Inside the Santa Barbara Courthouse, a 7-by-9-foot American flag made from fire hoses stands tall, created to honor the actions of first responders assigned to last year's Thomas Fire and debris flows.
Retired Santa Barbara City firefighter John Carrillo came up with the idea after seeing items online that were built from fire hose material. Carrillo wanted to create an American flag with the equipment he used throughout his firefighting career.
Carrillo made a flag for his home in Lompoc, and then a second for a friend.It was such a hit, he agreed to make a limited number of flags available for purchase, with all of the funds going toward the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation's support of the local veteran community.