Residents Urged to Be Ready as ‘High Fire Season’ Kicks Off in Santa Barbara County
With scant rainfall this year, vegetation is drying quickly, and firefighting agencies warn of a serious risk of major conflagrations
With a firefighting bulldozer as a backdrop, Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig announces the beginning of high fire season on Monday. (Jade Martinez-Pogue / Noozhawk photo)
By Jade Martinez-Pogue, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @MartinezPogue
May 3, 2021
| 3:45 p.m.
With high fire season coming early this year in Santa Barbara County, fire officials are remaining vigilant and are urging the community to do the same.
“This isn’t a fire season kick-off, and in fact, the state of California is really going to a year-round fire season in both staffing and funding,” Mark Hartwig, Santa Barbara County Fire Chief, said at a press conference on Monday. “We’re here to tell you that we’re ready, and that we want you to be ready.”