Alamo Fire (2017)

The Huasna River is a stream in the Central Coast region of California, and is a tributary of the Cuyama River. It is formed by the confluence of Trout Creek and Stony Creek, which originate along the crest of the Santa Lucia Range in the Los Padres National Forest. It flows south, past the community of Huasna and the Huasna Valley before reaching Twitchell Reservoir, which is created by a dam along the Cuyama River. Like most other streams in this part of California, the Huasna River is usually dry, with significant flows only during the winter and early spring. During rare high water levels of Twitchell Reservoir, the lower part of the Huasna Valley may be flooded.

Twitchell Reservoir is a reservoir in southern San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County in California. The reservoir has a capacity of 197,756 acre⋅ft (243,928,000 m3) and is formed by Twitchell Dam on the Cuyama River about 66 miles (106 km) from its headwaters in the Chumash Wilderness Area and about 6 miles (9.7 km) from its confluence with the Sisquoc River, where they form the Santa Maria River. Twitchell Dam was built by the United States Bureau of Reclamation between 1956 and 1958. The original names were Vacquero Dam and Vacquero Reservoir, but they were changed to honor T. A. Twitchell of Santa Maria, a proponent of the project. The dam and reservoir provide flood control and water conservation. The Central Coast of California only receives significant amounts of rainfall during the winter, this area averaging 14 inches (360 mm) per year. The water is stored in the reservoir during big winter storms and released as quickly as possible while still allowing it to percolate into the soil and recharge the groundwater. This means that the reservoir is usually far from full. It is estimated that the project increases recharge by 20,000 acre⋅ft (25,000,000 m3) annually. Sedimentation is a problem for the reservoir, as the reservoir is being filled 70 percent faster than expected. This reduces its capacity and blocks the water inlet to the control gates. Some sediment has been removed by flushing it out during releases, but much of it is simply deposited immediately downstream, interfering with flows. There is no public access to the dam or reservoir.

Rancho Suey was a 48,834-acre (197.62 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day southern San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County, California given in 1837 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to María Ramona Carrillo de Pacheco. The grant was east of present-day Santa Maria and extended along the San Luis Obispo-Santa Barbara County line, and between the Santa Maria River and the Cuyama River.

Rancho Huasna was a 22,153-acre (89.65 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day San Luis Obispo County, California given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Isaac J. Sparks. The grant extended along the Huasna River and the western slope of the Santa Lucia Range, east of present-day Arroyo Grande and encompassing Huasna.

Au Bon Climat is a U.S.-based winery, founded in 1982 by Adam Tolmach and Jim Clendenen in the early years of the Santa Barbara County wine industry. In 1990, Tolmach left to start Ojai Winery and Clendenen became sole proprietor and winemaker. The winery is located in Santa Maria, California, and exclusively produces Burgundian-styled wine from grape varietals Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. According to the winery's website, the primary source for Au Bon Climat's grapes is the Bien Nacido Vineyard, in northern Santa Barbara County, where the winery itself is located. Au Bon Climat also sources grapes from the Le Bon Climat Vineyard, the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, the Los Alamos Vineyard, the Rancho La Cuna Vineyard, and San Luis Obispo County's Talley Vineyards. The winery makes about 10 different Pinot Noirs, and 6 different Chardonnays each vintage. Most are vineyard designated on the label. From the beginning, Old World winemaking methods were employed and still are today. The objective to create tightly focused, balanced, nuanced wines with great aging potential has never changed, even as fads in California winemaking have come on gone. Clendenen stayed true to his convictions and was proven correct as a more educated market came back to wines of balance. Through careful re-investment from its own production, Au Bon Climat grew to over 50,000 cases annually while earning world-wide acclaim. A guiding light for the Santa Barbara County wine region since its infancy, Au Bon Climat and Clendenen were essential in elevating the quality of Burgundian varietals on the Central Coast, and key in generating international recognition of Santa Barbara County as a world class wine region. Source: https://aubonclimat.com/our-story/the-mind-behind/

Pioneer Valley High School (PVHS) is a public comprehensive high school in Santa Maria, California, United States. The school is the newest campus in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, opening to a class of freshmen and sophomores on August 11, 2004.

Bien Nacido Vineyards is cool-climate vineyard on the central coast of California. Located midway up the Santa Maria Valley, it is known for growing Burgundian and Rhone varieties of wine grapes. Bien Nacido has the distinction of being one of the major viticultural nurseries in the state for certified, varietal budwood. Most of the vines were originally from stock grown by the University of California at Davis. While the average increase block in California is less than 10 acres (40,000 m2), Bien Nacido Vineyards has several hundred acres of certified Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and a number of other varieties. Much of the Chardonnay planted in California in the last twenty years began as Bien Nacido Vineyards cuttings.Bien Nacido Vineyards produces an estate wine program run by Trey Fletcher. The focus of the estate program is to showcase specific, small blocks of the larger vineyard, in a very holistic approach. The winery produces around 1400 cases annually of Pinot Noir, Syrah and Chardonnay. Additionally, a small portion of wine is made exclusively from the famous X Block, Old Vines and from a monopole block called The Captain. Additionally there are two independent winemakers who make their wine on the vineyard, Bob Lindquist of Qupe Winery and Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat.

The Sisquoc River is a westward flowing river in northeastern Santa Barbara County, California. It is a tributary of the Santa Maria River, which is formed when the Sisquoc River meets the Cuyama River at the Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County border just north of Garey. The river is 57.4 miles (92.4 km) long and originates on the north slopes of Big Pine Mountain, at approximately 6,320 feet (1,930 m). Big Pine Mountain is part of the San Rafael Mountains, which are part of the Transverse Ranges.

The Cuyama River (Chumash: Kuyam, meaning "Clam") is a 118-mile-long (190 km) river in southern San Luis Obispo County, northern Santa Barbara County, and northern Ventura County, in the U.S. state of California. It joins the Sisquoc River forming the Santa Maria River. The river's name comes from an Indian village named for the Chumash word kuyam, meaning "clam" or "freshwater mollusk".

Allan Hancock College is a public community college in Santa Maria, California.

Huasna (Chumash: Awasna) is an unincorporated community in southeastern San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Huasna is located on the western slope of the southern Santa Lucia Range. Huasna is due east and far inland of Arroyo Grande. The Huasna River runs through the community.

Santa Maria (Spanish for "St. Mary") is a city in the Central Coast of California in northern Santa Barbara County. It is approximately 65 miles (105 km) northwest of Santa Barbara and 150 miles (240 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Its population was 109,707 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous city in the county and the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA Metro Area. The city is notable for its wine industry and Santa Maria-style barbecue.