December 4th marks the first anniversary of the massive Thomas Fire which burned for weeks in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, killing two people and destroying more than a thousand structures. As people remember what happened, concern remains high about some potential new impacts.
The Thomas Fire burned more than 280,000 acres of land before it was contained. The stripped hillsides above Montecito set the stage for the deadly debris flow in January which killed 23 people.
This week, the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management released updated maps showing potential debris flow danger areas for the Thomas Fire, as well as for the Sherpa and Whittier brush fires.
Residents near burn areas are being urged to review the maps, and if there are storms, be alert for evacuation orders, and have evacuation plans. It means of you feel in danger, not waiting for evacuation orders to move to a safe place.
The map will be reviewed at a community meeting in Carpinteria Wednesday night at 5:30, at the Veterans Memorial Building. There’s another meeting December 12th at 5:30, at Montecito Union School. You can find a link to the interactive map here.
