MontecitoFire
Source: Montecito Fire Department
On this day 57 years ago, the Coyote Fire started off of Coyote Rd. east of Sycamore Canyon. The fire burned for 10 days before being declared under control. In that time, 67,000 acres burned, 85 homes were damaged or destroyed & one person died as a result of the fire.
Photo: Montecito Fire Department
About half of the burn area was in south-slope mountain drainages at risk of subsequent debris flows.
The following November, a heavy rainstorm caused severe flooding & debris flows in Cold Spring, Hot Springs, Montecito & San Ysidro creeks.
Photo: Montecito Fire Department
The 1964 Coyote Fire & Flood is a poignant reminder to prepare for the disaster risks our community could face. To access the “Ready! Set! Go!” wildfire action plan & other fire prevention resources, click here: https://montecitofire.com/fire-prevention
Photo: Montecito Fire Department
No, it started on coyote rd. That reading comprehension thing again
Or we could stop building really expensive homes in areas prone to burning and mudflows? Nahh, that would take away too many of our freedumbs.
I love those old fire trucks, great photos! If history is any lesson here, we will never stop our mountain from burning. Every year that goes by after the last fire results in the build up of more dead and dry brush until another catastrophic fire becomes inevitable. The fact is, fire is an immutable natural feature of our landscape. I think that it’s time to develop a strategy to live with fire instead of our failed approach of universal fire suppression. Rather than waiting for an unplanned fire to burn out of control on the hottest and windiest day of the year, we could implement planned and controlled fires regularly when conditions are favorable. This would clear the dead and dry fuels and make any unplanned fires that ignited during unfavorable conditions much more manageable. In addition, a regimen of planned burning would limit the risk of debris flows by controlling and limiting the burn area within each watershed at any given time. Finally, Santa Barbara desperately needs to construct a new debris basin to control the mission canyon watershed along with making improvements to mission creek. Unless these steps are taken, we will continue to experience catastrophic fires, flooding, and debris flows.