The Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade (“SB3”) formed as a community volunteer response to the tragic debris flow of January 9, 2018, which devastated the community of Montecito in Santa Barbara County, CA. The disaster caused 23 fatalities and more than 150 injuries. More than 100 homes were destroyed and an additional 400 homes were damaged. Since the disaster, SB3 has led upward of 3,000 volunteers into the community to help those directly affected by the debris flow — digging mud and debris out of homes, helping families find lost belongings, cleaning up public open spaces, helping to restore local trails and walking paths, and rescuing endangered oak trees.
Our mission: The Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade was created to prepare for and respond to natural disasters and community crises through volunteer training, coordination, and deployment.
