Fire Scare at Santa Barbara County Courthouse

The Santa Barbara County Courthouse appeared to be on fire after a power outage around 9:30 p.m. Friday. Firefighters said it turned out to be smoke from an old generator.

Battalion Chief Jim McCoy said the diesel generator kicked on after an outage in the area. He said the moonlight made the smoke, coming from the roof, look daunting.

Dozens of people were just leaving a silent movie shown in the Courthouse Sunken Gardens.

Fire crews checked the building while Edison crews went to work to restore the power and lights.