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W E DN E SDAY, O C TOBE R 2 0 , 2 021
Alisal Fire 97% contained Fire officials expect to reach full containment today
Council approves 90-day extension of safe-shelter program By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
A portion of the Alisal Fire burn area is seen near Refugio Road on Friday.
By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Crews working the Alisal Fire achieved 97% containment as of press time Tuesday, gaining control of the fire that has burned for more than a week and charred around 17,281 acres. On Tuesday, about 969 personnel assigned to the fire prioritized securing a few remaining hot spots in Arroyo Hondo on the west side of the fire and in the Sherpa Fire burn scar to the east. According to the incident command webpage for the fire, crews have been able to keep the blaze within its current footprint. Over the next two days, minimal fire activity is expected, though there is “some potential for moderate activity in isolated pockets where hold-over heat exists,” according to incident command. Los Padres National Forest officials said Tuesday they expect the fire to be 100% contained by the end of the day today, according to a news release. With the fire coming under control, the Type 1 Incident Management Team will hand over incident control to a local unit at the end of today’s shift, the news release said. The fire, which began last Monday near Alisal Lake, currently costs about $19.5 million, Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. He noted that last week’s acquisition of a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant will help to cover 75% of expenses. The chief also updated the board with the latest fire stats, sharing that a total of 939 people were evacuated due to the fire, 439 residences were threatened, and 10 residences and two outbuildings were destroyed. The fire did not cause any fatalities, he noted. Looking ahead, Chief Hartwig said officials are concerned about the potential for flooding or a debris flow in the aftermath of the fire. He told the Board of Supervisors that a Burned Area Emergency Response Team is on-site, as well as a Water Emergency Response Team from the state. “This watershed is larger than the watershed affected (by) the Sherpa Fire, or every bit as large,” Chief Hartwig said Tuesday. “We do expect some of the same concerns or flooding issues in the Refugio Canyon area following the fire.”
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Goleta man arrested after allegedly setting residence ablaze, threatening neighborhood By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
ANNELISE HANSHAW / NEWS-PRESS FILE
Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig says officials are concerned about the potential for flooding in areas affected by the Alisal Fire.
During his presentation, Chief Hartwig also shared the heroic efforts of Guadalupe Public Safety Director Michael Cash, who stopped to help an injured big rig truck driver as he was driving down the fire-surrounded Highway 101 on the evening of Oct. 11. Chief Hartwig told Supervisors that Mr. Cash transported the truck driver, who had suffered a head injury, to the hospital for treatment in his police cruiser. The chief reported that the injured driver is expected to make a full recovery. The big rig truck and its contents were destroyed in the fire. In addition to the update from Chief Hartwig, Supervisors also heard a brief presentation from Public Works Director Scott McGolpin on the damage sustained at the Tajiguas Landfill. Mr. McGolpin recalled how the fire “raced
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into the canyon” at Tajiguas, causing damage to the landfill’s slopes, the biofilter, the green waste/mulch pipe and the landfill gas system. The Public Works Director noted the “heroic effort” by fire crews to protect the $150 million Material Recovery Facility and put out fires surrounding the landfill. Mr. McGolpin told Supervisors that some slope stability issues will need to be addressed at the landfill, and added that for the time being, trash will be hauled to facilities in Ventura. The Air Pollution Control District of Santa Barbara County is forecasting “good” air quality for all areas of the county during the rest of the week as fire crews work to achieve full containment. For the latest updates on air quality, visit ourair.org/todays-air-quality. email: mhirneisen@newspress.com
GOLETA — A Goleta man is in custody after allegedly setting fire to a residence in the 100 block of Salisbury Avenue, firing a gun and attempting to force his way into neighboring homes. A structure fire was reported at around 4:40 a.m. Tuesday, and Santa Barbara County Fire and Sheriff’s deputies responded. Deputies had visited the address the evening prior for a report of a subject, 43-yearold Christopher Vance, acting strangely. The deputies were conducting a follow-up Tuesday, including a request for a mental health evaluation. Deputies heard from a subject that believes Mr. Vance intentionally started the fire, fired a gun and fled the scene. Nearby residents called 911 and signaled that Mr. Vance was trying to break into homes. A notification warned neighbors to stay inside their homes, and deputies searched the area. All Goleta area units responded to the scene, and
California Highway Patrol officers provided scene security for firefighters. A woman who was inside the residence was burned by the fire, and paramedics transported her to a nearby hospital. She is expected to recover. Flames extruded from the roof and windows as firefighters attacked the fire. Deputies located Mr. Vance in the 7700 block of Jenna Drive and took him into custody. He was treated at an area hospital for injuries he sustained prior to arrest. He was booked on a $500,000 bail Tuesday afternoon for the following charges: prowling (misdemeanor), resisting arrest (misdemeanor), vandalism (felony), burglary (felony), shooting at an inhabited dwelling (felony), arson of an inhabited dwelling (felony). email: ahanshaw@newspress.com
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LOTTERY
i nsi d e Classified.............. B4 Life..................... B1-2 Obituaries............. A4
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The Santa Barbara City Council decided to extend the safe-shelter program for residents of fire-prone encampments for 90 days at a cost of over $1.24 million during its meeting Tuesday. The discussion brought ideas, such as a bond measure to fund homeless assistance, that were passed in a separate motion. The safe-shelter program brought residents from encampments deemed fire hazards into the Rose Garden Inn, where 40 currently reside. Before Tuesday, the program was set to expire Nov. 1, but it didn’t go as planned. Nonprofit partner City Net is having trouble moving residents from the Rose Garden Inn “bridge housing” to permanent housing — but not for a lack of effort. There are currently nine program participants with housing vouchers in hand; 15 have obtained identification, and 16 are in progress. City Net looks at apartment listings every morning to try to secure a lease for those with vouchers. City Net Program Supervisor Emily Koval said it takes, on average, 97 days for someone to sign a lease once they are document-ready. It takes two to four months to obtain documents and identification.
The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara has issued 89 Emergency Housing Vouchers, but only 22 vouchers have been applied to leases. It incentivizes landlords to accept vouchers with $1,500 signing bonuses, $2,000 security deposits and up to $2,000 in mitigation insurance. But the Housing Authority’s executive director and CEO Rob Fredericks thinks landlords want more. “Money talks with landlords,” he told council members. “If we could increase that signing bonus fee up from $1,500 to $5,000, that would get landlords to say, ‘I’m going to take an extra chance on someone that’s moving from homelessness, knowing that they have the services.’” The City Council agreed to send the signing bonus idea to its finance committee to find funding. Discussions Tuesday were less complimentary than those held during the first program update a month earlier — when money wasn’t at risk. Council members Eric Friedman and Kristen Sneddon, whose districts encompass the adjacent neighborhoods of the Rose Garden Inn, expressed concern about crime in the area. “It seems out of control of what I think we were led to trust would be contained. And now it seems to be a magnet for other Please see COUNCIL on A3
Sudoku................. B3 Weather................ A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 1-35-36-43-44 Mega: 3
Tuesday’s DAILY 4: 1-3-2-5
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 3-20-31-34-65 Mega: 18
Tuesday’s FANTASY 5: 2-3-4-28-39
Tuesday’s DAILY DERBY: 03-11-06 Time: 1:40.13
Saturday’s POWERBALL: 30-31-41-42-48 Meganumber: 3
Tuesday’s DAILY 3: 2-2-3 / Midday 2-1-4