Buellton Trailer Fire Results in One Death, Cause Appears to be Accidental

A trailer fire in Buellton left one person dead, Santa Barbara County Fire Department’s public information officer stated on Monday, October 13, 2o25. No other injuries were reported.

The fire broke out in the 9400 block of Santa Rosa Road in Buellton. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the blaze.

In an X post, Public Information Officer Scott Safechuck wrote, “Fatality: 9400 Blk Santa Rosa Rd., Buellton. On arrival, ME31 reported a single-wide residential travel trailer fully involved with fire.”

Travel Trailer Fire / Fatality: 9400 Blk Santa Rosa Rd., Buellton. On arrival, ME31 reported a single-wide residential travel trailer fully involved with fire. One adult male was located inside by firefighters during a search of the structure. Despite resuscitative efforts by… pic.twitter.com/v0iM9ie9w5

— Scott Safechuck (@SBCFireInfo) October 13, 2025

Firefighters found an adult male inside the trailer during their search. Despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has yet to be released.

On Thursday, Safechuck provided an update stating preliminary findings indicate the fire appears to be accidental in nature and there is no evidence of criminal activity at this time. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Fire Investigation Unit and additional details will be released as the investigation progresses.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze at 1:10 a.m., containing it to the trailer without spreading to nearby vegetation or structures.

Fire Incidents in Santa Barbara County

As of late September 2025, the Gifford Fire was the most recent major fire affecting Santa Barbara County.

On August 25, 2025, Edhat’s reported that the Gifford Fire had held at 131,614 acres and 95% containment for several days.

The fire broke out near the Gifford Trailhead off Highway 166 on August 1, about 30 miles east of Santa Maria, and rapidly spread into both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

The fire was also close to the Madre Fire burn scar, which was fully contained just four days before the Gifford Fire started.

A significant fire also occurred in Santa Barbara County in 2024. The Lake Fire, which started on July 5, 2024, burned over 38,000 acres before being 100% contained by early August 2024.

About Buellton

Buellton, located on U.S. Highway 101 in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, was incorporated on February 1, 1992. It operates under a five-member City Council, a five-member Planning Commission, a five-member Parks and Recreation Commission, and a City Manager form of government. It has an estimated population of 4,552.

The city adopted a general plan and also established a Redevelopment Agency for a project area of about 180 acres in November 1993.

Buellton has a Mediterranean climate with warm summers and cool, wet winters.

Winter lows are generally in the 30s, with occasional frosty dips below freezing. Annual precipitation averages about 13 inches between November and March.

[Ed Note: This article has been updated with new information by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department]