Fire Department to give tours of burnt home

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

In order to give the public a first-hand look at the devastation caused by structure fires, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department will provide tours this Saturday and Sunday of a Goleta home that was destroyed by a fast moving blaze on Feb. 12.
County Fire Capt. Eli Iskow said the home did not have a functioning smoke alarm and the lone occupant at the time of the fire suffered from minor smoke inhalation.


He said it was a matter of chance that the person did not die in the fire, as he did not notice the blaze until after it was well established.
Iskow said city and county fire crews will be on scene to take members of the public through the home and discuss measures that can be taken to help prevent such fires.
He said the homeowners gave the fire department permission to use their home as an educational tool.
The tour will mark the first time in 12 years that the fire department has used a charred home to educate the public. The department began what they call the Open Fire Safety House program in 1986.
Since then, Iskow said the fire department has led 5,000 people through fire-ravaged homes.
Members of the fire department will be on hand to give tours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The home is located at 4511 Auhay Drive.