Crews stop forward progress of vegetation fire near Casmalia
CASMALIA, Calif. – Firefighters from multiple agencies have stopped forward progress of a vegetation fire in the hills near the location of a former hazardous waste facility and Vandenberg Space Force Base property, according to Santa Barbara County Fire.
The fire broke out at 10:50 a.m. on the 3300 block of Ntu Road, which is the address listed for the former Casmalia Resources Hazardous Waste Landfill, a 252-acre disposal facility that is now listed as a Superfund Site by the Environmental Protection Agency.
— PIO (@PIOSBCFireInfo) June 23, 2024
According to a Santa Barbara County Fire spokesman, the fire burned approximately 5-6 acres of grass and oak trees. The amount of acres was later found to be about 12 acres.
Forward progress of the fire was stopped around 1 p.m. The fire did not burn any toxic or hazardous materials associated with the landfill.
County, state and federal firefighters worked together to stop the fire, and online PG&E footage showed air crews attacking the flames within an hour of the first reports coming in.
Initial reports placed the fire on Vandenberg Space Force Base property at Point Sal Road, but Santa Barbara County Fire confirmed the fire was actually burning on county land adjacent to the former hazardous waste facility. Federal firefighters from Vandenberg are assisting because the fire had the potential to affect their property.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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