The City of Solvang and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department will hold the annual Solvang Christmas Tree Burn on Friday, January 7, from 5 – 7 p.m., in the empty field adjacent to Old Mission Santa Inés (1760 Mission Drive, Solvang). The January 7 Tree Burn will be the 31st annual for the City of Solvang, which did not host a Tree Burn in January 2021 due to COVID concerns and the associated Santa Barbara County guidelines at that time.

The Solvang Christmas Tree Burn is usually held in early January as a wrap-up of the month-long Solvang Julefest celebration, and is considered to be one of the largest fire safety demonstrations along the California Central Coast. The tree burn will include music, a retirement of American Flags led by Boy Scout Troops 007 and 41, a fire safety demonstration, and refreshments for sale, with the grand finale of igniting the gathered trees.

Christmas trees may be dropped off at any time up until 4 p.m. on January 7. All City of Solvang residents may also leave their Christmas trees curbside the week of January 3, and Waste Management will pick them up on respective service days. The City of Solvang asks that residents and businesses please do not drop off or leave curbside flocked trees, or trees with ornaments, tinsel, or other decorations.

For further information and updates about the January 7 Tree Burn and fire safety demonstration, please visit www.SolvangJulefest.org/treeburn or contact Solvang City Hall at (805) 688-5575. Fire-related inquiries may be directed to Santa Barbara County Fire Department at www.SBCFire.com/inquire.

The post Annual Christmas tree burn slated for Jan. 7 appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

By Tom Bolton, Noozhawk Executive Editor

Mike Eliason is known to many as a source of timely information about wildfires, crashes and other public-safety incidents in Santa Barbara County.

But the public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department found himself in a very different role Sunday night, when a stranger broke into the home he shares with his wife, Kathy, in the Mesa neighborhood in Santa Barbara.

Eliason was out of town at about 6:45 p.m. when he was alerted by cameras on the property about a possible intruder.

“The guy pulled right in and parked in the driveway,” Eliason told Noozhawk.

Eliason watched via his security cameras as the man walked into the courtyard, then climbed a fence and proceeded into the backyard.

The man found a crowbar or piece of metal in a backyard shed, Eliason said, and smashed a side window, gaining access to the inside of the home.

Eliason called the Santa Barbara Police Department’s communications center to report the break-in, and officers were dispatched to the scene.

He provided a description of the suspect, and kept the dispatcher apprised of where the man was in the residence.

The intruder spent a lot of time rummaging around in the house, Eliason said.

“He was going through drawers, opening cabinets and taking down pictures,” Eliason said. “He went into the garage and got into my car.”

Police officers quickly surrounded the home and ordered the man to come out, but he was not compliant, and the incident continued for nearly two hours, according to police.

Eliason was able to remotely open the window blinds, which aided officers in tracking the suspect’s whereabouts in the residence.

Eventually, a police K-9 dog was sent in to locate and detain the suspect, who in the meantime had gone into a bedroom closet and donned one of Eliason’s County Fire Department uniforms.

After a brief struggle with police, the man was taken into custody shortly after 9 p.m., according to police Sgt. Ethan Ragsdale.

The suspect, identified as Trey Von Duus, 21, of Buellton, was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of felony burglary, resisting arrest, and vehicle theft, Ragsdale said.

He remained in custody Monday, with bail set at $50,000.

The vehicle Duus arrived in was found to be stolen out of Santa Ynez, Ragsdale added.

The whole experience was a unique one for Eliason.

“I’m used to providing information about fires and crashes, but this was something I’d rather not do,” he said.

— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. 

The post Burglary at Mesa Home Presents New Challenge to County Fire Department Information Officer appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Staff Report

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department has announced the death of Riley, its retired live scent search dog. 

Born in Northern California, Riley, after two attempts at domestic life, found his place in this world as a live scent search dog, trained by the Search Dog Foundation in Santa Paula. 

On Oct. 15, 2009, Riley finished his basic Search Dog training and was paired with Capt. Eric Gray of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. The duo worked extremely hard and after seven months of training together, they passed their FEMA certification on May 15, 2010, in Boston.
Gray and Riley continued to train intensively to maintain the very specific, high-level skill set needed for disaster search. In addition to their regular daily training on obedience and obstacles, the pair traveled at least twice a week for search training with their teammates on California Task Force 2, based in Los Angeles. 

“He taught me things that I didn’t know I needed lessons in,” Gray said in his social media post about Riley. 

“On the pile he searched with a ferocity that was both frantic and yet oddly controlled.  His alert was singularly his, anyone who knows will laugh remembering this,” Gray added. “Once he located the victim, he would sit back on his hind legs and, with the anger of a toddler tantrum, bounce up and down on his front paws as if that would expedite bringing forth the toy he so deserved. Think aggressive push-ups. Boing, boing, boing, boing, boing! That bouncing accompanied by a hugely deep, bassy bark that was in rhythm with the bouncing. When Riley found his victim, there was no doubt what was happening.”

Riley and Gray had several high-profile deployments during their career together. On Aug. 24, 2010, They responded to their first disaster, a semi-truck loaded with gravel that had launched off the road and into a Santa Barbara home. Riley worked tirelessly ensuring no victims were left unaccounted for. 

