We are all mourning the devastating fires in Los Angeles. The opportunity and responsibility to prevent and stop wireless facility-caused fires in Santa Barbara County is missing in the proposed wireless ordinance.
On Feb. 4, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors are planning to vote on amendments to the county wireless ordinance that will allow the telecoms to blanket our residential neighborhoods with wireless facilities. The proposed ordinance removed notification, hearings, the opportunity to oppose, setbacks, and environmental protection. There is no monitoring, maintenance, fire safety protocols, and emergency shutoffs. Instead, applications and permits will be “ministerial,” aka rubber stamped.
We need added protections and checklists, including a requirement that every wireless facility be inspected, maintained, and monitored by a licensed electrical engineer.
Small cells close to homes will increase the risk of fires.
The 2007 Malibu Fire was caused by an overloaded utility pole.
The 2018 Malibu Woolsey Fire cost $6 billion and consumed more than 1,600 homes. SoCal Edison and two lashing wires triggered the fire.
The 2020 Silverado Fire was caused by a telecom loose lashing wire, forcing the evacuation of over 90,000 people.
There are design and engineering flaws in almost every application for cell towers.
Telecom- and utility-initiated fires are not included in the Santa Barbara County and municipal wildfire protection plans.
Telecoms are exempt from most electrical and fire codes at the federal, state, and county levels.
Cell tower fires leave little or no time to evacuate. Dangerous electrical equipment fires cannot be put out with water and require waiting for the power to be shut off. Proliferation of powerful small cell antenna arrays adjacent to homes show a disregard for human life and safety.
Do you want overpowered wireless facility radiation a few feet from your bedroom window? Do you want your property values decreased by 20 percent; huge carbon footprint; fire risk; health, safety, and environmental impacts?
Our public officials mistakenly think that their hands are tied regarding regulating wireless facilities. Other California local governments have created protective ordinances that follow federal regulations and protect public safety.
Please urge the county supervisors to vote no and direct the supervisors and county planning staff to do collaborative workshops with the community and their legal and fire experts, who have no conflicts of interest with the wireless industry, to red-line and amend this ordinance and add legal protections.
Please join us Feb. 4, at the Santa Barbara County Supervisors meeting. Send written comments to: sbcob@countyofsb.org.
Urge the supervisors to vote no on the proposed amendments to the wireless ordinance.
Lesley Weinstock writes to the Sun from Santa Barbara County. Send a letter for publication to letters@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 30 – Feb 9, 2025.