CountyofSantaBarbara
Residents Should Exercise Caution Returning Home
Update by Santa Barbara County
4:30 p.m., February 13, 2025
- Be aware that flooding and debris may still be present in the area. NEVER drive, swim, or walk into floodwaters. Turn around, don’t drown!
- Flood waters can also hide hazards such as washed out road surfaces and large rocks.
- Be cautious of potential rock falls and minor landslides when traveling roads and avoid traveling at night. Some roads may be covered in debris and are impassable.
- Be aware that response crews may be continuing clean-up and repair efforts.
- Stay alert to changing conditions.
- For status of County roadways, click here.
- For status of Caltrans-maintained highways, click here.
- Visit the Los Padres National Forest website to view the latest information regarding trail closures.
Upgraded Mandatory Evacuation Order Issued for Select Areas Near Lake Fire Burn Scar – Effective at 3 p.m., Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Update by the edhat staff
2:00 p.m., February 12, 2025
An EVACUATION ORDER has been issued for the identified properties associated with the Lake Fire burn scar effective at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12, 2025.
This EVACUATION ORDER is due to a higher risk of significant flooding, debris flows or landslides for these properties as identified by federal, state and local public safety officials. The remaining areas of the Lake Fire Burn Scar will stay under an Evacuation Warning. The entire area is at risk for flooding and becoming isolated due to storm impacts.
Click here for a map of the impacted area.
Community members in the EVACUATION ORDER area should:
- Leave NOW. The EVACUATION ORDER will remain in effect until further notice.
- Expect strong winds which can cause debris to fall onto roadways and power outages.
- Be prepared to sustain yourself and your household for multiple days if you choose not to evacuate. You may not be able to leave the area and emergency responders may not be able to access your property in the event of road damage, flooding, or a debris flow.
Community members in the EVACUATION WARNING area should:
- Prepare to leave: fill gas tank, load up important documents, essential items, etc.
- LEAVE if you feel unsafe. DO NOT wait for an evacuation order.
- If you do not leave, prepare to shelter in place for the duration of the storm and possibly for multiple days after.
- People with disabilities, access and functional needs should LEAVE NOW.
- People who need more time to evacuate, such as, families with children, seniors, and those who require assistance with transportation should LEAVE NOW.
- People with large animals should LEAVE NOW.
- DO NOT attempt to drive while it is dark or raining, as roads may be damaged or your car may be swept away by moving water or debris.
Countywide community members are still advised to do the following:
- Stay away from burned areas, rivers, creeks, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Those living in areas prone to flooding should stay aware of changing conditions and be prepared to take protective actions, such as evacuating and sheltering in place.
- Roads impacted during previous storms may experience flooding, mud and rock slides. Communities along these roads may become isolated.
- Beaches, bluffs and the Harbor area may be impacted. This storm may trigger coastal flooding and erosion along the bluffs throughout the county. Residents and visitors are advised to stay away from beach areas.
- Strong winds can cause power outages. Charge important electronic devices and be prepared in case an unexpected power outage occurs.
- Secure belongings that could get impacted by strong winds such as outdoor furniture.
Additionally, the following storm resources are available:
- For assistance with animal evacuation, call (805) 681-4332.
- For sheltering assistance, call the American Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767.
- For additional information, contact the Santa Barbara County Call Center at 833-688-5551. The Call Center is open until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12.
- For status of highways, visit Caltrans: https://roads.dot.ca.gov/roadscell.php
- For status of county roadways, visit County Public Works: https://www.countyofsb.org/2116/Road-Closures
For additional information regarding evacuations, rain resources, and more, visit https://www.readysbc.org/.
REGISTER TO RECEIVE ReadySBC ALERTS: If you haven’t registered for emergency alerts, register now at ReadySBC.org. Receive local emergency alerts via text, phone call, and email.
Evacuation Warning Issued for Lake Fire Area, Potential to be Upgraded to Mandatory Order
By the edhat staff
February 11, 2025
An EVACUATION WARNING has been issued for areas within and near the Lake Fire burn scar effective at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. This EVACUATION WARNING is due to an incoming storm arriving Wednesday, February 12, 2025 with the potential to produce flash flooding, debris flows and landslides. Click here for a map of the impacted area.
The EVACUATION WARNING is in effect until further notice and may be upgraded to an Evacuation Order.
During the EVACUATION WARNING, community members living in the impacted area are asked to:
- Prepare to leave: fill gas tank, load up important documents, essential items, etc.
- LEAVE if you feel unsafe. DO NOT wait for an evacuation order.
- People with disabilities, access and functional needs should LEAVE NOW.
- People who need more time to evacuate, such as, families with children, seniors, and those who require assistance with transportation should LEAVE NOW.
- People with large animals should LEAVE NOW.
- DO NOT attempt to drive while it is dark or raining, as roads may be damaged or your car may be swept away by moving water or debris.
Additionally, the following storm resources are available:
- For assistance with animal evacuation, call (805) 681-4332.
- For status of highways, visit Caltrans: https://roads.dot.ca.gov/roadscell.php
- For status of county roadways, visit County Public Works: https://www.countyofsb.org/2116/Road-Closures
Residents not living in evacuation warning areas are still advised to do the following:
- Stay away from burned areas, rivers, creeks, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Those living in areas prone to flooding should stay aware of changing conditions and be prepared to take protective actions, such as evacuating and sheltering in place.
- Roads impacted during previous storms may experience flooding, mud and rock slides. Communities along these roads may become isolated.
- Beaches, bluffs and the Harbor area may be impacted. This storm may trigger coastal flooding and erosion along the bluffs throughout the county. Residents and visitors are advised to stay away from beach areas.
- Strong winds can cause power outages. Charge important electronic devices and be prepared in case an unexpected power outage occurs.
- Secure belongings that could get impacted by strong winds such as outdoor furniture.
For additional information regarding evacuations, weather conditions and more:
- Contact the Santa Barbara County Call Center at 1 (833) 688-5551. The County Call Center is open until 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 11 and from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12.
- Visit https://www.readysbc.org/.
REGISTER TO RECEIVE ReadySBC ALERTS: If you haven’t registered for emergency alerts, register now at ReadySBC.org. Receive local emergency alerts via text, phone call, and email.
RUBY – “Don’t buy/build near fire zones.” Cool, when are you going to move out of southern CA? We’re ALL “near fire zones.”
Also, read the article. This is about mudslides. Those affect people who aren’t in fire zones. Remember Montecito, you callous troll?
“Slide areas go hand in hand with fire zones. ” – Oh jesus Christ, RUBY. Please tell me you’re really not that clueless….
Slides can affect people outside “fire zones” (as you call them) because…..they….. are…… SLIDES. The earth from the fire zone SLIDES away and downhill/down river/creek from where….? THE FIRE ZONES.
So, like the many people who died in Montecito but didn’t live in what you would call a “fire zone,” are affected by mudslides, which is the TOPIC OF THIS ARTICLE.
Have you moved yet? You can’t be living in any coastal CA city and still be saying not to build/buy (or live) in a “fire zone.”
Let us know where you end up! Hope there’s no tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, ice storms, etc where you end up.
Slide areas go hand in hand with fire zones. I assumed you knew that, sac. The size of a fire zone is directly related to the incompetence of the local government, it seems. Don’t buy or build in a fire zone.
More rube idiocy.