Firefighters Extinguish Large Homeless Camp Fire in Goleta

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Photos: Mike Eliason / SBCFD

Update by edhat staff

Santa Barbara County firefighters extinguished a brush fire inside a homeless camp in Goleta on Thursday morning.

Crews responded to reports of smoke just north of The Grove condominium complex in the 7600 block of Hollister Ave around 7:00 a.m. They discovered a large brush fire in a eucalyptus grove near Highway 101 southbound next to the railroad tracks.

The fire had burned approximately 1/4 of an acre before it was extinguished an hour later. Firefighters used foam due to a large amount of debris at the base of the trees. A hand crew then finished up the job to make sure it was fully out.

There were no reported injuries and no one appeared to be in the camp at the time of the fire.

The Amtrak Train was shut down for a short amount of time due to firefighters laying down their hoses on the tracks. 

The investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.

Reported by Roger the Scanner Guy

Vegetation fire off Highway 101 northbound at Winchester Canyon. The fire is in the vegetation and trees. Santa Barbara County Fire Department and Helicopter 308 are responding with a full fire response.

Below photos by A.D.

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a-1582901982
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Feb 28, 2020 06:59 AM
Firefighters Extinguish Large Homeless Camp Fire in Goleta

If you take the train between Lompoc and the South Coast, you can see all the encampments starting in this area, all along the tracks through Goleta, SB, and Montecito. Union Pacific needs to lead the charge and get the Cities and the County and Caltrans to clean these out. You see panhandlers on both sides of Las Positas overpass. They live in these encampments. Standing or walking on these on/off ramps is illegal but the police/CHP do nothing as the panhandlers are there every day. Yes, all residents near these areas are endangered because of the threat of fires, not to mention public health issues.

a-1582995139
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Feb 29, 2020 08:52 AM
Firefighters Extinguish Large Homeless Camp Fire in Goleta

One more example that our current congressman, Salud Carbajal, fails to protect our coast. He has done nothing to get new federal regulations to prevent this toxic build up along federally regulated railway tracks in his own congressional district. New blood in Congress is badly needed and get someone who actually cares about what is happening right here and right now, right under our noses.. Send Carbajal packing and vote for the other guy Caldwell, who has a clear track record protecting the interests of this district.

Chip of SB
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Feb 27, 2020 12:59 PM
Firefighters Extinguish Large Homeless Camp Fire in Goleta

I have observed some severely overgrown eucalyptus groves in this area. The tree trunks are so close together in some areas that it would be difficult to walk between them. This incident should be a wake-up call to address this problem. These areas need to be cleared, or at a minimum thinned out dramatically. It is fortunate this fire started when it was relatively cool with little wind. However, we have a rapidly increasing population of drug addicts and mentally ill living in these overgrown areas. If we do not take action now to mitigate this hazard, we will see these overgrown eucalyptus groves burn catastrophically. Having said that, I would encourage anyone with property near these overgrown areas to plan for a catastrophic fire. Its a shame some of these groves cannot be thinned and maintained. Instead we will lose them entirely when they burn down.

SB_TAHOE
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Feb 27, 2020 09:29 AM
Firefighters Extinguish Large Homeless Camp Fire in Goleta

There is a lot of conflicting information. If it is on the ocean side of the freeway, I apologize. Reports say NB 101 Winchester offramp and the map of the incident on SBCFire shows mountain side of freeway by Timbers / mobile home park.

Citizen27
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Feb 27, 2020 08:55 AM
Firefighters Extinguish Large Homeless Camp Fire in Goleta

Fire contained in the vegetation behind the Grove condominiums between 101 SB and railroad tracks. Several units stationed in the complex parking lot for mop up duty. According to a firefighter, it was an encampment.
Fast response, as usual from County Fire,

SB_TAHOE
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Feb 27, 2020 08:28 AM
Firefighters Extinguish Large Homeless Camp Fire in Goleta

After viewing SBCFire.com, it appears the initial report was that the fire was south of the 101 at the train track near The Grove, but first responders realized it was across the freeway near Timbers. There’s a mobile home park nearby.

Roger
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Feb 27, 2020 08:51 AM
Firefighters Extinguish Large Homeless Camp Fire in Goleta

I don't know if it's out at this point not hearing much I know they are on another channel and my digital is not transmitting that channel I don't know why? I'm getting Ventura either way Fire units will be there for some time.

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