New Shortcut

Now you can access all of the great information regarding the Wildland Fire Suppression Benefit Assessment District with one quick link.

http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/WFSBAD

The page has been updated with quick links and a new look.

Check it out!!!

Happy Holidays

To date 7.75 miles of road in the WFSBAD has been cleared through our annual Vegetation Road Clearance program.

We will resume the remainder of our project promptly after the holidays.

Las Alturas Nearly Complete

Thank you to all who travel through our work areas for your patients and consideration of our crews.

We have completed clearance on the following roads over the past 2 weeks:

Foothill Lane

Gibraltar Road

Woodale

Fairwood

Orizaba Lane

Camino Alto

We have been working on the downhill side of Las Alturas this week and will start the uphill side next week.

Mission Ridge Completed

Work was accomplished on Mission Ridge Road between San Carlos and Mountain Drive last week. Here are some before and after pictures of the work:




Roads to be completed this week:
Jimeno
Micheltorena
Alta Vista
California
Grand
Prospect
Olive
Islay

On schedule for next week:
Mt. Calvary
Gibraltar (Mountain to El Cielito)
Foothill Lane

Road Clearance Progresses

Our contracted crews have been hard at work over the past few weeks in an effort to make the neighborhoods in the City's high fire hazard area more safe during an emergency.

While some roads may only have minimal work that needs to be done to reach our compliance standards, others have a ways to go. Now that we are in the 3rd year of WFSBAD road clearance, and with a few big fires behind us, homeowners are grasping what needs to be done to help ease evacuation conjestion and to aid emergency vehicles gaining access into their neighborhoods. We appreciate everyones hard work.

In the picture above crews are in the middle of clearing a tough section on Lasuen between Moreno and Alvarado.

Below are some before and after pictures of the same area.

9/21 Road Clearance Update

We are finishing Mission Ridge Rd near Mountain Dr. this morning (9/21) and should be done before lunch. Traffic is currently down to 1 lane.

Scheduled for this week, in order, is:
Mira Vista Ave
Viscaino Rd
Lasuen - San Carlos to Paterna
Lasuen - Moreno to Alvarado
Paterna Rd
Jimeno Road

Lagura Pl

Working on those Before and After Pictures

This is a small example of the work that we are performing through our annual vegetation road clearance project.

What you see in these two photos are before and after examples of the common hazards we are removing from the roadway within the City's High Fire Hazard Area:
-Dead Vegetation Removal
-Removal of Ladder Fuels
-Canopy Raising, Seperation and Removal of Dead
-Opening up the Visability of Roadway Signs for Evacuation and Emergency Equipment Response

Mission Ridge Road Clearance Starts Monday

Road Clearance will be moving to Mission Ridge Road on Monday September, 14th.

We will be clearing all dead, hazardous vegetation including any vegetation that blocks traffic visability and/or creats a fire ladder into the canopy on Mission Ridge Road from San Carlos to Mountain Drive.

In an effort to move through the area more safely and reduce the amount of time our project impacts the road we will have traffic slowed to 1 lane. We don't anticipate any wait longer than 5 minutes so please be patient with our crews.

Road Clearance Moves Through High Fire Hazard Area

The second week of vegetation road clearance is on its way. We have completed work on Morada, Ontare, Santa Teresita Way, Piedmont and Claremont in our first week.

We will be moving through the San Roque and Mission Ridge areas this week.

Stay tuned for some great 'Before' & 'After' pictures.

Road Clearance Underway

Yesterday marked the begining of this years Road Clearance project. The crews are begining in the N. Ontare area and will be progressing through the WFSBAD over the next month couple of months.

The contractor, Steel Tree Service, will be posting door knockers on affected homes a minimum of 3-4 days before work begins on each road. Please note that work time on eachvaries and crews may be backed up. If 3-4 days pass and they have not made it down your street, be patient, and know that they are shortly on their way.

Skofield Park/Van's Meadow Regrowth

We are happy to say were seeing very positive regrowth in the Van's Meadow area of Skofield Park that was treated earlier in the year. (January 2009)

Below is picture before work was performed (after the Tea Fire) along with a photo taken 6 months after project work was completed.

Road Clearance to Start Monday August 31

Work will begin on the first of many roads to be completed during this years Vegetation Road Clearance project starting Monday August 31. While an exact calendar is in the works, homes that are affected will be notified by a door knocker that will be posted a minimum of 3-4 days before actual work begins.

