71 local parcels dubbed 'fire nuisances'

By COLBY FRAZIER — July 28, 2010

Seventy-one local parcels — overgrown with dry brush or littered with garbage and other flammable material — were declared fire nuisances yesterday by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, and soon may have to pay up.

The property owners, scattered from Las Canoas Road in Santa Barbara to Tepusquet Canyon near Santa Maria, have until Aug. 9 to remedy the issues, and comply with the county fire department’s defensible space rules, or fire crews will do the cleanup themselves, billing property owners for the work.

Starting in May, fire crews canvass neighborhoods throughout the unincorporated area of the county, searching for homes that are out of compliance with defensible space program, which requires that a minimum of 100-feet surrounding homes be well groomed for high fire season.

Upon being told their properties need work, Sadecki said most owners get the job done. Some, however, lag behind.

“Most people, the reason they don’t do it, is they forget or the property changes hands,” Sadecki said. “It’s usually a mistake. It’s not maliciously ignoring the rules or the notice.”

Innocent or not, complying with fire-related rules has taken on an increased importance in recent years following the Tea and Jesusita fires, which roared through the foothills, claiming dozens of homes.

Many of the homes that were spared during the fires, though, likely complied with the county’s defensible space guidelines.

When a fire charges toward homes, Sadecki said firefighters often have to make brisk choices about which homes to protect. More often than not, he said those decisions are based heavily on how the homes are built and the amount of defensible space that surrounds them.

“We’re going to save the one that give us the best chance of saving it,” he said.

Under the county’s defensible space program, property owners are required to clear all flammable materials and vegetation from within 30 feet of structures. Vegetation in the remaining 70 feet must be trimmed and maintained.

County Fire Marshal Rick Todd said about the same number of parcels fell into the fire nuisance category last year, but all ended up complying before fines could be levied.

Although the recent string of wild fires has raised awareness surrounding fire safety, Sadecki said compliance with the defensible space program has always been strong.

“We’ve always had pretty good success,” he said.

More information about the defensible space program and other fire safety information can be found at www.sbcfire.com.

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: 7/30/2010

If you reported the addresses of these 71 locations, maybe we could get better compliance.

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If I had the addresses : 7/31/2010

Help is on the way...clear defensible space, trash the trash... I will call...All I need is a number...steve

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