In the last month, Californians have lived through wildfires, air pollution, and power outages. The City wants to say a big thank you to all of our local firefighters for their endless work to protect everyone. Many have traveled and helped fight fires in other areas of California. We are so appreciative of your sacrifices!

It is important to remain vigilant and be prepared in the event of a wildfire. View the City’s resources here. With fires also comes the poor air quality that we need watch out for, and recently experienced, with the fires in Northern California. You can get the latest information on air quality from the Santa Barbra County Air Pollution Control District at https://www.ourair.org/.

With the excessive heat, the California Independent System Operator (ISO) declared an electrical emergency in mid-August, and again this Labor Day weekend, due to the strain on the grid. Residents are asked to conserve energy to avoid rotating power outages. While we were successful in not having a power outage during the mid-August electrical emergency, we must continue to conserve as much energy as we can this weekend and beyond. Below are home energy conservation tips from Southern California Edison:

• Set air conditioners to 78°F or higher.  
• Turn off unused appliances and equipment. 
• Use electric fans instead of air conditioning when practical.  
• Minimize use of lighting where possible.  
• Close drapes and blinds to keep out direct sunlight during hot periods.  
• Avoid using evaporative coolers or humidifiers at the same time an air conditioner is running.  
• Operate swimming pool equipment and energy-intensive appliances, such as dishwashers, washing machines and dryers, during early-morning and late-evening hours after 10:00 p.m.  
• Limit the opening and reopening of refrigerators, major users of electricity in many homes. 

The California Department of Insurance has resources on insurance and an evacuation checklist.

Thank you for doing your part to be prepared and safe.

Pictured: SBC’s Strike Team 9322C assigned to the Lake Fire, in the Angeles National Forest, Los Angeles County. They worked that fire for a week & then were reassigned to the Moc Fire in Tuolumne County.