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Wildfire Resiliency Project

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Contacts

Monique O'Conner
Open Space Planner
(805) 560-7576
MOConner@SantaBarbaraCA.gov

Mark vonTillow
Inspector II/Wildland Specialist
(805) 564-5720
MvonTillow@SantaBarbaraCA.gov

Partners

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Wildfires pose a significant threat to Santa Barbara year-round. The Parks and Recreation Department and Fire Department have partnered to improve the community’s fire resilience and reduce the risk and severity of wildfires. The collaboration balances the expertise of both teams to manage vegetation while protecting the natural ecosystems within the city’s open space parks.

This work is a critical component of Santa Barbara’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

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Community Wildfire Protection Plan Cover
Community Wildfire Protection Plan

Learn more about the comprehensive plan to mitigate wildfire impacts throughout the City. 

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Interactive Fire Hazard Mapping Tool

Use this interactive tool to identify if your property is located within the City's High Fire Hazard Area.

Priorities

Our collaborative efforts aim to reduce wildfire risk and improve fire resilience with five priorities in mind:

  • Defensible Space: Creating and maintaining defensible space around homes located near open spaces to act as a protective barrier against wildfires.
  • Fire Access Roads and Fuel Breaks: Ensuring efficient access to high fire hazard areas for rapid response.
  • Vegetation Management: Targeting high-fire-risk invasive species to allow native, fire-resilient species to thrive.
  • Fuel Load Reduction: Reducing fuel loads in high-risk areas to minimize the intensity and spread of wildfires.
  • Community Outreach and Education: Raising awareness about the importance of fire safety and fostering a fire-resilient community.

Current Project: Defensible Space

Crew creates defensible space in Franceschi Park

Project Dates: April 2025 to June 2025

Planned Work: The City's Vegetation Management Crew will work in 14 parks, focusing on vegetation management where parkland serves as the buffer zone, also known as defensible space, between buildings and surrounding vegetation, that can help slow or stop the spread of wildfire. Crews will target growing annuals, invasive species, downed trees, and deadwood to reduce fuel loads by weed whipping, mowing, hand cutting, hand pulling, chainsaw work, and chipping.

Crews will also focus on trimming vegetation along front country trails and fire access roads, known as trail brushing, to maintain clear access for emergency vehicles and personnel in the event of a fire.

Locations: Arroyo Burro Open Space, Douglas Family Preserve, Franceschi Park, Hale Park,  Honda Valley Park, Laurel Canyon Park, Loma Media, Mission Historical Park, Orpet Park, Parma Park, Sheffield Reservoir, Skofield Park, Stevens Park, Sylvan Park.

Sensitive Resources: All crew members will receive environmental awareness training before work begins to review present sensitive resources and how to protect them. Defensible space work is conducted ahead of the traditional high fire season, but within nesting bird season. A pre-activity and nesting bird survey will occur within 72 hours of the start of work. Exclusion zones will be established, and a biological monitor will be onsite to protect active nests and sensitive species throughout the project. 

Past Projects

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Community Meetings

Residents attend a community meeting at Douglas Family Preserve

Join Fire and Parks and Recreation staff to learn more about our upcoming projects. Hear about the unique hazards and resources within each open space and provide your thoughts to help guide our future work plans.

Past Meetings 
September 13, 2023 - Honda Valley Project
January 4, 2024 - Parma Park Project
June 5, 2024 - Douglas Family Preserve Project
July 17, 2024 - Elings Park Project
September 18, 2024 - Douglas Family Preserve Project
December 5, 2024 - Franceschi Park Project

Funding

Historically, City Fire crews and Parks and Recreation staff have not had the resources for a comprehensive approach to fire safety across open spaces. Through ongoing collaboration, the Departments have secured nearly $4.5 million in grant funding to support wildfire resiliency efforts.

In February 2023, the Coastal Conservancy awarded the City of Santa Barbara a $525,000 grant to support wildfire prevention and resilience efforts. This grant, in addition to $87,800 match funding from the Fire Department, will cover comprehensive biological resource reports in seven open space parks to inform future work plans, and the execution of work plans in three of seven of the parks. 

In October 2023, the City of Santa Barbara was awarded an approximately $2.9 million CAL FIRE grant to support hazardous fuels management in the remaining parks, plus additional open space areas. The grant will allow for biological assessments to be conducted in 11 additional locations and work plans to be executed in 15 open space areas.

In April 2025, the Coastal Conservancy awarded the City of Santa Barbara a second grant of $950,000 to build upon the work and previous success of the Wildfire Resiliency Project, specifically supporting native habitat restoration efforts. This grant, in addition to $64,000 in matching funding from the Parks and Recreation Department, will expand the removal of invasive, non-native species in six parks and support active restoration in three parks. 

This funding will be used in open spaces across the City including Arroyo Burro Open Space, Barger Canyon Preserve, Cold Spring Trail and Gould Park, Douglas Family Preserve, Equestrian Circle, Escondido Park, Franceschi Park, Hale Park, Hidden Valley Park, Hilda Ray Park, Honda Valley Park, Jesusita Trail Corridor, La Mesa Park, Laurel Canyon Park, Loma Media Park, Mission Historical Park, Orpet Park, Parma Park, Rattlesnake Canyon Trail Corridor, Sheffield Reservoir, Skofield Park, Stevens Park, and Syvan Park.