As fires in Los Angeles continue to exact a devastating toll, much of Santa Barbara County remains under the threat of extreme fire conditions. In the meantime, local fire agencies are helping in the fight down south.
Central Coast agencies are responding to requests for aid from their beleaguered colleagues in LA, where three major fires are burning. One of those, the Palisades Fire, has burned at least 1,000 homes—the most of any fire in LA history.
Ryan Grebe from the Cal Fire SLO County Fire Department said their crews are already on the ground.
“Over 50 personnel have been sent down to the LA area to assist with the fires,” Grebe said. “We have two strike teams of engines, a strike team of dozers and three hand crew strike teams.”
The fires are a big concern for people on the Central Coast who have friends and loved ones in Los Angeles.
Avery Smigel, a recent Cal Poly graduate, said her family is in Redondo Beach, several miles from the Palisades Fire– but given the volatile conditions, they are still staying alert.
“I mean, my mom—I just talked to her on the phone this morning. She was saying that, when she woke up, she could smell smoke in the house already,” Smigel said.
San Luis Obispo County has been spared from the powerful winds and extreme fire danger further south, but local officials remind residents to always be prepared for natural disasters, and to stay up to date on emergency notifications.
