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Rey Fire
Santa Barbara firefighters scramble to catchup with spot fires caused by embers blown hundreds of yards ahead of them.
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Site Feaures
Fire Hstory
Santa Barbara Wildfires
Detailed histories of every Santa Babrara Wildfire dating back to the 1950s and nearby counties, including the 1990 PaintedCave Fire, the Tea and Jeususita fires and many more.
Slides & Picts
The Digital Collection
Just developing - the biggest collection of wildfire image galleries and slideshows dating back to the Zaca Fire..
Video Access
SB Fire Cameras
Quick access to a dozen of the County's hill and mountaintop cameras as well as access to others throughout the state.About Santa Barbara Wildfires
History, Understanding & Preparedness
For thirty years I've covered every major wildfire in Santa Barbara County, from the Painted Cave fire in 1990 to whatever's burning today. This site exists to hold that history in one place: interactive maps of fire perimeters by decade, case studies on fires like Paint, Gifford, and Holiday, and a running record of how this landscape burns.
History alone isn't enough, though. The goal is understanding, how fire behaves here, why certain canyons burn again and again, what building and clearing choices actually matter, so that when the next fire comes, this community is genuinely prepared for it.
Learn more about Ray and his reporting from thefire lines.