Goleta details fire-preparedness work, Cal Fire grant and fuel-reduction results after regional wildfires

City officials and county fire representatives used the Jan. 21 council meeting to summarize ongoing wildfire-preparedness work and to outline near-term steps residents can take to reduce risk.

Autumn Glaser, deputy director of Public Works, told the council the city has completed substantial hazardous-fuel reduction work in the Elwood and Lake Los Carneros areas: about 15 acres of heavy fuels and dead-tree removals at Elwood were completed after obtaining the required Coastal Development Permit. Staff cited a combination of funding and partners for recent work: state agencies, the California Conservation Corps, private contractors and FEMA support; roughly $750,000 of dead-tree removal was paid as part of FEMA disaster declarations over the last three years.

Public Works noted the city is implementing a $1,700,000 Cal Fire grant to fund defensible-space maintenance, brush removal and tree work. As part of other grants (Coastal Conservancy) the city installed about 1.3 miles of 3-inch water main to support irrigation and (as available) fire protection access; staff also repaired an emergency access road into Elwood Mesa.

The city described ongoing activities at Lake Los Carneros, including an annual 30-foot perimeter fuel-reduction band and Firewise outreach. Public Works said the city is conducting a prioritized urban-forest risk assessment with a $1,000,000 grant administered by Green Latinos to identify and address hazardous trees.

Chief Mark Hartwig (County Fire) said fire season is essentially year-round and reiterated the Ready, Set, Go framework: prepare (defensible space, emergency kit), be set (have supplies and plans for pets/medications) and go (leave when ordered so firefighters can protect property). Hartwig emphasized ember ignition as a primary risk: "Your home is much more likely to burn from embers than a direct flame impingement," and described a recommended 0-to-150-foot set of clearance zones around homes.

SCE representative Natalie Yanez described PSPS (public-safety power shutoff) activity in the region: SCE provides outage maps and outage-preparation resources online, operates Community Resource Centers (CRCs) with partners during events and has programs such as the medical baseline and critical-care backup battery for eligible customers.

Council members raised operational questions about evacuations for residents without reliable transport, tracking of vulnerable facilities (dialysis and other care centers), and neighborhood-scale outreach. Assistant City Manager Valdez said the city would follow up with County Office of Emergency Management and the Sheriff's Office for further clarification about evacuations of persons with access and functional needs.

What it means: The council received a comprehensive, multiagency status update showing the city has active fuels-reduction projects, grant-funded investments and a renewed focus on bilingual community training and CERT expansion. Staff committed to continued outreach, to scheduling community disaster-education classes this spring, and to a follow-up dialogue with county emergency-management and sheriff staff about evacuations for residents with access/functional needs.