then there’s the propane tanks, open flames and roadside safety. Other than that, though …
5. Falcon Rocket Takes Transporter-12 Mission to Space from Vandenberg Space Force Base
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 131 small satellites into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base the morning of Jan. 14, treating spectators to clear views of both the launch and booster landing.
The Transporter-12 mission lifted off at 11:09 a.m. from Space Launch Complex-4, with the first-stage booster returning to land at the base eight minutes later, accompanied by its familiar sonic boom.
The rideshare mission carried satellites from 17 different countries, including Planet Labs’ high-resolution Pelican-2 imaging satellite and 36 SuperDoves spacecraft.
Also aboard was BRO-16, a maritime monitoring satellite from a French company with a really cool name, Unseenlabs, that is designed to overcome maritime invisibility by detecting radio frequency signals.
The payload deployment sequence began an hour after launch and continued for more than two hours.
The launch was Vandenberg’s second of 2025.
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Good Reads
Here are six — er, seven — more stories that are worth your while:
» Santa Barbara Schools Welcome Families Displaced by Los Angeles Fires — With the latest mass exodus from Los Angeles already well underway, staff writer Rebecca Caraway reports on the warm welcome that shell-shocked wildfire refugees are getting from local schools.
» Los Angeles Fires Could Drastically Drive Up Insurance Premiums — and Test California’s New Market Rules — CalMatters economy reporter Levi Sumagaysay delivers the understatement of the century: We’re screwed.
» Cannabis Crackdown Begins with Santa Barbara County Vote to Require Carbon Scrubbers — South County editor Josh Molina catches a whiff of a new, stricter day for Santa Barbara County’s cannabis trade. Better late than never.
» New Santa Barbara County Supervisor Roy Lee Brings Hope, But Big Expectations Surround Him — One of the reasons for that new day is the presence of new First District Supervisor Roy Lee. Josh tags along on his first week in office.
» Body Found at Leadbetter Beach in Santa Barbara — Executive editor Giana Magnoli is following the case of a body pulled from the surf west of the Santa Barbara Harbor.
» Dream Closer to Reality as Work Begins on New Solvang Senior Center — North County editor Janene Scully digs up a groundbreaking story in Solvang.
» Mark Patton: UCSB Baseball Coach Emphasizes ‘Park’ in His Vision of New Ballpark — Sports columnist Mark Patton calls a home run shot for the UC Santa Barbara baseball team after the Gauchos receive an anonymous $15 million donation toward a new stadium.
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Last Year on Noozhawk
What was our most-read story this time last year? Bill Macfadyen: Joe’s Café Family Grapples with Double Loss of Popular Employees.
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What I’m Up To
Although I’m not looking for a free meal, I occasionally do have free time if you’re looking for a speaker for your club, group or organization and want to hear more about Noozhawk. Email me at wmacfadyen@noozhawk.com.
- Feb. 11 — I’ll be talking entrepreneurship with students at San Marcos High School’s AAPLE Academy.
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Bill Macfadyen’s Story of the Week
The beginning is rough to read but the compassion changed the lives of two men — and countless others: How Kevin Berthia’s Conversation with CHP Officer Kevin Briggs on the Golden Gate Bridge Saved His Life.
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Best of Bill’s Instagram
Montecito Peak was the highlight of my Instagram feed this past week, but the view was worth it.
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Watch It
When he was 7 years old, Jack Hoffman made perhaps the most memorable touchdown run in the history of Nebraska Cornhuskers football. He died Jan. 15 at age 19 after a nearly lifelong battle with brain cancer. #rip
