Santa Barbara County Fire to conduct live fire training exercises in Lompoc

LOMPOC, Calif. – The Santa Barbara County Fire Department is scheduled to conduct a days-long live fire training beginning on Thursday in a building located at the Burton Mesa Training Center in Lompoc, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

"This type of training is essential to providing the community with well-trained firefighters," said Capt. Scott Safechuck. "This exercise will allow our personnel a chance to enhance their skills in suppression activities and to work safely in a controlled environment for future fire and life safety needs."

The training will be held on Thursday and Friday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., at the Burton Mesa Training Center and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. at the Allan Hancock College Public Safety Training Center.

The public can expect to see smoke visible from time to time, but it will be "much less than normally experienced" at a typical structure fire, according to Safechuck.

The training will follow all regulators and will be conducted in metal shipping containers specifically designed for live fire training evolutions, Safechuck said.

Crews will use untreated lumber during the burns to minimize any toxins in the smoke, and Oriented Strand Board – rated below the legal limits of formaldehyde in the glue – is used to line the walls to protect the shipping container, he added.