Wildland Information
Fire Danger - Moderate | Forecast: Mon Night: Tue:

Wildland Assessment and Mitigation

Click the picture to see a historical large fire map.

Montecito Fire History

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What you should know if you are living in or have property in the Montecito Area.

The biggest fire threat to Montecito is from wildfires occurring during explosive "Sundowner" or Santa Ana downslope wind influence. Extremely steep, dense and decadent chaparral covered slopes of the Los Padres National Forest are as explosive as anywhere in the world. This type of event has happened four times in the past 36 years in our area.

Coyote Fire 1964 - Romero Fire 1971 - Sycamore Fire 1977 - Paint Fire 1990

1,042 structures burned during these 4 fires
12 fatalities occurred in the Santa Barbara area from wildland fires (11 fire fighters & 1 civilian)
All four of these wildfires were very difficult to suppress and extremely complex in interagency coordination, and highly unpredictable in overall fire behavior.

Today most of the brush area consumed by these disastrous wildfires has returned to maturity and is ready to burn once again. The biggest difference now is that more homes have been built and are located even further up the mountain slopes and deeper into the canyons.

The Oakland/Berkeley Hills Fire in 1991 was one of the most devastating California fires in recent years. This fire killed 25 people, injured 159, destroyed 3,354 single-family residences, 456 apartments and did an estimated $1.5 billion in damages. A major contributing factor to the loss of life was attributed to narrow roads and poor vegetation clearance.

What can we do about it?

PROTECTING YOUR PROPERTY FROM WILDFIRE

Wildland fires have always been a part of Montecitoâ€™s natural environment. Areas of Montecito will burn again. This is not maybe. This is a given.

Four notable fires that have burned in our area: Coyote 1964 - Romero 1971 - Sycamore - 1977 Paint - 1990

(1,042 STRUCTURES BURNED)

(12 BURN FATALITIES IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY)

Is there anything we can do to reduce hazards and make our property more fire safe? YES

We are offering a list of helpful suggestions that will you protect your home or business.

After reading the attached list, decide which items apply to you.

List the projects that need to be accomplished and begin.

OUTSIDE THE STRUCTURE

1. Remove flammable vegetation (particularly dead materials) around your home for a minimum of 100 feet.

2. Noncombustible roofing is a must. Class A roofing is a requirement in the Montecito Fire District.

3. Remove all flammable materials immediately adjacent to your structure, such as woodpiles, overhanging limbs patio furniture, combustible trash, leaves in rain gutters etc.

4. Have an adequate number of large diameter garden hoses, connect and check water pressure.

5. Install 1⁄4" wire mesh over attic and ground vents.

6. Consider installing dual-pane or tempered exterior glass windows. Required in most areas of Montecito.

7. When possible have ladders that reach the roof. Consider placing against the street side of the house when you evacuate, anyone who stops to help can see them.

8. If you have a swimming pool or hot tub purchase a portable pump and fire hose. Test and maintain regularly.

9. Consider purchasing a home fire protection system. (Many commercial foam & fire pumps are available)

10. Street address is mandatory; use visible reflective 6" numbers of a color which contrasts with its background, in some cases you may need more that one set of address numbers.

11. Access to your home is critical, remove any limb or vegetation that extends into roadway and limits or hampers emergency vehicle access. Overhead clearance of 13'6" and horizontal clearance of 20' is required.

Actions to take the day of the wildland fire!

INSIDE THE HOUSE

1. Close all windows and doors.

2. Close all doors inside the house, this will help block circulation of air and slow possible fire spread from room to room.

3. Remove lightweight curtains from windows, as they may ignite from heat radiation. However, heavily lined drapes or venetian blinds bulled across windows will help to keep out heat. Consider keeping large aluminum foil on hand and taping foil to inside of windows to reflect heat.

4. Fill bathtubs, sinks, buckets, etc. with water. This storage of water is a safeguard if pressure is lost and would give you some available water for fire or other use.

5. Turn on lights in the house, on the porch. This will help fire fighters locate your property at night and in smoke.

6. Gather up pets so you don't have to run around at the last minute looking for them.

7. Have a plan for evacuation, discuss with family members and or employees. Things to consider: Rally point, contact person, valuables, momentos, tax and insurance documents, family pictures etc. flashlight, portable radio, extra batteries, drinking water, food, medications, pets, (evacuation needs for large animals), first aid kit.

YOUR VEHICLE

1. Park your car in the garage headed out.

2. Leave keys in the ignition. An extra set of keys is a must. Keys have been lost during the stress of evacuation.

3. If you are driving in the fire area, close windows, turn lights on, drive slowly. Should you be trapped, remain in the car as long as possible.

4. Keep gas tank at least 1/2 full at all times - fires and earthquakes have left us without electricity for several days, this will happen again and it will be difficult getting gasoline.

5. Make sure you know how to open automatic garage doors should you lose electricity.

IMPORTANT: We are not recommending you stay and fight the fire, the decision to remain and protect your home can only be made after proper training and planning. Your physical fitness, health and proper clothing must be considered. Should you become trapped by a wildfire, the safest place may be to retreat to the inside of a house or vehicle.

