Roger
Update by Montecito Fire Department
At approximately 6:30 a.m. on July 30, 2020, The Montecito Fire Department responded along with Santa Barbara City Fire Department to a smoke investigation near the Santa Barbara Cemetery at 901 Channel Drive. Upon arriving, the units found a fire that involved approximately 150’ of vegetation along the bluffs of the Cemetery as well as a large cedar tree that was well involved.
The units on scene extinguished the vegetation fire and Santa Barbara City Fire Department’s Ladder Truck was called to assist with the extinguishment of the large cedar tree. At this time, there is still fire inside the tree and extended overhaul is being performed. The damage to the tree is so extensive that an arborist has been called to assist with the removal of the tree.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Reported by Roger the Scanner Guy
There are several trees on fire on the bluffs of the Santa Barbara Cemetery near the Bird Refuge.
i am afraid that’s what it will take –
I have spoken to the Montecito fire department, the Santa Barbara fire department, and the county of Santa Barbara, and all three have trivialized my concerns about homeless warming fires presenting an imminent threat to life and property and Montecito. After all we’ve been through with fires in this area, they appear to be in total denial about this issue, insisting on defending the rights of vagrants who want no help whatsoever, instead of law-abiding, tax-paying citizens who pay a great deal of money to live in this community, but who are not respected nor adequately represented. I have just become one of the first of a small number of plaintiffs to receive a very satisfactory settlement for the Thomas fire from Southern California Edison, and I am poised and ready to sue every entity the city for as long as it takes when there is a fire the damages my home or threatens my life. There are been so many warming fires close to me in Montecito that I am forced to now shop for fire detection devices, which is proving to be a daunting thing to do but, like everything else, I will figure it out! I am also forced to stay up at night when its windy so that I am not caught in the middle of the night with a fire overtaking my property…I have no faith whatsoever in the city or the fire department to help or save me in such a case. I will not be left to the mercy of the city, which is guilty of major dereliction of duty in this case. Lest they doubt my will and tenacity in this matter, I just solved a mystery that took 33 years to solve, with no breaks in the case for 28 years, so I am more than happy to wait as long as it takes. In fact, I hope it takes a long time, because they will ultimately pay more. You are officially put on notice Montecito fire, Santa Barbara fire and the county of Santa Barbara!
At least the city of Goleta is now making an effort to clear out the vegetation around the homeless encampments, if nothing else. If only they would do that here in Montecito, it would no doubt greatly help the situation… Heaven forbid they would do anything that was constructive, however. The local fire departments and the city have every excuse in the book for not doing their jobs, and I am sick to death of it and their dereliction of duty.
That’s because nobody but me is trying to hold them accountable! How on earth the residents living adjacent to these camps in Montecito fail to act on this issue is beyond me…
Phase I short-term: Let’s get together online and sue the city of Santa Barbara NOW for not clearing brush along the railroad tracks. Any high powered lawyers on here willing to do this pro bono? Phase 2 @ two years: Enlist the Corps of Engineers to build an organized tent city like a military barracks, deputize a few responsible ex-cops to police it, and put an end to the litter and filth and warming/cooking fires that shut down freeway lanes and endanger us all. Somewhere between SB and Santa Maria. Use eminent domain if necessary. Sure, sure criticism is so easy, naysayers – I challenge you to come up with how this could work, not pick holes in it. It’s called brainstorming. No more negative slogans and endless moralizing, just practical ideas. There used to be Hoovervilles, and they worked. They can be arrested for trespassing, littering, vagrancy and relocated. Yes, build it. Anyone not local can be dealt with creatively, we just have to put our minds to it.
CMKR you rock! I share your concerns. Why not make a website for this cause —where others can join you and support? I have been told many times that no matter how egregious the issue, it is very hard to get any action without large numbers of people complaining. There is more power in numbers. I have tried to get help from our lax city on this and other issues and found they don’t want to do their jobs and enforce laws. Many of us in SB have PTSD from past fires, and suffer permanent health consequences from smoke inhalation as well. Of all people, fire dept. professionals should know how dangerous fire and smoke are, so some of their lax attitudes are hard to fathom.
CMKR it sounds like you might be happier with Cal Fire providing service since our local agencies aren’t up to your standards. They would be able to put out a single little tree fire so you can exercise….
Finding my birth parents and family on both sides…32 years for birth mother’s side and 33 for birth father’s….
To SBSBSBSBSBSB, in response to your snide comment, myself and thousands of other people have been forced to breathe moderate smoke all day because the fire department says they have to let the tree smolder for reasons unfathomable to me…its still burning now! One wonders how difficult it is to put out a tree fire after having all day to do so. And I have had to call the fire department three times in a week due to multiple sources of smoke and very strong, definitely toxic chemical odors interfering with breathing and, yes, exercising…some of us take care of ourselves! If you think breathing smoke is so great, why not become a firefighter!
Thank you for your support and great idea MISSAUSTEN! I would LOVE to come after the city RIGHT NOW to clear these camps and brush instead of waiting for my home and others to burn down and my and others’ lives to be threatened YET AGAIN for no good reason! I am paying nearly 150,000 per year in property taxes, in addition to whatever sales and income taxes I pay that go to the County, and this is the kind of service we receive here in Montecito. The “city fathers” should be ashamed of themselves as well as being held accountable legally and financially. Why on earth they have allowed a lovely place like Montecito to turn into what it is now is beyond me!
CMKR here is finally realizing what everyone else is dealing with on a daily basis. Im surprised it took you this long to come out of your ivory tower ( worth $150k in property tax, course you had to say that) and see that all us lonely poor people have been dealing with this issue for years. Stop yelling, if you want something done calling them out on edhat isnt gona do it.
