Santa Barbara County sends emergency alerts in the event of wildfires like the Lake Fire, which burned in the Santa Ynez Valley in July 2024. Signing up for alerts, following official social media accounts and local news organizations are ways to get urgent emergency information.
Santa Barbara County sends emergency alerts in the event of wildfires like the Lake Fire, which burned in the Santa Ynez Valley in July 2024. Signing up for alerts, following official social media accounts and local news organizations are ways to get urgent emergency information. Credit: Ray Ford / Noozhawk file photo

Santa Barbara County sent out its first-ever test emergency alert Thursday at 10 a.m. It was a reminder for people to sign up or update their contact information for the alerts.

Emergency response officials send the alerts to inform the public in case of extreme weather, flooding, wildfires, public safety power shutoffs, and other incidents.

The county encourages people who live or work in the county to sign up for the ReadySBC.org alerts. About 18% of residents are signed up.

Here are more ways to get information during emergencies and natural disasters.

Emergency Alerts

Sign up here for emergency alerts from Santa Barbara County. 

Go to ReadySBC.org for evacuation maps, shelter locations, road closures during emergencies.

Use https://www.readyslo.org for San Luis Obispo County. 

Use https://www.vcemergency.com/ for Ventura County.

You can register for alerts in more than one community and more than one county. 

AM Radio Stations for Emergency Information

County’s Radio Ready program: Tune your radio to AM 530.

The six stations broadcast from Santa Maria, Sisquoc, Lompoc, Los Alamos, Solvang 

Montecito Fire Department: Tune your radio to AM 1610.

Official Social Media Accounts

Follow fire, law enforcement, emergency management agencies and local news agencies for social media updates.

Public agencies:

Local news agencies:

National Weather Service 

Check the latest alerts and warnings from the Los Angeles/Oxnard office which issues forecasts for Santa Barbara County

National Weather Service’s Fire Weather Snooper has geographic information about relative humidity, winds, temperatures, and red flag warnings.

How to Find Fire Maps and Incident Updates

Depending on where a wildfire burns, different agencies are responsible for managing the incident.

Check Cal Fire incident maps for wildfire incidents.

Check Inciweb for wildfire information on federal land (including Los Padres National Forest).

More wildfire information:

Have Questions? Need Help?

In case of an emergency, call or text 9-1-1.

Have questions? Call 2-1-1.

The Santa Barbara County Call Center at the Emergency Operations Center is staffed during major incidents, and can be reached at 1.833.688.5551.

Are we missing something? Let us know by emailing news@noozhawk.com. 

Noozhawk executive editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com.