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Goleta Gap Fire




Most residents of Santa Barbara would say they live here as a "lifestyle choice." The options for outdoor activities are limitless and accessible all year long: hiking trails, bike paths, lawn bowling clubs, polo fields, sailing, Frisbee golf and, of course, the beach. Rare is the weekend that some community-wide event isn't being celebrated: Fiesta, Summer Solstice, Dog Parade, Whale Festival, sand castle contests, Parade of Lights, art shows, museum exhibits, Night Moves ....

There is a price to pay for all of this peace, though. Earthquakes and floods (we were evacuated shortly after buying our home) have done their part to add to the excitement, and now the 2,000 acre Gap Fire burning in Goleta is keeping us on alert.

Evacuation warnings aren't in place for our neighborhood, but we spent 6-hours without electricity last night (which also means there was an anxious 6-year-old wriggling in my bed all night long) and the athletic club was closed due to the thick layer of ash on the pool and orange chemical retardant in the air. You can see from the flames visible in the pictures above (taken from our driveway and street corner) the reason we've given some thought to pre-packing the car for a quick getaway.

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