Regrowth on TV Hill above Loma Alta Drive, seen in March, in the area burned by the Loma Fire of May 2021.
Regrowth on TV Hill above Loma Alta Drive, seen in March, in the area burned by the Loma Fire of May 2021. Credit: Giana Magnoli / Noozhawk photo

Santa Barbara will reopen Loma Alta Drive between Cornel Street and West Cannon Perdido Street on Friday, May 5, after a long seasonal closure.

The road was closed in October because of the potential for debris flows from the hillside, Mike Krashefski, street operations supervisor, told Noozhawk.

In May 2021, a wildfire burned about 7 acres and damaged two buildings on TV Hill, and since then, city officials have been keeping a close eye on the area during the rainy season.

For the past six months or so, the city closed Loma Alta Drive and installed 3-foot-tall concrete barriers on the roadway to protect against any potential mud coming down or debris from the hillside.

Fire crews work on the scene of the Loma Fire on Santa Barbara’s TV Hill Friday, which burned about 7 acres and came very close to the KEYT television station at the top.
Fire crews work on the scene of the Loma Fire on Santa Barbara’s TV Hill on May 21, 2021. The fire burned about 7 acres and came very close to the KEYT television station at the top and prompted evacuations. Credit: Noozhawk file photo

This is the second year the city has closed this section of the road during the winter season.  

“Usually first rainfall we get is around end of October,” Krashefski said. “And then usually rain recedes in April.”

The city will reassess in October whether the roadway will be closed again.

“It is an issue leaving it open in the winter, because sometimes the hill will slide into the roadway,” Krashefski said. “So we have all the debris in the roadway. So it could be a danger for the public driving on Loma Alta.”

Grace Kitayama is a Noozhawk staff writer.