Road Clearance Project Gearing Up

We are once again gearing up to help homeowners manage their defensible space along the roadways in the district. Each year we clear nearly 14 miles of road in the City's Extreme Foothill and Foothill High Fire Hazard Areas. Accomplished through the WFSBAD, road clearance helps maintain the roadways open and clear of flammable vegetation to help you, the homeowner, evacuate during and emergency and, in addition, helps firefighting resources maneuver into your area to defend your homes.

For a list and map of roads please refer to our WFSBAD Homepage at:
http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/Government/Departments/Fire/Wildland-Fire-Suppression-Benefit-Assessment.htm

WFSBAD 1st Goat Project Complete

As a test project utilizing a herd of goats was used to clear a small clearance project along Mountain Drive.

The area owned by the City and zoned for future re-alignment along the 700 block of Mountain drive was unmaintained for years and in need of some work.

The surrounding homeowners and HOA's in the neighborhood have done an excellent job creating there defensible space and we targeted this area to be "cleaned up" in an effort to bring the two together.

In the early part of June we brought in a herd of just under 100 goats, along with their guard dog, for approximately 10 days. The goats did an excellent job of removing dead, opening the understory and limbing up existing trees. After the goats were taken out, a hand crew was brought in to tidy up the project.

This was a very beneficial and cost effective project and we are excited about the opportunity to continue using goat grazing on future projects.

Here are some before and after pictures of the project.

2009 Chipping is complete

Thank you all for a busy and very productive year! We appreciate all of the effort you have made to make your home and your neighborhood more fire safe. I know we have had a busy year in terms of local fire activity and, again, it is not a matter of if it will happen again it is when will it happen again.

Keep up the good work and it will make a difference!

Stay tuned for information regarding our annual Vegetation Road Clearance project that is set to begin August 2009. For bid package information please call the city purchasing department at (805) 564-5349.

Soooo Busy!

We had to cancel crews working in the Las Alturas/Sycamore Canyon area today due to inclimate weather. We appologize for any inconvience this may cause to those of you who have stacked brush in parking/driving areas. We are scheduled to resume on Monday, June 8th.

****If the chipper HAS passed through your street, we WILL NOT be making a second pass through. DO NOT put out any new brush as it will not be removed by our crews****

Las Alturas/Sycamore Canyon Chipping will Start Tuesday

Due to the overwhelming response we have received with homeowners clearing their defensible space and utilizing our chipping services we are a little backed up. Homeowners in the Las Alturas/Sycamore Canyon chip area will have an extra day to clear defensible space and set out brush for our chipping crews.

Today we are finishing Coyote Road and will be swinging through the Westmont/Circle Drive neighborhood to pick up any new piles of brush. As a side note....the Westmont/Circle Drive neighborhood was under evacuation orders due to the Jesusita Fire the weekend prior to their assigned chip week. To assist them in being able to take full advantage of our services we offered to go back through their neighborhood last week. Again, because we have been abnormally busy with the amount of brush put out we will be getting to those piles this week.

Coyote Road Chipping Starts Today

Thank you to all of you who have put brush out for us to chip throughout this years project. We are in the final weeks of this years project.

Coyote Road chipping will wrap up this week.

Las Alturas/Sycamore Canyon chipping will begin next Monda, June 1st.

Sheffield/Parma Chipping Started Today

In response to the recent fires, homeowners have put out a heafty amount of brush. We will be very busy as we wrap up these last few weeks of chipping.

Remember: Coyote Road Community Day this Saturday, May 23rd
Coyote Road Chipping to start Tuesday, May 26th

Westmont Chipping will Resume Tomorrow

Folks in the Westmont/Circle Drive neighborhood will resume chipping services Tuesday.

Any questions with regards to this, or any other upcomming chip week, please call Fire Services Specialist, Amber Anderson at 331-5406

Westmont/Circle Drive Community Day CANCELLED

The community day scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, May 9th has been canceled.

We did send our chipping crews through the neighborhood yesterday to remove the large amount of cut vegetation/brush that was put out by homeowners. This was completed prior to the area being declared an mandatory evacuation area.

We are scheduled to resume our normal chipping schedule early next week as planned.

Westmont/Circle Drive Community Day

Homeowners in the Westmont Road/Circle Drive/Las Barrancas neighborhood, please join us this Saturday, May 9th as we assist in the education of what you can do to create your own defensible space in preparation for the next major wildfire.

