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.

The post We all weep for Malibu appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

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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reporter@santaynezvalleystar.com

A vegetation fire now being referred to as the Cruces Fire broke out near Highway 1 approximately three miles west of the 101 at 11:56 a.m. today.

Early reports from fire personnel on scene stated heavy vegetation burning, a rapid rate of spread, and the potential for 500-1,000 acres to burn.

Santa Barbara County Fire Department Captain Dave Zaniboni stated that approximately 150 acres have burned, and the fire has the potential to grow much larger.

“It’s currently estimated to be at approximately 150 acres with the potential to grow much larger,” Zamboni said.

There are 150 firefighters currently on scene, nine engines with five more en route, two helicopters, four tankers, three crews and four dozers.  Firefighters have made headway with the fire alongside highway 1 but are having difficulty with the northern edge of the fire.

The only ordered evacuations took place on ranches at the 7200 block of Highway 1. Santa Barbara County Fire also issued an evacuation warning for the Hollister Ranch, Cojo, and Gaviota State Beach areas.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

This story will be updated as the Star receives more information. 

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“When firefighters arrived on the scene the family was outside, but the fire destroyed a back bedroom and there was smoke damage throughout the house,” Zaniboni said.

The cause of the fire that started around 9:30 p.m. was unknown and investigators are still identifying the cause. The family was put in touch with American Red Cross to help them through the situation.

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The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has announced that Highway 154 will be fully closed from Cathedral Oaks Road/State Route 192 in Santa Barbara to Highway 246 on Thursday, Dec. 14 from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m.

This full closure is necessary so that firefighting equipment can be safely moved throughout the length of State Route 154 in response to brush fires in the region.

Residents who live and work within the boundaries of this closure will maintain access to State Route 154 with proper identification.

There is a possibility of further closures over the next few days. Caltrans will announce future closures as soon as details are available.

The Thomas Fire has now burned more than 237,500 acres and remains at 25 percent containment as of Wednesday afternoon, according to fire officials.

The thousands of fire personnel from several western states and many counties throughout California enjoy a much needed break.
Photo by Victoria Martinez

Lake Cachuma is now the staging area where more than 7,851 personnel have been fighting the week-long fire that has been estimated at costing more than $55.6 million.

There are 912 engines, 50 water tenders, 27 helicopters, 125 hand crews, 67 dozers and others assigned to the area. Some crews that the SYV Star staff talked to on Tuesday as they were coming into Lake Cachuma said they came in to refuel and get a few minutes of rest. Crews were from as far away as Oregon and Arizona and could be seen taking naps on cots, taking a moment to call family and friends, cleaning their equipment, making sure their equipment was functional, others were reading or taking a walk around the campground and picking up a few items at the Cachuma Lake General Store.

Motorists are advised to use U.S. Highway 101 to travel between south and north Santa Barbara County. Expect delays.

During times when Highway 154 is open, officials are still asking travelers to avoid Highway 154.

Other road closures in Santa Barbara County are listed at www.countyofsb.org.

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The brush fire along Highway 101 caused freeway closures in the area, and they are trying to get one lane open in the north and south bound directions, according to Caltrans.

*Update the southbound lanes are open and the #1 northbound lane is open*

The fire near Zaca Station was holding at about 5 acres, and the one along Cat Canyon is estimated at 4 acres, as air tankers drop retardant around the fire, Eliason said.

There were live wires down around Zaca Station which was making difficult for fire crews on scene. SB County along with Los Padres Forest Service and a Calfire crew on their way to the Thomas Fire were on the ground, while two fixed wing aircrafts were doing the air attack.

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