trail work and starting the fire, the two were not charged with the felony of starting the fire, but instead with the misdemeanor of not obtaining the proper permit for hot work. The hot work charge is somewhat unusual, as hot work typically refers to welding and soldering, not necessarily trail clearing with a weed whacker. In July 2010, Ilenstine and Larsen pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor violation of county-code. The code states that anyone performing work that could spark a fire must have a shovel or fire extinguisher on hand. The two were each sentenced to 250 hours of community service, three years probation and a $490 fine. Illenstine and Larsen were not charged with starting the fire - only a charge from a California Fire Code entitled "Welding and other Hot Work" and local civil attorney Kathy Johnson states the statue was not intended to be applied to brush clearing work. A year later, in July 2011, 60 of the owners of homes destroyed by the fire filed a civil lawsuit against Stihl Incorporated, the manufacturer of the brush-cutting equipment, alleging that Stihl failed to warn users that the metal blades of the cutter could emit sparks capable of starting a fire in a high-risk area. In July 2013 Stihl agreed to settle the claims for an undisclosed amount of money. Response efforts Direct Relief delivered respiratory masks and albuterol inhalers to Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics and others affected by persistently poor air quality from smoke and ash. References External links Google Map of Fire Area Set of Google Maps enhanced by MODIS, which reads fire/heat by satellite, and video by helicopter from KSBY TV, by Doc Searls Time-lapse photos of fire, by a local resident (and evacuee) 2009 California wildfires History of Santa Barbara County, California Santa Ynez Mountains Wildfires in Santa Barbara County, California