Because of extreme fire weather and vegetation/topography, at times even seasoned fire fighters consider some structure locations too hazardous for them to protect.

Better to lose a structure than a life.

Defensible Space

Maureen Gilmer â€“ Calif. Wildfire Landscaping

An area around the perimeter of structures or developed areas that are key points of defense/attack against encroaching wildfires or escaping structure fires. The outside limit of defensible space should be measured from the nearest building and extend outward from 150 to 300 feet.

The defensible space of each homsite is divided into three distinct conditions or bands radiating outward from around the house. Firescaping deals with the management of existing vegetation within the bands, and the addition of ornamental plants with fire-resistant qualities or naturally low fuel volumes.

Zone 1 is the first 5 to 10 feet around the outside walls of the house. Combustible materials in this area are close enough to bring the fire in contact with the building wall, deck, or porch. Planting and landscaping is best limited to very succulent groundcovers, gravel mulches, walkways, and green lawns.

Zone 2 begins at the perimeter of zone 1 and extends outward about 30 feet. Plants in this zone may be a combination of both native and introduced species. Eliminate ladder fuels, and remove any dead plants or portions of plants that may spread fire. Trees must be widely spaced to prevent crown fires. Shrubs should be low growing and preferably with high moisture content. Groundcovers, lawn, or mowed irrigated pastures are also acceptable. Due to the size and open nature of this area, fire fighters are likely to take a stand here to defend your home.

Zone 3 includes natural vegetation that has been modified to reduce available fuel volumes. The width of this band extends to the limit of the defensible space required according to topography. The goal is to thin out overcrowded plants, eliminate ladder fuels, and remove any dead plants or portions of plants that may spread fire.

Fire Resistant Trees & Shrubs

Ray Moritz, Fire Ecologist / Urban Forester

Species selection and maintenance practices used to make trees more healthy and beautiful also make them more fire safe. All plants are fuel, but the following practices make them less accessible to fire:

Select species and varieties that are fire resistant:

Plants that are will adapted to the local climate, microclimate, aspect, slope and local environmental conditions.
Plants with low fuel volumes: Low growing, limited spread, "Clean" plants.
Plants that are deep-rooted and proficient at acquiring water.
Plants with relatively fire resistant foliage:
Deciduous trees and shrubs.
Trees and shrubs with large fleshly leaves.
Trees and shrubs lacking volatile chemicals, oils, waxes, etc.

Increase fuel moisture:

Place trees and shrubs near natural water sources: Moist soils, seeps, springs, ponds, streams, seasonal/ephemeral drainageâ€™s, etc.
Cultivate, amend and mulch the surrounding soils to enhance water penetration, retention and storage; to reduce evaporation; and to avoid compaction. Use permeable materials for drives, walks and patios.
Place trees and shrubs in or adjacent to areas that are currently irrigated.
Deep irrigate trees and shrubs every 20 to 30 days during the fire season.

Maintain plant health and vigor:

Avoid crowding and over competition for available soil water and nutrients.
Remove sick and dying plants, dead branches and foliage promptly.
Treat pests and diseases promptly and monitor for recurrence.
Fertilize and irrigate plants as needed.

Disrupt the horizontal and vertical continuity of shrub and tree fuels:

Separate shrubs and shrub islands by a distance of no less than two times the height. Limit island clusters to 18 feet diameter. Thin shrub cover to less than 1/3 of the area.
Place only fire resistant, low growing (less than 18â€™) shrubs under trees.
Separate tree crowns by at least 10 ft., increase spacing on steep slopes.
Raise tree crowns to at least 10 feet above grade or to a maximum of 1/3 of the height.

Privacy Screens Though aesthetically very desirable, they can be hazardous in four ways:

They interrupt the flow of wind, forming a partial vacuum and turbulence on the leeward side that draws firebrands down onto homes and decks.
They provide a highly dense fuel cluster, often with a lot of deadwood due to crowding and shading of internal and lower branches.
They typically are composed of species that maintain their lower branches and form a ground to crown, vertical "ladder fuel" architecture.
They are often composed of highly flammable "pyrophytic" plants

Staggered planting provides screening while maintaining plant spacing

WARING: All plants are fuel and flammable to varying degrees. The evidence for fire resistance of selected species is largely anecdotal. Many factors influence flammability and fire hazard. More plants mean more fuel and greater hazard!

UTILITY HAZARDS: Privacy screen species should have a mature height of no greater than 25 feet if they are located under utility lines (Consult with your local utility company)

FUEL BREAK

A Fuel Break is an area, strategically located for fighting anticipated fires where the native vegetation has been modified so the fires burning into it can be more easily controlled. Todayâ€™s fuel breaks are created in a manner using a thinning method attempting to leave as natural a look as possible. Trees are rarely removed and pockets of brush and native vegetation are left giving the area a more pleasing look.

Is there a checklist we could use?

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