The weather was cool and cloudy and threatened rain, but that did not deter the over 1,200 people who attended the 9th annual Touch a Truck fundraiser at Bethania Lutheran Church on Saturday, May 3. Throngs of excited children explored all the different vehicles that were on display in the three parking lots behind the church. It was a day of family fun and exploration.

On display were earthmovers, a garbage truck that seemed to be a favorite, vehicles from the fire department, the SWAT team, the police department, emergency and rescue vehicles, construction, safety, and farming equipment, a PG&E truck, the Solvang Trolley, Dennis Beebe’s 1942 Ford-built Jeep, and colorfully decorated food trucks, to name a few.

Children excitedly climbed into the driver’s seat, anxious to explore the inside of vehicle after vehicle under the guidance of friendly professionals who spent time explaining to the children the different gadgets. Periodically horns honked, sirens screamed, buttons were pushed, and loudspeakers on police vehicles conveyed the voices of delighted children. Families with sensitive ears could attend during the designated “No Horn” hour from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

The family-friendly event also featured a range of entertainment, including face painting, custom helmet fittings, raffle prizes, and concession stands.

“One of my favorite events we do in the year is the Touch a Truck event. It brings people of all ages in the community together for such a fun time,” said Pastor Chris Brown. “It was one of our preschool parents who brought the idea of this event to us, and I thought it would be a great fundraiser. My hope this year is to raise $20,000. All of our sponsors are community members, and all of our trucks are community businesses. It’s a great representation of the community coming together. We would like to thank all of our sponsors, participants, and community members who came out to support our school.”

“We are very excited to open our doors to the community with our annual Touch a Truck event,” said Lola Gonzalez, one of the 100 volunteers who helped with the event. “We are also happy that we’ve had over 1,000 people attend the event. We had more vehicles this year for the kids to enjoy, and we have wonderful raffle prizes. Each preschool classroom comes up with a themed basket to be raffled off, and they are beautiful.”

“It was a big team effort from parents and our wonderful staff,” said Cat Uhl, chairperson for the event. “Our community family helped, sponsoring businesses and vehicle participation. We had more and different trucks this year, thanks to Valley networking. I am looking forward to another successful year. It’s fun to see the kids’ excitement. I was on the committee for four years, and this is the first time being the chairperson for the event.”

“It is amazing to see even 1-year-old children so enthralled in touching these enormous vehicles, pushing all the buttons, and climbing all over these giant machines. Even at that age, big trucks are magic to their imagination. It was wonderful to see the joy in the children’s faces,” said Jennifer Bennett.

All of the proceeds benefit Bethania Preschool and After School programs.

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An early-morning fire engulfed an abandoned three-story building on the corner of 1st Street and Molle Way in Solvang on Friday, May 2. The building is Hans Christian Andersen Square, informally known in town as the “Water Wheel Building.”

Santa Barbara County Fire responded to a 5:29 a.m. for a structure fire, and firefighters arrived at the scene with the building already fully in flames. Originally a two-alarm fire, the incident was upgraded to a third alarm, with a strike team from the Operational Area being ordered.

“We went into defensive operations to keep the fire from spreading to adjacent building,” said County Fire PIO Scott Safechuck in a video posted on X. “[We also] evacuated a block in either direction due to the fire conditions and the heat coming off the building.”

Safechuck reported the fire was knocked down at 7:19 a.m. County Fire said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.

The property at 1st and Molle consists of three buildings that hosted a number of shops and a museum, but has sit abandoned for over a decade.

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The Solvang Brewing Company restaurant on 1500 block of Mission Drive is temporarily closed after a fire in the back part of the building caught fire, gutting the kitchen and causing minimal smoke damage in the bar/dining room area.

According to Santa Barbara County Fire PIO Scott Safechuck, county firefighters responded to a 1st alarm structure fire at the business at 8:24 p.m. on Monday night, Jan. 20. Crews were able to get the fire knocked down by 9:16. There were no occupants in the building.

