Living In Extreme Fire Danger in Central Coast Backcountry

Quiet, peaceful, idyllic, some of the words used to describe living in the Central Coast backcountry areas.

Fire is a four letter word that’s also part of that backcountry lexicon and staying ready for fire comes with the territory.

Tepesquet Canyon in northern Santa Barbara County is a glorious example of bucolic, backcountry living on the Central Coast.

The threat of wildfire is also a way of life here.

“It really is”, says Tepesquet Canyon resident Maureen Buchanan, “we’re always on the defense, always.”

Buchanan has spent most of her life in Tepesquet Canyon, a backcountry hamlet where everyone knows their neighbors and the extreme fire danger.

“That is scary and we are quite aware of it and we have been for years”, Buchanan says, “we’re doing everything we can to prevent our property from having any devastation due to fire but there’s only so much you can do.”

Those who know Tepesquet Canyon also know it doesn’t take much to get the fire alarms ringing.

“We’re aware of everything”, Buchanan says, “I mean chains dragging on the road from a car, it can light up at any minute, its just really frightening, it can just a be huge inferno so we always try to take precautions.”

“It can happen, you know somebody is going down the road with a truck or trailer and they’ve got a chain bouncing off the back”, says Don O’Neill who works at the entrance to Tepesquet Canyon, “I’ve see that happen, when I was at Zaca Mesa, it happened on Foxen Canyon Road one time, somebody going down the road, they had a chain bouncing off the back of their trailer throwing sparks, or guys with weed-whackers, middle of the day instead of early in the morning when its still damp.”

Anyone venturing into the backcountry all along the Central Coast, whether they be residents or visitors, can expect zero tolerance and steep fines from law enforcement enforcing restrictions due to the extreme fire danger.