Hot temperatures and elevated fire danger have Santa Barbara County firefighters on alert as a Red Flag Warning is in effect across parts of the county.
The Red Flag Warning is for the interior mountains and the adjacent foothills, and so also for the valley, said Captain Mike Gray, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. Thats where we are focusing a lot of our attention.
Fire departments across the county are increasing resources and preparing crews to respond quickly if a wildfire breaks out.
Were also upstaffing two additional hand crews and one additional dozer right now, and were exploring the possibility of having extra resources staged as well, Gray said. Theyll be staged in areas where the Red Flag Warning is or where the sundowners are expected, and theyll be ready to respond.
At Santa Barbara County Fire Station 30 in Solvang, firefighters are also taking additional steps to prepare for extreme fire conditions.
Fire Capt. Tahj Jakins said crews make sure their engines are fully equipped and ready to respond.
Generally, we pack all of our rigs with our wildland gear, so were ready in the morning to respond out of our Type 3, Jakins said. Our goal is to be out of the station within four minutes, responding to the call and trying to get there as quickly as you can.
Fire officials also encourage residents in wildfire-prone areas to prepare their properties before an emergency.
Los Olivos resident Lance Bruner, who has lived in the area for more than 30 years, said he has taken steps to protect his property.
We have sprinklers fully done. I have pumps and water well services on the property that are not tied to the city, so I can use them whenever I want for whatever fire I got, Bruner said.
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Firefighter Casey Jenkins showed how Station 30s Type 3 engine is equipped to respond to wildland fires. The engine can connect to water tenders carrying between 1,500 and 5,000 gallons when a water supply line is not available.
Jenkins also demonstrated equipment that allows firefighters to attack fires while the engine is moving.
Our main component is this red line right here, Jenkins said. This allows us to fight fire while moving. We have an additional crosslay as well in case theres heavy fire and we need to be stationary for it.
As fire danger remains elevated, officials are reminding residents to limit activities that could create sparks near dry vegetation.
Gray recommends residents stay indoors as much as possible, avoid using lawn equipment or machinery that could spark a fire near brush and sign up for emergency alerts through ReadySBC.org.