The City Fire Department Wildland Division along with Engine 7, off Stanwood Drive, will be out and about on Saturday to offer advice and assistance with homeowners who wish to better the defensible space around their property and their neighborhood.

Chipping for the Westmont/Circle Drive neighborhood will begin next Monday, May 11th

Las Tunas Chipping Starts Today

Westmont/Circle Drive chipping will begin Monday May 11th

LAS TUNAS CHIPPING STARTS MONDAY

If you are in the Las Tunas Chip Area please have your brush stacked on the edge of the roadway no later than Monday, April 27th!!

West Mountain Chipping Starts

Chipping Started today along West Mountain Road.

Thank you to all of you who have helped make this year's chipping project a success. We have been very busy with all of the brush put out by homeowners and are glad that homeowners are doing their part to create defensible space.

For any questions regarding the chipping project please call Fire Services Specialist, Amber Anderson, at 331-5406

Eucalyptus Removal @ St Marys

With the 1st Vegetation Management project coming to a close we are busy tying up loose ends and making sure the project is complete and up to standards. One of the objectives of Vegetation Management within the Wildland Fire Suppression Benefit Assessment District is the removal of exotic pest plants.
Through this project we have left behind many exotics, including eucalyptus and olive, for removal by the Ventura Cal Fire Handcrews. With just over a few days left until the project is all wrapped up, I thought I would post some pictures of the trees that were taken down.

Defensible Space Chipping Program to Start Next Week

Vegetation chipping services will be available to all property owners in the WFSBAD area from March 2nd through June 15th. Chipping services are provided to encourage property owners to
create defensible space and provide a cost effective way to dispose of cut material. The City wants to make this project environmentally friendly, and needs the homeowners help in doing so. Our goal is to re-use 98% of all chipped material. To achieve this goal we need your help. If you can use chips on your property please contact the Fire Services Specialist, Amber Anderson at (805) 564-5702.

There are very specific requirements of what can be chipped. The following chipping instructions
outline the specific requirements. Vegetation that does not meet these requirements will not be
chipped and will be left on site. The property owner will be responsible for the legal disposal of
any material that cannot be chipped.

CHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS
Cut vegetation should be laid out in a pile along the street area and outside of the drivable roadway.
• The cut end of all vegetation must face the street so contractors can easily handle material.
• Brush should be left in long lengths. It is much easier to chip. Branches should be no greater than 10 inches in diameter.
• Long piles OK as long as they are not over 4 feet in height.
• Old dead vegetation that has been lying around for years cannot be chipped (this type of vegetation damages chipper blades).
• Pine needles or other leaf litter cannot be chipped.
• Twine or string must not be used to tie vegetation.
• Rocks or other debris will not be chipped.
• Piles pushed or moved by mechanical means, i.e. tractor, cannot be chipped.
• Material in plastic bags will not be picked up.
• Grasses, palm fronds, succulents or agaves will not be chipped.

Chainsaw Training at Skofield

While working at Skofield Park, a handful of our City engine companies were able to take part in some tree falling training. The crews had a great time while taking an additional step towards restoring the park to its native environment.

Progress at St Marys

This week was full of activity. A large crane was brought up to the site to remove the piles of cut brush from weeks past. In all, about 90 piles were removed. The project is well on way to completion in the coming weeks.

After....

Looking up at the Gym

View of St Mary's Project

This is a snap-shot of the project area from across the drainage. (The lower half of the project area is not in view due to a small hill).

The area in the red is the portion of the project area that is within camera view. I have shadded the progress as it stands 01-28-2009. They are right on target to finish by March.

Making progress at St. Mary's

Just in time for the rain our crews were able to get a good start on the new project area. Below are some quick photos of the intial area they started on. I estimate about 3 acres have been cleared so far.

Skofield Park

Photos from work completed at Van's Meadow this past week.

Last Thursday we started the second vegetation management project in the Assessment District. This project encompasses an area of Skofield Park entitled "Van's Meadow". Work is being completed by the Cal Fire crews out of the Ventura camp. While areas of this project were within the Tea Fire burn area, crews still have there work cut out for them. The scope of the project involves removal of 30-60% of dead, decadent, and exotic vegetation. Chipping crews are assisting with the project and 100% of the usable chips will be broadcast back on site.

This project rounds out the completion of the Eastern most section of the Community Fuels Treatment Network. Future projects are slated for the San Roque/Ontare area.