Travelers and residents along Cathedral Oaks Road between County Fire headquarters and Cieneguitas Road may note lines of fire engines and helicopters overhead. Don’t be alarmed. County Fire spokesperson Amber Anderson wrote in a press release that it’s just a wildland urban interface (WUI) fire drill focused on structure defense, air operations, communications, and evacuation procedures.
Mutual aid dry runs take place Wednesday from about 7:30 a.m. through 4 p.m. with Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo fire agencies in a wildland fire drill, which will help acquaint all with southern Santa Barbara County terrain, history, and fire-fighting challenges, Anderson said. No live fire will be used, and the impact on the public will be as minimal as possible.