Edhat Staff
Photos: Mike Eliason / SBCFD
By edhat staff
Solvang’s annual Julefest concluded with their 30th annual Christmas Tree burn on Friday evening.
Over a thousand spectators turned up to see the massive bonfire display corraled by local fire departments at Mission Santa Ines. Local residents donated their dried-out Christmas trees to act as kindling for the fire.
“Tree safety tips are also presented before the pile is set afire,” said Santa Barbara County Firefighter Mike Eliason.
Some of the tips include putting no more than tree light strands on a tree, keep the tree wet and away from windows, keep electrical extension cords away from the tree, and dispose of the tree as soon as possible.
Marborg will pick up Christmas Trees for free on scheduled green waste days through January 12.
Great event, saw a lot of families out and quite a few from SB as well…
It’s time to ditch this air polluting, environmentally poor “tradition!” It’s not the 80’s anymore, but time to be very kind to this planet. Come on Solvang city council, start leading for next Christmas by doing something for the Earth besides burning!
You obviously were’t there… The burn burned so hot and completely that there was almost ZERO smoke- it’s called “complete combustion”. Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley is NOT Montecito or Santa Barbara- it is an Agricultural community that has “Ag burns” as a norm. This Xmas tree burn has less impact than one house in SB burning “wax-impregnated-wood-logs” in your fireplace… This tradition brings families and the community together- a huge positive impact. Stay in SB.
I just want to know if it covered up the downwind smell of the cannabis harvests?
Mother Earth doesn’t mind fires as part of her natural cycles. She sets off more than a few herself.
“Almost zero smoke.” What a bunch of malarkey. These trees should have been chipped and used for mulch. THAT’s a positive impact.
Unless we do something about population, efforts to achieve sustainability is a pipe dream. Boxing people in with more and more regulation is not sustainable. Of course, it takes regulation to be responsible about the population……
the good ol days. when people wanted to be around each other. Hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate, and a nice evening at the beach. too bad thats been taken away like so many other things.
I also heard that the 4th of July was a time where groups dug pits on Leadbetter and fired rockets and threw firecrackers at each other. Massive burns and blowing sh$t up, how did we let them take these constitutional rights away from us?
No way Coastwatch’s allegations are true, but that’s how to win an argument these days. I guess it takes 30 years for something to become a “tradition” and therefore something that cannot be criticized without starting a north/south county civil war.