Week-long fire burning training event for Santa Barbara County

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. — The Prescribed Fire Training Exchange known as TREX is taking place throughout Santa Barbara county this week until Nov. 19th.

According to livestock and range advisor Matthew Shapero, it will be the first time 50 firefighters and "firelighters" come together for TREX.

"Now after nine months of cross-organizational, cooperative planning, the week-long training will have the opportunity to make new and lasting positive change concerning “good fire” in Southern California," said Shapero.

Introduced in 2013, TREX will be joined by the Nature Conservancy Dangermond Preserve and UCSB Sedgwick Reserve.

Members of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department will also participate in this training.

Santa Barbara's air pollution control district says about 276 acres will be burned during the training period across eight days.

TREX says the training can enhance the ecological response of wild plant and animal species after a fire takes place.