Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Santa Barbara County Looking At Plan To Reduce Brush Fire Danger In High Risk Areas Of County

The Thomas Fire burning in Santa Barbara County in December of 2017

The Central and South Coasts have been hit by a number of deadly and destructive brush fires over the past few years. On Tuesday, Santa Barbara County Supervisors will consider adopting a community wildfire protection plan for one of the most at-risk areas of the county.

It’s called the San Marcos Pass-Eastern Goleta Valley Plan Community Wildfire Protection Plan. It covers 29 square miles, including close to 20,000 acres of land and 1100 structures.

The plan outlines steps ranging from improving fire resistance of homes to removing dangerous brush buildup. It’s been under development for more than two years, and included a series of community meetings.

One of the key elements of the plan is brush reduction, which would have to be balanced with the environmental impacts of the removal process.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral.