Small Fire Near Homeless Camp Quickly Extinguished

Santa Barbara firefighters are mopping up a small brush fire that ignited Tuesday afternoon next to a homeless encampment along Highway 101. The blaze, which is under investigation and didn’t damage any buildings or cause any injuries, was called in at 2:52 p.m. and was under control by 2:58 p.m., said City Fire spokesperson Gary Pitney. As crews responded to the fire between the highway and Wentworth Avenue at the end of West De La Guerra Street, one northbound lane of Highway 101 was temporarily closed, but traffic is now flowing freely. Rail operators were notified of the fire, Pitney went on, as engine hoses stretched across the tracks for about 15 minutes. No one was found in the area when crews arrived, said Pitney, and investigators remain on the scene.