On Saturday there was a fire in Encinal Canyon where Encinal meets La Chuza. This intersection is critical because a fire breaking out here can travel to both Encinal Canyon and Trancas Canyon. The fire broke out in the afternoon. A policeman was stationed about a half mile up Encinal to keep people from traveling any further up the canyon.Â
I was coming home from Santa Barbara at that time and received no phone call either at home or on my cell. I called friends who live off Encinal and could not find anyone who was notified of the fire. All of us were registered with the city’s emergency system.Â
Had there been any wind, all of us would have been in danger of losing our homes.Â
Does our emergency call system still exist? Or does it exist in name only? Saturday was certainly a wake-up call for those of us that thought the city would warn us.Â
Harriet Pollon