Pat McElroy wasn’t in the mood to wax expansive — it was way too soon to pontificate about any lessons learned from the Thomas Fire.
A firefighter for 40 years, and the City of Santa Barbara’s fire chief for the past four, McElroy was busy navigating his fire-engine-red pickup truck along Montecito’s warren of winding backroads — Bella Vista, Park Lane, East Mountain, Riven Rock, Camino Cielo — streets so skinny and steep that even a Vespa might have trouble passing. Upon cruising into the luxurious, historic San Ysidro Ranch, he pointed out the cottage where Winston Churchill stayed and another where John and Jacqueline Kennedy famously honeymooned.
Just two days before, fire trucks of every shape, size, and function had screamed up and down these flame-engorged roads, engulfed in the thickest of smoke. But on Monday morning, the air seemed clear, the sky almost blue. Even the flowers seemed to chirp. Things hadn’t really returned to normal, but had just enough for people to pretend, at least until the next winds blew.