Peak fire season arrives with extra resources and concerns about tall grass from winter rains

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – The green hills following spring rains have now begun to turn brown and the grasslands are becoming a serious fire problem. Today, peak fire season officially begins.

Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Los Padres National Forest, Bureau of Emergency Services and Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department announce united efforts to respond to fires and protect lives and property .

This will involve an increased call on fire resources at the first sign of a fire. The repositioning of aircraft and reinforcement of personnel are key elements of the plan.

Last week, several fires have already broken out in northern Santa Barbara County, particularly in the Cuyama Valley. A fire also broke out in the area of ​​Space Force Base Lompoc/Vandenberg. A six-acre fire was quickly stopped on Figueroa Mountain Road in Los Olivos on Sunday.

Firefighters encourage those traveling to make sure there are no random sparks coming from their vehicles, which happens when tow chains drag. They also want proper campfire protocols in place, including fires allowed in designated areas and a fire extinguisher nearby.

Vegetation growth has been significant since the winter rains continued into early spring. This is primarily a problem when grasslands are near thick brush that could explode into a large fire from a small starting point, especially in strong winds.

Among those who spoke out at Monday's meeting about the fire season were:

• County Board of Supervisors – 1st District Das Williams
• County Board of Supervisors – 2nd District Laura Capps
  County Board of Supervisors – 3rd District Representative Meighan Dietenhofer
• Santa Barbara County Fire Chief/Fire Director Chief Mark Hartwig
• Santa Barbara County Undersheriff Craig Bonner
• President of the Santa Barbara County Fire Chiefs Association / Santa Barbara City Fire
  Chef Chris Mailes
• LPF Forest Fire Chief / Chief 1 Mark Gerwe
• Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Director
  Kelly Hubbard
• Aeron Air Pollution Control District Executive Director Arlin Genet

(More details, photos and videos will be added here later today.)