Solvang Brewing Company owner Steve Renfro said a couple days later that the fire was caused by a bag of cleaning rags that spontaneously combusted while sitting behind the business.

“We had close early that night because it was slow,” Renfro said. “We cleaned up and left about 6:15 p.m. I got a call about 8:20 telling me the building was on fire, so I drove there. Later we looked at security footage and saw the rags catch fire.”

Renfro said that while the kitchen was heavily damaged and would have to be redone, there are no issues at the front of the building, and smoke damage in the dining room was “minimal.”

For now, Renfro, who has been cooperating with city officials on recovery, is planning to get the business open “on some level” as soon as possible.

“We can’t use the kitchen for a while, but we’ll still be able to serve drinks, and I’m looking into leasing a food trailer so we can serve food to our customers,” he said.

“This is devastating to all involved,” Renfro continued. “I just want to get operating on some level because we have a lot of good employees who we need to get back to work so they can pay their bills. Right now, I’m just trying to stay positive.”

Renfro has owned the business since 2010. Solvang Brewing Company also has a location in Lompoc.

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By Mike Chaldu

michael@santaynezvalleystar.com

A layer of smoke and ashes settled over the Santa Ynez Valley in the second week of July as fire crews have battled a blaze that started in the Zaca Lake area and continues to burn on the northern edge of the Valley.

Dubbed the Lake Fire, it was first reported Friday, July 5, and has grown to 37,872 acres and is at 19 percent containment, according to the latest incident update by Cal Fire (www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/7/5/lake-fire) at 7:18 p.m. Thursday, July 13.

With the growth, the Lake Fire is now split into a North and South Zone as the fire expands in acreage and personnel. The fire remains under Unified Command, with two fire camps to support firefighting efforts, with 3,034 personnel currently assigned to fight the fire.

An excessive heat warning continues with temperatures reaching 106 degrees on the fire line yesterday. 

A cause for the fire has not yet been determined, but the investigation continues.

As of July 11, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office had Evacuation Orders out for the following: 

• The area east of La Brea Creek and Forest Route 10N06, south of the Los Padres National Forest boundary, and north of the Sisquoc River
• Woodstock (Areas north of Calzada Avenue, east of East Oak Trail Rd., west of Happy Canyon, and south of the Sisquoc River)
• Goat Rock Areas (Area of Goat Rock, east of Figueroa Creek, north of the U.S. Forest Service entrance at Happy Canyon Road, and south of Cachuma Mountain)
• SB Ranger area (remote forest area east of Goat Rock)
• Parts of the Figueroa Mountain area as follows: south of Tunnel House at Sisquoc River, east of Figueroa Creek, north of the southern end of Cachuma Mountain, and west of Los Padres National Forest areas
• All areas from Figueroa Mountain Road at Junction Camp (including Tunnel Rd) to Chamberlin Ranch and all areas from Zaca Lake Road at Foxen Canyon Road north to the Sisquoc River including east of Foxen Canyon Road to the 9000 block.

Areas under an Evacuation Warning as of July 11 are:

• Area east of Kelly Canyon, north of Sisquoc River, west of La Brea Creek and Forest Route 10N06, and south of the Los Padres National Forest.
• Area starting at the south end of Cachuma Creek, northeast of Santa Cruz Creek to Santa Cruz Peak, west through Grand Spring, and to the northern part of Cachuma Creek.
• Area east and north of Alisos Rd (L-shaped road), west of Cachuma Creek, and south of the US Forest Service entrance at Happy Canyon Road.
• Area east of Highway 154, north of Armour Ranch Road/Secretariate St, west of Alisos Rd, and south of the Woodstock area.
• Areas north of Zaca Creek Road to Rancho Sisquoc and south of the Sisquoc River
• Area east of Figueroa Mountain Road, north of Highway 154, west of Calzada Ave/W Oak Trail Rd and south of Woodstock Rd.

