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Thankful Montecito
resident praises
'amazing'
firefighters

KEYT

9 hours ago

Thankful Montecito resident praises 'amazing' firefighters

Air drops protect homes along Bella Vista Drive

• Joe Buttitta
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Posted: Dec 13, 2017 12:39 PM PST

Updated: Dec 13, 2017 03:16 PM PST

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Thankful Montecito resident praises...

MONTECITO, Calif. - As the Thomas Fire burns in the Montecito hills residents are sharing encouraging words for the firefighters who continue to risk everything.
"I blow them kisses," Montecito resident Carol Bennett said.

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While talking with Bennett fire crews from Cal Fire drove past and she immediately starting yelling praise in their direction. "LOVE YOU, LOVE YOU! It's just unbelievable." she yelled. "YOU'RE THE BEST! THE BEST!"
Bennett lives on East Valley Road and Romero Canyon Road in a mandatory evacuation zone. Carol, her husband and their little dog decided to stay put. While she remains in her home she has provided food and hot chocolate for the crews stationed nearby.
"They're going to take care of us like they're taking care of everybody," Bennett said. "It is something I've never, of course experienced, like probably nobody else has either."
The Bennett's said they have watched the hills behind their home from the driveway. And on Wednesday they were able to witness dozens of helicopter water drops as hot spots flared up on Bella Vista Drive. Firefighting helicopters and boots on the ground saved every home along Bella Vista on Wednesday.

"We had almost one fire engine in every home up here," Fire Captain Steve Concialdi said. "We didn't lose one home"
There are nearly 8,000 firefighters that remain on the Thomas Fire, many of them in southern Santa Barbara County.
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Fire burns back down the hill behind East Valley Road by Ladera Lane near Toro Canyon in Montecito at dusk Tuesday. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times). Joseph SernaContact Reporter. The Thomas fire, which has burned through Ventura County for more than a week and entered Santa Barbara County over the weekend, ...