Santa Barbara County Fire Department Awarded Grant Funding for the Lompoc Valley Fuel Reduction Phase II Project

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SANTA BARBARA, CA – The Santa Barbara County Fire Department (SBCFD) is proud to announce a grant award for the Lompoc Valley Fuel Reduction Phase II Project, where SBCFD will serve as the lead agency. Funding for this project is provided by CAL FIRE’s Wildfire Prevention Grants Program. This multi-year project is funded as part of the State’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Strategy, in part with Cap-and-Trade auction proceeds administered by the California Climate Investments (CCI) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

This crucial project aims to enhance the safety and resilience of the Lompoc Valley and surrounding communities, an area with a significant history of large wildland fires, including the 1977 Honda Canyon, 2002 Sudden, 2010 Bear, 2014 Miguelito, and 2016 Canyon fires, among others.

The proposed treatments cover a total of 1,135 acres in the State Responsibility Area and include key efforts to create community defensible space around Vandenberg Village and Mission Hills. The project will also involve 22.1 miles of roadside fuel reduction along San Miguelito Canyon Road, Harris Grade, Rucker, and Burton Mesa Roads, in addition to an 18-mile fuel break ranging from Vandenberg Air Force Base to the outskirts of Buellton. This fuel break will have a width of 150 to 300 feet and is designed to protect communities, reduce fire ignitions, and limit the size and intensity of fires in the older age class fuel beds of the Lompoc Valley region.

This project is the second phase of a larger effort to mitigate fire risks in the Lompoc Valley. A new, approximately 7-mile portion of San Miguelito Canyon Road, stretching south of the City of Lompoc to the edge of Vandenberg Air Force Base, has been identified for treatment and added to the overall project area. Initially, Miguelito Canyon Road will be treated according to standard Right of Way specifications, with additional fuel reduction and shaded fuel break treatments, up to 150 feet wide, implemented as agreements and environmental protections allow. This treatment will act as a fuel break, while also improving firefighter access and public egress.

“This investment demonstrates the State’s commitment to reducing fire risk in our communities. Thank you to our local firefighters for carrying out this important work, and for keeping us safe

every day.”
– California Assemblymember Gregg Hart

“The health of our forests and habitat are paramount to both our ecosystem and our safety. As the lines between urban and rural communities become increasingly difficult to discern, the work of our men and women in the fire service becomes that much more important. This funding will permit them to build on their previous efforts and increase safety for an area that has been impacted by wildfires in the past.”

– Bob Nelson, 4th District Supervisor, County of Santa Barbara.

“Fire safety has always been a top priority for me, and I’ve supported the Lompoc Valley Fuel Reduction project from the beginning when the County Fire Department first applied. The residents of the Burton Mesa area, including Vandenberg Village and Mission Hills, have been instrumental in advocating for this project as a community priority. I’m thrilled to see the project expand across the Third District and am delighted that our County has been awarded a Phase II Grant to continue this vital work.”

– Joan Hartmann, 3rd District Supervisor, County of Santa Barbara.

“The Lompoc Valley Fuel Reduction Phase II Project is a critical step in our ongoing efforts to protect our communities from the increasing threat of wildfires. This project will create defensible space, reduce roadside fuel, and establish fuel breaks, significantly reducing the potential for large and destructive fires in this high-risk area.”

– Mark Hartwig, Fire Chief / Fire Warden of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department

Phase II also includes the maintenance, widening, and improvement of the Phase I treatment areas. Due to significant regrowth of vegetation spurred by the rainfall over the last two years, maintenance is critical to ensuring the effectiveness of the original treatments. Moreover, the project will contribute to reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions by limiting the potential for large-scale wildfires.

The total grant funds awarded for the Lompoc Valley Fuel Reduction Phase II Project are estimated at $2,950,142.94.