UPDATE: Evacuation changes reported on Saturday, July 13:

Evacuation Order downgraded to EVACUATION WARNING:

• The area north of Chamberlin Ranch and properties located southwest of the 5200 block of Figueroa Mountain Road. This excludes the area to the east of Lisque Creek and north of the Sedgwick Reserve facilities, which remains in Evacuation Order.
• The Woodstock community and eastern parts of Oak Trail Estates. 
• The area of KP Ranch west of Alisos Road, and includes parts of Estelle Vineyard Drive, Santa Agueda Creek, and Brinkerhoff Avenue.

EVACUATION WARNINGS CANCELLED:

• The area east of Highway 154, north of Armour Ranch Road/Secretariate St, west of Alisos Rd, and south of the Woodstock and KP Ranch.
• The area east of Figueroa Mountain Road, north of Highway 154, west of Calzada Ave/W Oak Trail Rd and south of Woodstock Rd.

A shelter had been set up at the Solvang Veterans Memorial Hall at 1745 Mission Drive in Solvang, but the American Red Cross closed the shelter on Thursday.

“We determined that the need was not there for the shelter at the moment, but have all the personnel ready to go to open up a shelter again if conditions warrant it,” said Taylor Poisall, regional communications director for the Red Cross. She said that shelter had hosted one overnight evacuee, and five that had come in for various services but did not stay overnight.

Anyone impacted by the Lake Fire and needing sheltering assistance can call the Red Cross at (805) 678-3073, or those who need any additional information can call the Santa Barbara County Call Center at (805)

The area the fire originated from is approximately 15 miles north of Los Olivos and approximately 20 miles east of Los Alamos. The blaze was also getting closer to the former Neverland Ranch, which was Michael Jackson’s residence, and the Midland and SYV Family schools.

The fire is apparent to residents, visitors, and businesses in Los Olivos, the nearest town to the fire, but there have been no evacuations warning according to residents, although information has been posted to a portable bulletin board sittingon the corner of Grand Avenue and Alamo Pintado Avenue.

“We can see the smoke and the firefighters around town, but we haven’t had any warnings yet,” said a Los Olivos resident who was checking out the information on the board and chose not to be identified. “I’m just going about my day like everyone else here. I guess I’m just like Nero — fiddling while the area burns.”

Over at the Firestone Walker Brewing Company, two patrons at the bar said they haven’t gotten any evacuation warnings, but it has affected their work.

Terry Albrecht, who is a contractor said he had equipment he couldn’t get to because its stored in Woodstock, one of the evacuation areas.

“I can’t get up there to get my tools because that’s the fire area,” he said. “So we’re just taking it easy here.”

Albrecht, who lives in Buellton, and his co-worker Tom Reviea, of Los Olivos, said they haven’t heard any indications of an evacuation.

“I think we’ll be fine,” Reviea said. “They have trees and grass that burn efficiently, but no chaparral, which tends to be a bigger problem with fires like that.”

Although evacuations haven’t been ordered, the fire is affecting business at Firestone Walker, according to employee Sherri Bjorklund.

“We’ve had our business practically cut in half,” Bjorklund said. “However, the firefighters have been really good at updating us on conditions, and the info they gave us today looked good as far as them making progress.”

Meanwhile, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District issued an Air Quality Watch for Santa Barbara County to be in effect until conditions improve, and Santa Ynez Valley was added to the watch on Thursday.

The firefighting efforts are under the Unified Command with California Complex Incident Management Team 13, led by Incident Commander Joshua Boehm, and including USFS Los Padres National Forest, Santa Barbara County Fire and Cal Fire, according to LPNF officials. Cooperators working on this incident include Santa Barbara County Sheriff’sDepartment, Santa Barbara Office of Emergency Management, Santa Barbara County Department of Public Works, the Chumash Fire Department, the California Highway Patrol, and California Office of Emergency Services.

More information on the fire and evacuations can be found at www.countyofsb.org/4275/Lake-Fire-Incident—July-5-2024 or by calling the Santa Barbara County Call Center at (833) 688-5551.

The Santa Ynez Valley Star will continue to update this story.

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Staff Report

A barbecue fundraiser has been scheduled for three families left homeless by a fire at Rancho Alamo Mobile Home Park in Los Alamos.

