The Lake Fire might be extinguished, but the repairs and danger aren’t done.

Representatives of several Santa Barbara County departments along with the Los Padres National Forest gathered Tuesday night in Los Olivos for a Lake Fire storm preparedness community meeting,

Speakers focused on the potential danger due to the burn scar left behind by the wind-driven 38,664-acre fire that ignited July 5 near Zaca Lake. 

“I think one of the most important things about preparedness is being aware of your risks so that you understand what you need to be prepared for,” said Kelly Hubbard, director of the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management. 

With the Lake Fire extinguished, Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann said some residents might want to forget about the scary situation.

“But we really can’t especially in our county because we know that after fire comes the flood,” Hartmann said. “We’ve got to be ready for that. We have to do business as usual but we also have to take the time to be prepared, because if we are prepared, then we’re more likely to be resilient, we’re more likely to recover.”

But at the end of the meeting a woman who owns property on Figueroa Mountain above the ranger station complained about the lack of road maintenance from Midland School to the forest boundary.

“Right now the road is terrible,” property owner Cheryl Morris said, expressing concern about dead pine trees on the edge of the road and other seasonal concerns.

“To us you are not fulfilling your commitments to us on Figueroa Mountain,” Morris said.

Fire Sparks Near Zaca Lake

Santa Barbara County Fire Department’s Anthony Stornetta, deputy fire chief of operations, noted the Lake Fire occurred 17 years and one day after the 240,207-acre Zaca Fire started  in the same area. In 1993, some 42,700 acres burned due the Marre Fire. 

“We knew that this was probably going to be something very significant,” Stornetta said. “We were in red flag (conditions) at the time. The relative humidities for the air was very low. We had the winds.”

The fuels, or vegetation, were heavy, aided by recent healthy rainy years to spur growth. And unfavorable weather wasn’t just a daytime concern. Red flag conditions remained overnight with the temperature only dipping to 90 degrees and 8% relative humidity at 1 a.m. hours after firefighters were dispatched. 

The firefighting effort cost $44 million and involved 3,200 personnel and 128 different fire agencies. 

Stornetta also reported 14 firefighter injuries, 11 of whom had significant enough injuries they went to the hospital. Two were taken to burn centers after experiencing “significant burns,” he added. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Rainy Season Prompts Preparation Tips

As the Central Coast’s rainy season nears, forecasters expect a La Niña phenomenon this winter which typically means lower-than-normal rainfall rates, said Jayme Laber, senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

He also issued a caveat that one or two storms still can lead to flooding. 

“Don’t let your guard down when we say that the overall season might be below normal or below average rainfall. There’s still going to be storms that could cause flooding this winter so you still need to be prepared,” Laber said.

Emergency officials will closely monitor rain forecasts and those calling for 0.35 of an inch of rain in 15 minutes, 0.50 inch in 30 minutes, or 0.70 in one hour, which are likely to lead to a flash flood watch or warning. 

Flash flooding typically involves a heavy stream of water, while a debris flow includes rocks and mud with the thickness similar to a milkshake.

Matt Griffin, engineering manager from the county Flood Control District and Water Conservation Division, reminded residents that less vegetation, combined with a waxy layer created during fires, prevents water from infiltrating and can increase runoff. 

“For the Lake Fire we do anticipate, if certain rainfall thresholds are met, we do anticipate the potential for debris flows. Mostly that will occur within the burn scar or immediately downstream of the burn scar,” Griffin said. 

They also expect increased flood risk for several creeks.

Griffin suggested residents refer to the Federal Emergency Management Agency flood mapping resources, available online. 

Residents in flood-prone areas should purchase flood insurance, Griffin said, noting a policy takes 30 days before becoming active.

Next week, Los Padres National Forest will start repairs in areas where firefighting efforts might have caused damage, said Ben Gray from the U.S. Forest Service’s Santa Lucia Ranger District.

Initially, the Lake Fire stood as the largest in the state for 2024, but was eclipsed in the weeks since by other fires around California

That forced forest officials to delay Lake Fire suppression repair efforts, now set to start Oct. 15.

“We want to make sure that the work we did doesn’t cause more erosion and more problems,” Gray said. 

More information and the reports can be found at ReadySBC.org and a recording of the meeting also will be posted soon.

Hubbard encouraged people to sign up for emergency alerts at the ReadySBC county website.

Lake Fire recovery information can be found by clicking here. A recording of the meeting also will be posted soon.

The site also has the post-fire Lake Fire Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Report  and the Lake Fire Watershed Emergency Response Team (WERT) Report which identify at risk property and protection steps people can take.

Los Padres National Forest has a post-fire closure order in effect through January affecting several backcountry campgrounds and trails.