Pot Smoker May Have Started Goleta Fire

Investigators believe someone smoking marijuana in an open field may have started a brush fire in Goleta Thursday afternoon.

Santa Barbara County firefighters were able to quickly contain the blaze behind homes along Tuolomne Drive and Baker Lane near Calle Real.

The first calls went out at 2:39 p.m. and the fire was declared contained at 3:09 p.m. One acre burned. A power pole was damaged.

The fire burned within a few hundred yards of homes but did not cause any structural damage. Some homes along Baker and Tuolomne were evacuated as a precaution.

Residents on the scene told NewsChannel 3 many people pitched in to help fight the fire, including a UPS driver on his delivery route.

Five engines were called to the scene. Low winds aided firefighters in gaining the upper hand more quickly. Higher winds are forecast later Thursday afternoon.

No arrests were made as of Thursday evening.

Slideshow: Goleta Brush Fire Quickly Contained

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