The fire broke out on Thursday, July 21, around 12:50 p.m. Two homes were completely destroyed and the third sustained 50 percent damage, making it unlivable. All the occupants were able to evacuate safely. 

A barbecue fundraiser featuring pork tacos, hamburgers and hot dogs will be held for all three families from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 31, at the Los Alamos Men’s Club, 429 Leslie St., in Los Alamos. Dinner is $20 for adults and $12 for children. All are welcome to attend.

To purchase tickets online, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/391221452897 or email ticketsforlosalamosfire22@gmail.com

Anyone wishing to donate money to help these families rebuild their lives can go to their Go Fund Me pages listed below.

Fundraiser for Kim #1 and #2: https://www.gofundme.com/f/f22dv-lost-everything-to-a-house-fire?utm_campaign=p_cf%20share-flow-1&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer

https://www.gofundme.com/f/home-of-30-plus-years-destoryed-in-house-fire?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer

Fundraiser for Kris: 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/my-families-new-trailer-fund?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer

Fundraiser for Laura: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ubwznt-lost-everything-due-to-house-fire?member=20825887&utm_campaign=p_cp%20share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer

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publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com

The Drum Fire is now at 80 percent containment because of low temperatures, foggy conditions and hard work by the fire crews. The vegetation fire broke out just before 1 p.m. on Sunday in the 4700 block of Domingos Road just west of Buellton, and was rapidly spreading due to windy conditions. Winds were steady at 12 miles per hour with gusts of up to 22 mph. 

GPS map of the Drum Fire.
Photo contributed

GPS mapping also upped the acreage to 696 burned, according to Santa Barbara County Fire officials. 

Luckily there were no structures damaged or anyone injured. 

Firefighters will continue to mop up and extend containment lines, reaching 100 percent containment at roughly 8 pm tonight.

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The fire that started early Thursday morning on Hollister Ranch is now at 75 percent containment, according to Santa Barbara County Fire officials. 

The vegetation fire was reported around 2:15 a.m. and quickly grew from 20 to 156 acres fueled by offshore winds, said Cpt. Daniel Bertucelli. 

There  were about 120 firefighters with several engines, hand crews and air support that were assigned to the incident.

Gaviota State Park is closed until further notice. 

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As Santa Ynez Valley resident Dani Tupper was driving with her son passed Cesar’s Car Wash in Santa Ynez Friday evening, she noticed smoke coming from a neighboring property and pulled over to see the shed fully engulfed in fire. She parked her truck away from the flames to protect her son, and ran to see how she could help as there were no authorities on scene yet.

“The flames were 15 feet from the gas station… On the porch was a sweet little girl screaming for help. I jumped the fence and started asking who else was in the house and she said just her mom who was trying to put out the fire,” Tupper said on her social media post. 

The fire in the 3100 block of Highway 246 was reported by multiple parties around 8:41 p.m., according to Santa Barbara County Fire officials. 

Tupper said after calling in the fire she ran to the back of the house where she found the mother hosing down the yard with a garden hose. 

“I grabbed the hose from her and told her to grab the dogs and leave. There was a generator that exploded less than 10 feet from me,” Tupper said in her post.

She then let the chickens out of their coop to escape and grabbed the little girl as the father and authorities from SBC Fire and the Sheriff’s Department arrived. 

“Firefighters found the shed fully engulfed as well as power lines down and a vehicle on fire,” said Captain Daniel Bertucelli, of SBC Fire. 

Firefighters quickly knocked down the fire and are investigating the cause of the fire. There were no injuries reported, Bertucelli added. 

Tupper said she left the scene to get back to her son and not get in the way any further and hoped that the family was alright. 

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By John Baeke

As a transplant from Tornado Alley in Kansas, I was all too familiar with the sounds of Civil Defense sirens and running for shelter. I likened the randomness of where that night’s tornado would strike to the Nazi buzz bombs dropping on London. You knew, somewhere in the city, there would be tears.

The tires and interior of this seven-series BMW are toast.

