Montecito

Summary

• Fire hazard severity zones

  Share of the land in each CAL FIRE hazard class

  Map
  1. Very High 3,188 acres · 2,832 state, 356 local 54%
  2. High 424 acres · 182 state, 242 local 7%
  3. Moderate 442 acres · 194 state, 248 local 8%
  4. Non-wildland 1,810 acres · Local Responsibility Area 31%
  5. Not mapped by CAL FIRE 11 acres · Mostly federal land <1%

  5,876 acres of land in all, 3,208 in the State Responsibility Area and 2,657 in the Local. State zones are the ones the State Fire Marshal designated, in effect since April 1, 2024. Local zones are CAL FIRE's 2025 recommendation, which each city or county adopts by ordinance and can make stricter. How to read fire zones

• Fire history

  The 10 largest of 11 fires that burned here

  Map
  1. 2017 Thomas Fire 281,791 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 609 acres here
  2. 1964 Coyote Fire 65,339 acres in total 400 acres here
  3. 2008 Tea Fire 1,946 acres in total · Cause: Campfire 336 acres here
  4. 1924 Unnamed fire 2,253 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 308 acres here
  5. 1921 Unnamed fire 1,333 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 253 acres here
  6. 1914 Unnamed fire 96 acres in total 94 acres here
  7. 1971 Romero Fire 15,650 acres in total · Cause: Arson 85 acres here
  8. 1977 Coyote (Sycamore) Fire 679 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 74 acres here
  9. 1939 Unnamed fire 61 acres in total · Cause: Miscellaneous 40 acres here
  10. 1913 Unnamed fire 130 acres in total 16 acres here

  And 1 smaller fire. The most recent was the 2017 Thomas Fire, which burned 609 acres here. In all, 1,303 acres of Montecito have burned. Acres are the land each fire burned here, and fires that crossed less than an acre are not counted. Some older or smaller fires may be missing, and a fire perimeter can include unburned patches. How to read fire history