Bridge Fire alerts varied from neighborhood to neighborhood

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif.-People impacted by the Sunday night's Bridge fire off Highway 154 and Foothill Road visited the burn area near the so-called bridge to nowhere on Monday afternoon.

While looking at what was left of a burned up recliner in the burn area many of them shared their emergency alert stories.

Patty Murray said they were notified by deputies about the fire and got the alert at 8:02 p.m. after they had already evacuated.

Her family has evacuated four times in the six years she has lived in the area.

They were alerted that the order was downgraded to an evacuation and returned home.

By midnight the warning was cancelled.

She said it was her sixth evacuation in as many years living in her Cienguitas Road area home.

Meanwhile, Julian Dean of the Rancho Santa Barbara Mobile home parks said he did not get an alert and wishes he had. Dean said the wind wasn't blowing in his direction but he believes the winds could have changed direction.

He credits the firefighters in the air for stopping the fire from spreading beyond 8 plus acres.

Kelley Hubbard, the Director of Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management said" It is important for community members to realize that even though the Office of Emergency Management, the Sheriff's office, and the fire department try to get emergency alerts out in as many ways possible, it is important that they pay attention to what is going on around them, and if they ever feel unsafe, please don't wait for that notification. Evacuate then and there, so you are not waiting."

She said people who have large animals or young kids or older relatives may need more time to evacuation.

She said the alerts are based on a map.

"Some community members have questions about the wireless emergency alerts used for the Bridge Fire. Those alerts are based on drawing a map around the area that we would like to notify. Once we send that message through Everbridge, that then goes out to cell phone providers and the cell phone providers send it out to the community. Different providers have different levels of connectivity throughout a region, " said Hubbard.

She said people within the same house may not all get alerts for various reasons. She said phones could have updated software or you are sitting in area that is considered a dead spot.

"Regardless, this is one of many tools we use to notify the community when there is an emergency and so it is really important that the community understands that is why you still need to register for emergency alerts at ReadySBC.org.

When people sign up they are advised to provide multiple ways for the county to contact them and to update their information if it has been awhile.

On Sunday evening Hubbard said they notified people with immediate impacts as quickly as possible.

"Those notifications used multiple methods including door to door notifications, wireless emergency alerts and reverse notifications in addition to posting information on county website and social media and sharing information with mainstream media," said Hubbard.

Santa Barbara County Fire Spokesperson Capt. Scott Safechuck said he could not comment on speculation about a burned up couch sparking the fire.

Fire investigator are looking into the cause.

And residents nearby said they are grateful the fire is out.