Once you can sigh in the relief of no loss of life, the reality of the overwhelming devastation sets in. As the hopeless car guy I am, it always caused me pain to see the twisted and mangled remains of vintage motorcars. I knew each one must have had a wonderful story to

It’s ironic to find a Triumph SpitFire in the aftermath of a fire.

tell: trips to the ice cream parlor; weddings, parades … but never again.

Though life in California is blissfully free of tornados, wildfires may be worse. Knowing how pervasive the car-culture is in our sunny state, I was drawn to visit Malibu a day after the rain that finally extinguished the horrible Woolsey fire.

This fire eventually killed three, destroyed nearly 2,000 homes and torched 100,000 acres. My self-imposed assignment was to survey the rubble and witness firsthand the effect this latest firestorm had on our motoring treasures. I would remain respectful by not touching a thing.

A very desirable early ’60s Mercedes 220SE cabriolet, from left, a 1965 Ford Thunderbird, and an early ’70s Mercedes 450SL.

As a surgeon, I am able to remain strong in the face of blood and suffering. I was unprepared for what I saw.

To most, Malibu is nothing but a line of bumper-to-bumper traffic along Pacific Coast Highway, with a long row of compact beach homes. What few see is what is tucked in the miles of hills rising above the PCH in the Santa Monica Mountains. Here, cloistered away behind gilded gates, stuccoed walls and perfectly manicured hedgerows, are magnificent Mediterranean villas with unparalleled vistas of the Pacific Ocean and Channel Islands. This is the beautiful Malibu.

It is difficult to comprehend how a fire that began many miles inland near Calabasas could not be extinguished long before reaching Malibu. Indeed, the mountains in between are mostly non-forested and uninhabited. Residents I met were outspoken in their criticism of public works and city government; telling of their water being diverted and electricity being shut off (thus deactivating well pumps).

This 1951 Chevrolet Fleetline survived, but the owner’s Honda and home did not.

After fires in 2002, one neighborhood had the foresight to invest in their own private fire truck. As it was related to me, during the Woolsey fire the local fire department commandeered their truck, which later was found to be abandoned. Several homes in their neighborhood burned.

The fire consumed entire subdivisions and would then jump over a dozen homes before engulfing others of seeming identical construction. I learned that stucco burns, glass explodes, and cars melt. I also learned that one man with a garden hose can save a home.

Sadly, I had no difficulty finding beautiful motorcars destroyed, both daily drivers and collectors’ dream rides. To see these gems, now ash, still sitting on the front drive or inside a garage, speaks to the horror families experienced as fast-moving flames forced them to decide what must be left behind. With their shiny paint burned away, the remains of these cars now sit, rusting in the tears of their owners.

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A brush fire burning Sunday off Highway 166 east of the Santa Maria Valley has closed the roadway, according to emergency dispatch reports.

At approximately 1:30 p.m., personnel from Los Padres National Forest, Santa Barbara  County Fire Department and Cal Fire responded to the blaze north of Highway 166 at Rock Front Ranch.

The blaze, dubbed the Front Fire, had ballooned to 300 acres, Andrew Madsen, Forest Service spokesman, said at 3:30 p.m.

“We’ve initiated a full response, including air tankers,” Madsen said.

By 4:30 p.m., the fire had burned more than 600 acres with zero containment.

Sounds of air tankers and other aerial firefighting tools could be heard over Santa Maria on Sunday afternoon.

Authorities were discussing whether to close Highway 166 due to the fire and equipment in the area, but the highway initially remained open.

However, as the fire crept closer to the busy two-lane roadway, authorities closed Highway 166 between Highways 101 and 33 just before 5:30 p.m.

Highway 166 links the Central Coast to the southern San Joaquin Valley and sees heavy traffic at the start and end of weekends. An alternative route is Highway 46 in Paso Robles.

Due to the location of the fire, Los Padres National Forest personnel were managing the incident.

More than 150 firefighters were involved in the battle Sunday afternoon, according to Forest Service information.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation, authorities said.

— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com.

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