In a statewide effort to curtail yet another destructive wildfire season, Santa Barbara County is set to receive up to $250,000 in state funds to clear away dead brush and trees that fuel wildfires.
CalFire crews will be working in the San Marcos Pass, Painted Cave, and Mission Canyon areas to clear vegetation along roadways and create defensible space around homes. According to Captain Fred Tan, the Santa Barbara County Fire vegetation management officer, the majority of the work will involve clearing grasses and brush along the 101 and Highway 154. “Eighty-two percent of fires in Santa Barbara County begin along some type of roadway because we are one of the avenues between Northern California and Southern California,” said Tan. Crews will also be clearing brush near homes to create safer access points for firefighters and evacuation routes for residents. In total, the projects will cover 300 acres of land and several miles of roadway.