Local firefighters traveled 250 miles north early Friday morning to help battle a raging fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The Santa Barbara reinforcements, dubbed “Strike Team 9322 Charlie,” were called upon to help contain the Summit Fire, which broke out early Thursday. According to Santa Barbara County Fire Dept. spokesman Captain Eli Iskow, the fire has forced several hundred residents to evacuate and threatened 500 homes and 30 commercial buildings at its peak.

As of late Monday night, the fire was 80 percent contained, according to local news reports. However, on Friday when the call was made to Santa Barbara firefighters, the fire was only 20 percent contained, Iskow said.

In total, the Santa Barbara County Fire Dept. sent 18 firefighters, five Type III Brush Engine Companies, and a Strike Team leader and trainee to the Santa Cruz area, Iskow said.

Iskow said the threat of a similar wildfire in Santa Barbara County is high. He encouraged local property owners to be vigilant in protecting their homes from potential wildfires.

“Each year, hundreds of homes in rural and high fire hazard areas are lost to wildfires,” Iskow said. “Upwards of 80 percent of those homes lost to wildfires could have possibly been saved if homeowners provided defensible space around their home and used fire-resistive construction materials.”

The state requires that owners of buildings in high fire hazard zones take precautionary measures by clearing 100 feet of “Defensible Space” around the perimeter of their property. Iskow said the Fire Dept. has been enforcing this law since May 1 with regular inspections of properties throughout Santa Barbara County.

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