Flames struck a pickup truck on Highway 101 at the Patterson Avenue off-ramp.
Pickup catches on fire
GOLETA — A pickup truck was engulfed in flames Thursday evening on northbound Highway 101 at the Patterson Avenue off-ramp.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department was on-site with two engines and the battalion chief, according to Capt. Scott Safechuck, the department’s public information officer.
No injuries were reported. The fire was knocked down, and the cause is under investigation. The off-ramp was closed.
Call time was 6:10 p.m.
— Katherine Zehnder
Fire restrictions lifted on Los Padres
SOLVANG — You can now light campfires and charcoal barbecues again in Los Padres National Forest.
Forest officials announced that there’s been enough snow and rain to reduce fire restrictions immediately.
But a California campfire permit is required to build a campfire outside of a designated campfire site. To get one, go to www.readyforwildfire.org.
A list of campfire use sites is available at all Forest offices and on the Los Padres National Forest website: fs.usda.gov/main/lpnf.
According to forest officials, visitors who construct wood or charcoal fires outside of designated campfire sites must clear all flammable material for a minimum of five feet in all directions. They also must have a shovel available for preparing and extinguishing the fire, have a responsible person in attendance at all times and extinguish the fire with water, using the “drown, stir and feel” method.
Forest officials said the following restrictions will remain in effect:
— Spark arrestors are required on all off-highway vehicles, chainsaws, and other internal combustion engines and equipment.
— A permit is required for all welding, grinding, cutting, or use of explosives.
— Tracer ammunition is prohibited at all times.
— Fireworks are always prohibited in Los Padres National Forest.
— Recreational target shooting is prohibited in all areas of Los Padres National Forest except for the Winchester Canyon Gun Club and the Ojai Valley Gun Club, which operate under special use permits.
— Campfires are always prohibited on National Forest System lands in the Santa Barbara Front Country from Gaviota to the Santa Barbara/Ventura counties’ line.
— Katherine Zehnder
Police: Don’t drive impaired
LOMPOC — The Lompoc Police Department urges motorists to celebrate the holidays responsibly by not driving under the influence.
Now through New Year’s Day, additional officers will be on patrol, looking for drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 11,654 people were killed in car crashes nationwide in 2020 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver, or one person every 45 minutes.
The Lompoc Police Department encourages everyone to stay in for the night or have a “go safely” game plan by scheduling a ride or designating a sober driver if you plan to consume alcohol.
Impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Marijuana, prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs may also impair.
“The holidays are a special time of year for many, and we want drivers to act responsibly,” Chief Joseph Mariani said in a news release. “This enforcement period allows us to get the message out that driving impaired is an illegal, senseless behavior that takes lives.”
— Katherine Zehnder
Pile burning scheduled for December to April
Los Padres National Forest has tentatively scheduled a prescribed burn at Figueroa Mountain and various administrative sites on forest lands (campgrounds, trailheads, and fire stations) with a burn window of December through April.
The goal of the burns is to reduce the risk of wildfire. Prescribed, or planned, fires typically burn less intensely than wildfires. Prescribed burns can help prevent the spread of wildfires and can reduce impacts to watersheds that can result in soil loss and sedimentation, according to a news release.
Approximately 1-10 acres (10-100 piles) of slash from felled dead trees and brush will be burned daily. The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District staff have reviewed the Smoke Management Plan and provided conditions to minimize smoke impacts in Santa Barbara County. The burns will be conducted when the meteorological conditions are highly favorable to direct smoke away from population centers. For more information, visit www.ourair.org.
To view a statewide prescribed burn map, visit https://ssl.arb.ca.gov/pfirs/firm/firm.php.
— Katherine Zehnder
