Officials: Rucker Fire caused by malfunctioning vehicle
Fire officials have determined the cause of the Rucker Fire that has burned nearly 500 acres and caused some evacuations in the Lompoc area.
A malfunctioning vehicle is believed to have sparked the blaze.
According to Santa Barbara County Fire Department public information officer Mike Eliason, piece of a catalytic converter were collected in the area where the fire broke out.
#RuckerFire-UPDATE-Per Investigator the 7-12 fires cause was malfunctioning vehicle, several pieces of catalytic converter were collected. pic.twitter.com/3N4uNljvCq
— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) October 1, 2017
A number of small spot fires combined to create the Rucker Fire which moved quickly and put a number of homes in danger. No homes were damaged and firefighters are closing in on containing the fire, although the fire appeared to have broken containment Sunday afternoon.
Regular vehicle maintenance is suggested to prevent similar fires from starting. A complete checklist of things to do to prevent accidental fires can be found on Cal Fire’s ‘Ready For Wildfire’ website as part of the ‘One Less Spark ‘ campaign.
