Montecito Fire Sets Up Temporary Substation Due to Highway 101 Construction

Jun 21, 2023

Concerns about possible delayed responses to emergencies due to construction at the San Ysidro Road overcrossing on Highway 101 have prompted the Montecito Fire Protection District to set up a temporary substation south of the freeway.

Beginning Wednesday, two firefighters will be stationed around the clock, seven days a week, in a trailer at the parking lot along Hill Road adjacent to the closed Biltmore hotel, Montecito Fire Chief David Neels told Noozhawk.

“Staffing this additional engine until the San Ysidro Road overcrossing is reopened will allow the Montecito Fire Department to continue providing timely and professional service to our community and everyone traveling on Highway 101,” Neels said.

“As these construction projects progress, we will continually reassess our response plans to prevent any delays in emergency service.”

The district will be using a Type 6 engine, which is smaller than the more familiar Type 1 engines, and carries only 250 gallons of water, Neels said.

“We’ll be using it as kind of a quick-response vehicle,” Neels said.

The move will allow firefighters to respond more quickly to incidents on Highway 101 and on the south side of the freeway.

“The truck will be staffed with paramedics every opportunity we have,” Neels noted.

The two-person unit will be in addition to the regular firefighter staffing for the Montecito district, he added.

The trailer will cost the district $5,000 per month, Neels said, and staffing costs will vary.

Biltmore owner Ty Warner is allowing placement of the trailer on the site without cost, according to a spokeswoman.

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In connection with the ongoing Highway 101 project to add a third lane between Santa Barbara and the county line near Carpinteria, a roundabout is being constructed at San Ysidro Road, one of the main arterials serving Montecito.

Through the summer, the freeway overcrossing at San Ysidro Road will be closed so that the roundabout, bridge rail, and onramp and offramp construction can occur simultaneously.

Neels estimated that the temporary substation will remain in place until Aug. 22, when the overpass is expected to reopen, according to Caltrans.

If completion stretches beyond that time, he said, the temporary firefighter posting likely will be extended.

That timing is important, because school will start again Aug. 24 at Montecito Union School and Laguna Blanca School, both of which are on San Ysidro Road, he said.

Families dropping off and picking uyp students attending those campuses would be affected by the overcrossing closure.

There are about 130 residences on the south side of Highway 101 in that area, along with the Rosewood Miramar Beach Hotel, All Saints By The Sea Church, The Friendship Center, The Music Academy of the West, and local beaches.

Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at [email protected].