A slate of candidates committed to change and sharing a platform and campaign costs can beat the entrenched system, which is the power of the city employee unions who have locked up too many elections for their own self-interests. CMKR, be sure to visit Transparent California and your Montecito Fire District to see where your $150K property taxes are getting spent. $15 million properties in Montecito are not unusual, so yes they do pay $150K a year in property taxes. Plus get hit with an automatic 2% increase every year. Property taxes are the only steady revenue stream local government agencies have left. . Eating the rich is eating your seed corn. Saying thank you is better. You hate million dollar condos? They crank out $10K plus a year in property taxes so thank them too.
PSTARSR If you were paying that much to the city for absolutely nothing in return, not even the assurance of help in a situation like this that could easily become life-threatening, I have a feeling you’d be mad too. And I don’t appreciate this absurd attitude and disdain that you and others seem to have against those who have been successful in a capitalist system. Why encourage capitalism and the American dream, then mercilessly criticize and vilify those who are successful in such a system? This is the thinking of those who would “tax the rich” (alone) to punish them for being successful…thank God that is obviously unconstitutional and won’t hold up in the courts! Singling out one group to be selectively punished or prosecuted is illegal and unconstitutional! It used to be that people were admired for their success, especially if they were self-made!
Obviously there is an arsonist running loose. How should we be on the look out?
That sucks such beautiful trees…Any word on how it started this early TAGDES?
Self-made is a fallacy. Nobody is self-made. Societal (public or private) education, public infrastructure, luck, family, and connections play the major part in anyone’s success.
What a load of horse poop. The top 10% own 80% of the wealth but account 68% of the income taxes collected, however… Payroll taxes account for 34 percent of federal revenues. They only apply to income earned on the job – not income from capital gains on investments, which make up a much greater share of the income of the top 10 percent. And payroll taxes for Social Security are capped, so the wealthiest 10 percent only pay 25 percent of all payroll taxes which further reduces their share of the Federal tax burden to around 50%. So, in the real world, your beloved Aristocracy controls 80% of the nation’s wealth and pays 50% of the taxes. And those stats have grown even more lopsided since we’ve become a kleptocracy.
It is unconstitutional to have two separate systems of justice – one for vagrants and one for the rest of us. That is what we have right now – with impunity they can do whatever they want and get free health care, free food and now free garbage pick up along with a get out of jail free card if they ever do get cited for their multiple zoning ordinance violations and public decency violations. They are not vulnerable; they are conniving grifters. They have ACLU on speed dial. That is who your lawyer will have to take on: ACLU; not just the feckless city and council elected officials.
Haven’t heard anything but…it’s back west towards the Clark Estate and not any dry grass, power lines or where the mowers are used. I remember a problem with trespassers in that are a while back.
Montecito is part of District One – County Board of Supervisors – just had a supervisor election – choice between two do-nothing people: Capps and Williams – both Democrats. Now you have to wait four years to get another shot. Sorry you could not get organized and get a candidate to sweep Montecito and make sense to Carpinteria because the known grievances were there and the choice between the two candidates gave voters nothing. The “progressive” lock on south county has to be broken on this five person board. No students in IV will make a difference when District Three – also 100% “progressive” is up in a few years. But right now I am sorry you have to wait for four years; unless you mount a recall campaign which has been done and may not be all that hard if you have the funds to spend getting the necessary signatures. You missed an opportunity to get someone good in that seat this last election cycle. Look into recalling Das Williams – he sold out to the pot industry, got a scathing critique in a recent Grand Jury report. He is vulnerable and should not serve out his full four years. Just do it. He has done enough damage to this county and your district for long enough.
The frequency of these fires along the101 corridor seems unprecedented. It has become routine in Goleta and Santa Barbara, two or three a week. Might there be something more than accidents involved? I’m wondering.
I have paid more than you think to this city. do you use the roads? the telephone? electricity? sewers? police? hospitals? then you are getting something back for what you pay.
I believe you guys are on to something;
Start your own “warming fire” in the form of a class-action suit against SB…they’ll comply post-haste once their wallets are threatened…get-em!
First, show me your valid law suit. Second, “Lest they doubt my will and tenacity in this matter, I just solved a mystery that took 33 years to solve, with no breaks in the case for 28 years, so I am more than happy to wait as long as it takes.” If the law suit is valid, I do not care about the personal background of the plaintiff. ” In fact, I hope it takes a long time, because they will ultimately pay more.” and officially putting agencies on notice shows a vengeful mindset. I do not find that conducive to a successful plaintiff’s mindset. Could you share with us some of your legal arguments?
Also, you’re obviously well off. If you are complaining about this county’s property taxes and fire danger, why are you living here?
I find it very interesting as well that all of a sudden this news story has been completely rewritten and now the fire department claims that 150 feet of vegetation was also on fire, in addition to the single tree that they reported to me on the phone when I called and that has been widely and consistently reported for two days. Apparently, the fire department cannot tell the difference between a single tree fire and 150 feet of vegetation burning. No wonder it went on for a day and a half!
CMKR – if you think you are not getting your money’s worth from your Montecito Fire department- take it up with the $420,355 a year Marshal: Aaron Briner
Battalion Chief/Fire Marshal (2019)
Regular pay:$211,800.00
Overtime pay:$0.00
Other pay:$126,616.00
Total pay:$338,416.00
Benefits:$81,949.96
Total pay & benefits:$420,365.96
A-1596270387 so, according to you, I should leave and, what, go to a hotel and pay more money to stay overnight due to the negligence and incompetence of city agencies and the railroad not clearing out these homeless camps? The smoke went on unabated for a day and a half! And why should I be inconvenienced because of other people’s incompetence? This is a ridiculous argument!