As the Gifford Fire burned through parts of Santa Barbara County, one small family farm took a direct hit
"It didn't happen slowly, it happened very quickly," explained Alicia Taff, Rock Front Ranch owner. "We saw the fire crest the ridge and the flames were huge at the top of the ridge and we thought, 'Oh no, this is not good."
At Rock Front Ranch, the Gifford Fire's flames destroyed bees, burned crops and threatened Taff's home, where she's lived for more than two decades.
"You can't panic, you just have to assess the situation and do what needs to be done," she said. "My job was, you know, water hoses on the roof of the house to keep the flames from igniting anything."
Taff says she stayed behind with her livestock as spot fires sparked around her. She says the jujube orchard and native plants her bees depend on may take up to five years to recover.
"It'll be three to five years before those plants will rejuvenate to a place where they can provide nectar to the bees," Taff said. "It's really hard for a rural community that relies on natural resources and those natural resources have been decimated."
Fire officials say what happened at Rock Front Ranch is a textbook case of long-range ember spotting.
"A lot of times we're dealing with situations where the fire is producing embers that get jettisoned up into that upper atmosphere and then they get transported long distance," explained Flemming Bertelsen, Los Padres National Forest Public Information Officer.
Taff's daughter, Kyanne Skelton, says she felt helpless, stuck at a roadblock while her mom fought to protect the property.
"Feeling that and being really helpless in that situation, it took quite a bit for me to keep my composure," Skelton said.
Despite the losses, the family is focused on recovery with the help of the community.
"Allan Hancock College has reached out and they're willing to help us establish some new trees through one of their classes," Taff said. "You know, just again, back to community and what community really represents."
Despite losing nearly a third of their jujube trees and almost all of their bees, Taff and her team are still hand-packing orders and working to save what's left.
