Roger
Photo: John Palminteri / KEYT
Update by John Palminteri of KEYT
An urgent 911 call from an overnight security worker got a rapid response to a structure fire early this morning on the landmark Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara.
Engines were rolling about 12:30 a.m. when flames were spotted between two of the boards.
The area was in the valet parking lot just passed the Harbor Restaurant.
The Santa Barbara City Fire Department says it was on the scene in minutes and doused the fire. Then firefighters used tools to dig into the wood and make sure no lingering embers existed.
Read more on keyt.com
By Roger the Scanner Guy
Fire reported in front of Moby Dick’s Restaurant at 220 Stearns Wharf is out.
2nd Time I have heard this call today. Below the whale painting.
Good.
Possible cigarette 2nd time today This is why we cannot have nice things.
No smoking law in the city so everyone goes to the most flammable place in town and lights up anyway..I guess when the wharf burns down again the tourist folks will have to do another promotional video…
I’d have to think the major problem out there is after 1 and 1/2 years of the smoking ban there is still a trash can with an ash tray on top just to the right of the entrance, with yes a fire extinguisher next to it and no “No Smoking ” signs anywhere . I’ve yet to see SB’s finest give any Japanese tourist even a warning anywhere downtown. They are the heaviest smokers after Eastern Europeans. Feel good laws are pretty worthless when never enforced , just like texting and driving and lights on when driving when it is raining.
Its the Chinese that are the heaviest cigarette smokers per capita. Regardless of where they’re from, if they’re gonna discreet smoke they should know to put it out thoroughly (not hard to do) before placing it in a disposal bin.
The signs should say “No Smoking on the Wharf” and have the muni code number along with fine info as well as possible jail time especially if the wharf catches on fire.
This update by the Palm is not for the fire reported here as below the whale painting and at 220 Stearns Wharf. The update is for the valet parking lot just past the Harbor Restaurant which is nowhere near the whale painting so it would have to be the first one which was 12:30 in the morning or even the second of 3 that Roger alluded to. If 3 in one day …a lot of careless smokers?
PSTARSR—I think the fire was caused by texting, since that gets blamed for everything else. Someone was texting way too fast, the phone started to smoke, then burst into flames, and the texter dropped it onto the wooden wharf. Texting is bad. Don’t text. Especially on a flammable pier.
love that we are now going down this road of blaming a smoker for this. when there is NO documentation of statements saying it was a cig that started this. There are lots of things that can cause fires, even the pilings themselves can ignite as they are soaked in tar and pitch. but anyways, im just here to stir the pot….. carry on