Communications disruptions continued Friday morning in the Santa Ynez and Lompoc valleys after a fire near Buellton damaged key equipment affecting landline, cell phone and internet services.
After receiving permission from firefighters to enter the area Friday morning, crews were on scene repairing damaged equipment, said Kelly Hubbard of the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management.
As of late Friday morning, there was no estimated time for recovery.
According to unofficial reports, the fire damaged eight utility poles and melted 1.6 miles of fiber optic cable that needed repairs.
Buellton Vice Mayor David Silva posted on social media Friday afternoon that the fire damaged eight utility poles and fiber optic cables west of Buellton.
Restoration of full service for Buellton likely won’t happen until Friday evening or Saturday morning, he added.
Some services may return intermittently before being fully restored, he added.
Before communications companies could begin their repairs, Pacific Gas & and Electric Company crews must replace damaged utility poles that also house other companies’ equipment.
Communications companies, including Comcast, have pre-staged crews and equipment to complete their repairs as quickly as possible, Hubbard added.
A number of businesses have been affected by the outage as they have been forced to close or only accept cash payments, she added.
OEM sent a text alert at 3:13 p.m. acknowledging the failures but not offering a timeline for repairs:
“Due to the impacts of the Riverview Fire, communications outages remain in Lompoc, Buellton, Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley. Landlines, cell phones, internet, and 9-1-1 phone lines may be affected. We are aware of reports of limited text messaging and mobile phone coverage in the area. Public safety agencies are working with communications providers on solutions. The estimated service recovery is unknown at this time. If you have an emergency, text 9-1-1, call the Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (805) 683-2724, or go to a local police or fire station near you. Please share this information with neighbors and remain vigilant of conditions in the area.”
A fleet of PG&E, Frontier, Xfinity and Comcast vehicles were in the Buellton area as of 3:30 p.m.
The outage began Thursday afternoon when a 64-acre fire raged near Highway 246 and Riverview Drive after multiple localized fires were reported in the area.
Officials warned Thursday afternoon that telephone service interruptions had been reported in the Buellton, Solvang and Lompoc areas, said Raquel Zick, spokeswoman for the county Sheriff’s Office.
Texting the 9-1-1 service seemed to work, she added.
The Sheriff’s Office 24/7 dispatch number can be reached by calling 805.683.2724.
Friday morning, City of Lompoc officials said time-sensitive utility payments cannot be processed over the phone and must be made in person at Lompoc City Hall, 100 Civic Center Plaza.
This is especially important for new utilities or service reconnections, city officials said. Payments can also be made through the utility box at Lompoc Civic Center Plaza.
Additionally, you can reach utility billing staff by emailing utilityconnections@ci.lompoc.ca.us. However, invoices cannot be paid via email.
Several businesses posted on social media whether they had internet access, with Monighetti’s Farrier, Feed and Pet Supply in Buellton posting about setting up Starlink and encouraging customers to “come on down.”
Meanwhile, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School had fun with the glitch, sharing photos of Superintendent/Principal Kimberly Sheehan from her high school days, complete with classic ’80s hair.
“If Dr. Sheehan survived the 80s without a telephone and internet, can you do it too!”
