Born and raised in the Ojai Valley, Michael Lopez developed a deep appreciation for the outdoors and natural resource stewardship at an early age. After graduating from Nordhoff High School, he began his career in wildland fire and has since accumulated more than 24 years of fire service experience.
During that time, he served with both the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the National Park Service (NPS), working on hand crews, helicopter crews, and as an Engine Captain. Throughout his career, Michael has responded to numerous large wildfires across the western United States while serving in both operational and incident management roles.
Committed to professional growth and lifelong learning, Michael graduated from the Oxnard College Regional Fire Academy and earned a degree in Fire Management from California State University, Humboldt. He continues to advance his expertise through specialized training and certifications offered by the California State Fire Marshal.
Current RoleToday, Michael serves in the Wildland Fire Division with the City of Santa Barbara Fire Department, where he helps protect lives, property, and natural resources within the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). His work focuses on defensible space, public education, fuels reduction, vegetation management, and other proactive wildfire risk reduction strategies. He also volunteers with nonprofit organizations throughout Ventura County, further supporting wildfire preparedness and community resilience.
As President of UrbnTekMichael is committed to helping property owners reduce wildfire risk through proactive, year-round mitigation strategies. His goal is to help clients stay ahead of evolving state regulations, local ordinances, and industry standards while navigating the increasingly complex wildfire compliance landscape.
Through comprehensive assessments, planning, maintenance, and mitigation services, he helps property owners improve resilience and adapt to the changing expectations of the real estate and insurance industries.
Outside of UrbnTekMichael resides in Ventura County with his wife, Priscilla, and their four children, James, Audrianna, Levi, and Kane. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, camping, and working on the family farm. He is passionate about helping communities throughout California become more resilient to wildfire through education, outreach, and proactive mitigation.