Riley’s work was not limited to local incidents: On March 10, 2011, while assigned to Los Angeles County FEMA Task Force 2, he and Gray were deployed to Japan to search for victims in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunami. 

On April 26, 2015, Gray and Riley were again deployed overseas to provide their services to the victims of the Nepal earthquake. They worked for over a week looking for and locating victims among the rubble. 

In 2017, the duo brought their skills to Puerto Rico to search for victims of Hurricane Maria. 

Riley’s last high-profile deployment was On Jan. 9, 2018, where he and Gray searched for several days following the devastating Montecito debris flow. 

“Years together and thousands of hours of training came together in one place,” Gray said. “Then Montecito…our backyard, where all who responded were faced with a substance none had trained in. Mud! Deep, dangerous, still often moving. But we had a job. Trust! I opened the crate door, walked him to the edge of the mud and gave him the word that gave him purpose, ‘search.’ 

“He didn’t need my help, my encouragement, my guidance or support. Simply, trust me Dad. He did an unbelievable job in the absolute worst circumstances and conditions.”

After retirement, Riley spent his last two years at home with Gray and his family.

The post SBC Fire mourns loss of beloved search dog Riley appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

A three-acre brush fire started in the late Friday morning, according to Santa Barbara County Fire officials. The fire was reported at 11:05 a.m. and crews from Santa Barbara County as well as Los Padres National Forest confirmed a 3-acre vegetation fire with flames being pushed by a west wind, SBC Fire Capt. Daniel Bertucelli said.

The county amped up their response to include four engine crews, a dozer crew, helicopter and water tender trucks, Bertuccelli said.

He did say the fire was moving in a moderate rate of speed and has not yet been considered “knocked down”. Crews are starting hose and containment lines.

As of 1:30 p.m., the cause of the fire is still under investigation and still burning, also local traffic will be impacted, according to Bertucelli.

The post Brush fire reported near Lake Cachuma Friday appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

In anticipation of the approaching inclement weather, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department offers the following tips to help keep you and your passengers safe while driving on wet roads: 

• Routinely check your tires. Check tire tread depth and for proper inflation. 
• Slow down. As rain falls, it mixes with grime and oil on the road creating slick
  conditions. 
• Know how to recover from a skid. Remember not to slam on the brakes. Apply
  firm, steady pressure to the brakes and steer the car in the direction of the skid. 
• Keep your distance from the car ahead. It takes about three times longer to
  break on wet roads than on dry roads. 
• Turn your headlights on. Not only do they help you see the road, but they’ll help
  other drivers see you. 
• First rains make the road very slippery. First rains make the roads the most
  difficult to drive on as mud and oil combine with water to form a slippery layer. 
• Dry your brakes after driving through standing water. If you have driven
  through standing water, apply the brakes lightly for a short time to dry them. 
• Make sure your wipers are in good condition and functioning properly. California law requires that if you have your wipers on, your vehicle headlights must also be on. 

Taking these simple tips into account can save your life. 

The post Driving in the rain safety reminders appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Santa Barbara County Fire responded to a head-on collision just after 9 a.m. at Highway 246 just east of Alamo Pintado in Solvang.

The collision involved two vehicles, one a truck and the other a small SUV, according to Cpt. Daniel Bertucelli, of SBC Fire. 

Upon arrival fire officials determined there were two people involved, one with minor injuries and one fatal, he added. 

Local law enforcement is doing an investigation into the accident and traffic will be impacted until further notice. Highway 246 is closed at Alamo Pintado Road in Solvang and motorists should be aware of law enforcement and other emergency responders, including Caltrans in this area.

US Highway 101 and Highway 154 remains open for travelers with a local detour in place.

Use caution in the area. 

The post Fatal head on collision Friday morning in Solvang appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department is excited to announce the launch of its newly redesigned website: www.sbcfire.com. Over the course of the last six months, the department has been working with local web designer Ameravant Web Design to create and develop a website that is not only educational to the public, but also provides residents with vital, up-to-date information during times of emergencies and disasters. 

The website has been designed for easy navigation and an emphasis on wildland fire awareness and preparation. In addition, the website will keep residents, business owners, property owners and visitors informed of current news, project development standards, emergency operations and services available to the public 

The redesigned website was, in part, made possible through a grant with the California Fire Foundation. ADA compliance, translation capabilities and hosting security were all priorities during the design and are integrated within the new site to ensure the site is accessible to the diverse population we serve. 

Members of the public are encouraged to visit the new site to learn more about the organization and how County Fire serves and safeguards the local community. 

The post SB County Fire launches new website appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

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.

The post Drum Fire is at 80 percent containment as of Tuesday appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com

Santa Barbara County Fire is assisting the Los Padres Forest Service as a vegetation fire broke out Monday afternoon around 5 p.m., according to Mike Eliason, SBC Fire. 

The Red Fire is reported about 2 – 3 acres near the Red Rock campgrounds off Paradise Road. The current temperatures are in the mid 90’s and a wind speed of 5 – 12 mph and 21 percent relative humidity, Eliason stated. 

Fire Cpt. Daniel Bertucelli stated forward progress of the fire is expected soon. Several crews including dozers and air attack.

This is a developing story, check back for details. 

The post Vegetation fire breaks out near Red Rock Monday afternoon appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The post SBC Fire preparing for high fire season appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.