Edhat Staff
Santa Barbara County voted 4-0 last week to close the longstanding Los Prietos Boys Camp, citing a reduction in the juvenile justice system population as the primary reason.
With fewer youths in need of its services, the County Probation Department-run facility will undergo a transformation. Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig revealed plans to repurpose the camp as a training center for fire hand crews, prompting the relocation of these crews from their current base at the Cachuma Lake Recreation Area.
“At its peak, the camp was a central component of the Probation Department’s rehabilitative efforts and youth were incarcerated for much less serious offenses that what [they are today],” said Sam Leach, deputy chief probation officer.
“The reality is today that picture looks very different,” he said, noting the average daily population at the camp has fallen from about 28 in 2018 to just five in 2022 and 2023, and none have been housed there since the first of February.
The Los Prietos Boys Camp, located at 3900 Paradise Road, is set to become a central hub for hand crews engaged in tasks such as wildland firefighting and fuel reduction projects. The existing infrastructure of the camp, including dormitories and dining facilities, offers an ideal setting for this transition.
To formalize this shift, an application for a long-term special use permit has been submitted by the U.S. Forest Service, with approval pending from the Board of Supervisors. This move signifies a strategic reallocation of resources to enhance emergency response capabilities within the county.
While the closure of Los Prietos Boys Camp marks the end of its long-standing tenure as a residential youth offender program, officials remain committed to repurposing the site for the greater benefit of the community. The transition plan includes the development of a youth training program in coordination with the Probation and Fire Departments, aimed at providing mentorship opportunities and skill-building activities for young participants.
Chief Hartwig said the Los Prietos Camp will deliver 10,000 hours of fire training service annually. The county’s fire crew program began in 1973 and has lacked a permanent facility, but this site will house all four fire crews responsible for wildland fire suppression, prescribed burns and fuel hazard reduction countywide, said Hartwig.
As the Los Prietos Boys Camp prepares to conclude its operations, the forthcoming setup as a fire hand crew training site signifies a strategic use of existing facilities to enhance the county’s emergency response capabilities.
Officials are targeting a spring 2025 date to open the program due to the permitting processes.
