Bucket Brigade’s Youth Fire Prevention Team Clears Fuel From Elings Park

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - Despite the hot weather, a group of teens threw in the beach towel for shovels, weed whackers and fire-fighting tools.

For the past month, the Bucket Brigade's Youth Fire Prevention Team created a firebreak in Elings Park by clearing out highly flammable dry brush and invasive weeds.

Abe Powell, Bucket Brigade Cofounder and CEO, said their hard work was part of a training course, learning how to protect homes and properties from wildfires, floods and mudslides.

The academy cadets earned certifications in First Aid, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and, Wilderness First Responder.

Some of these teens lived through the back-to-back Thomas Fire and Montecito debris flow disasters in 2018.

Now, they're sharpening their skills ahead of what could be a super El Nino, working to keep nearby homes in the Mesa community, safe.