In July 2008 the Gap Fire roared out of the foothills to consume nearly 10,000 acres of the Goleta Valley; four months later the Tea Fire hit the Santa Barbara area, gobbling another 2,000 acres of some of the South Coast’s priciest real estate.
A person might think that two such conflagrations would be enough to make everyone extremely cautious when dealing with dry brush and spark-creating equipment. Instead, in May 2009 locals confronted the human-caused, 8,700-acre-plus Jesusita Fire.
While the three wildfires together destroyed more than 300 structures, fatalities and injuries were low: One man died of a heart attack and 55 people were treated for injuries. Approximately 50,000 people were reported evacuated from their homes and residences, some more than once, during this roughly 10-month period.