Vegetation Fire Extinguished
updated: Jan 21, 2013, 2:56 PM

Source: Montecito Fire Protection District

The Montecito Fire Protection District responded to a reported vegetation fire at the 1100 block of Channel Drive at 11:36 a.m.

Upon arrival, Montecito Fire personnel, with the assistance of a Santa Barbara County Sheriff Helicopter found a fire burning in dead and decadent vegetation at the end of a bike path. The fire originated on the beach, and burned uphill on the bluff to the where firefighting personnel caught the fire. The fire was knocked down at 12:15 p.m. burning less than ¼ acre.

Montecito Fire was assisted by Santa Barbara City Fire, Carpinteria/Summerland Fire District and Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department. There were four engines, one squad, helicopter, and chief officers for a total of 20 personnel at the scene.

The fire cause was determined to be a warming fire started on the beach near a homeless encampment. Several witnesses identified an individual they had seen leaving the area immediately after the fire started. That individual was questioned, and has been arrested by Santa Barbara County Sheriff's department in connection with the fire.

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

ROGER DODGER	2013-01-21 03:33 PM
That was a big warming fire!
COMMENT 365859	2013-01-21 03:46 PM
Sure are a lot of these "warming fires" popping up and getting out of control.
COMMENT 365866	2013-01-21 04:09 PM
So the warming fire was during the night, and then smoldered until midday? Scary...
COMMENT 365871P	2013-01-21 04:30 PM
Time to get a lot tougher on these fires. It wasn't even that cold last night, compared to previous weather the last two weeks. I say we stop calling them warming fires, and call them ARSON. Someone who has the wits and intelligence to survive day in and day out living on the street knows full well that setting a fire, let alone near any vegetation, and leaving it without the embers extinguished can turn into an full-fledged blaze. I'm so sick of all the accommodations we make in this town for homeless people.
COMMENT 365965	2013-01-21 08:04 PM
Yea it wasn't cold to you, you have a nice cozy home, a bed, blankets, possibly a heater, probably a hot shower, and access to a warm meal every night. These guys have to sleep out in the cold, exposed to the elements. Some of them don't even have blankets or a sleeping bag. Their camps get cleared out by cops, and their few belongings stolen by other homeless types. So I find it unsurprising that a poor guy would wasn't a warm fire. They have them in or near vegetation so they can stay out of view from the police. And no one bats an eye at all the college kids throwing bonfire parties on the beach, too drink probably to put out their own fires, our to dumb to realize that they even need to. And those fires are right under the bluffs, out on them in some places, very close to vegetation.
FLICKA	2013-01-22 07:24 AM
This was in the middle of a very warm day, the guy was seen scampering away so my guess is it wasn't likely from the night before.

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