Many fire crews have returned to their stations after spending nearly two weeks on the frontlines of the Gifford Fire, which burned through the Los Padres National Forest and threatened nearby homes.
Battalion Chief Anthony Clayburg with the City of Santa Maria Fire Department said the assignment was different from most because of how close the fire was to home.
“Our type three fire engine was sent with strike team 15 and 21 Charlie on the first day,” Clayburg said. “Obviously, early on in the incident is when you really need the most help and basically they did what they could until the help arrived.”
Clayburg’s team deployed a few days later. They were first sent to base camp in Santa Maria, then assigned to the Pine Canyon area and the Highway 166 corridor.
“We went out, we protected structures, assessed hazards, and worked with hand crews to cut fireline,” Clayburg said. “We were able to put fire out in some of the local homes near Pine Canyon.”
The strike team was made up of engines from Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Santa Barbara City, Montecito and Ventura. Clayburg said crews worked in hot, breezy conditions as the fire pushed into canyons and toward homes.
“We knew the fire was going to spread,” he said. “All we can do at that point is protect what we can and make sure people have something to come back to.”
One of the biggest challenges, Clayburg said, was the schedule.
“This was an incident where we were working 24-hour shifts,” he said. “You’re working through the night, you’re working in dark conditions, so it’s really important for us to get in, to see the terrain during the daylight and really get to know the area.”
He added that navigating steep slopes in the dark requires preparation and situational awareness.
“If we do have to work through the night, we don’t want to be falling off cliffs or driving off cliffs.”
The Gifford Fire also marked the first deployment of Santa Maria’s new type six fire engine, known as Engine 604.
“This was its first assignment, and it performed really well,” Clayburg said. “It’s lighter, has four-wheel drive, and was designed to get into harder-to-reach places. It was good to see it go out there and be such a success.”
The engine, designed by Santa Maria firefighters, is smaller than traditional type three and type one fire engines. Clayburg said it will be especially useful in wildland-urban interface areas like riverbeds.
Public Information Officer Rich Eagan with Incident Management Team 8 said mutual aid was critical in bringing the fire under control.
“Mutual aid was everything on this incident,” Eagan said. “We had engines from as far south as Chula Vista and agencies from out of state. The system worked flawlessly.”
Eagan said what stood out to him most was the speed and efficiency of the operation.
“I’ve never seen a fire of this magnitude managed so efficiently and be almost put to rest in two and a half weeks time,” he said. “It’s unheard of.”
At its peak, nearly 5,000 personnel were assigned to the Gifford Fire. Unified command included Santa Barbara County, CAL FIRE, U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and local law enforcement. The U.S. Forest Service has since taken over full management.
Eagan said despite the size of the blaze, the number of injuries and structures lost was lower than expected.
“We’ve only lost five structures, not all residential, and had nine injuries reported,” he said. “Nobody was seriously injured, which is a great thing.”
He added that community support was felt by firefighters throughout the deployment.
“The citizens opened us with open arms since the day we got here,” Eagan said. “It’s a great feeling to know that you’re supported by the people you’re serving.”
Clayburg echoed the importance of cooperation and preparation as crews transition into the peak of fire season.
“I think this fire, along with every other fire, shows the importance of mutual aid,” he said. “It shows the effectiveness of how well we work together.”
