Firefighters quickly put out series of fires in Isla Vista early Wednesday
ISLA VISTA, Calif.- Santa Barbara County firefighters worked quickly to put out a series of fires that broke out just after midnight in Isla Vista Wednesday morning.
A furniture fire on Abrego Road, two dumpster fires (one at 6711 El Colegio Road and the other at 6750 El Colegio Road), and a spot fire at Girsh Park broke out sequentially within an hour detailed the Santa Barbara County Fire Department which responded to all four fires.
No injuries were reported at any of the fires, but furniture, dumpsters, and some minor building damage (at the 6711 El Colegio Road dumpster fire) were reported after the fires by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
It's unclear if the fires are connected and each fire remains under investigation at this time shared the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Firefighters at the State Santa Barbara apartment complex on El Colegio Road said the fire was very hot when they arrived shortly after midnight, explained Captain Castellanos with Santa Barbara County Fire. However, crews were able to extinguish the fire in 15 minutes.
The two 40-foot dumpster fires charred parts of the dumpsters at the scene, one is pictured below.
After putting out the fire, wet and burnt cardboard boxes were scattered around the parking lot behind the State Santa Barbara apartment complex.
Most of the cardboard boxes were labeled “University Furnishings” because the State Santa Barbara apartment complex caters to UCSB students who have moved out now that the semester is over.
The outdoor furniture fire was in the 6600 block of Abrego Road detailed the Santa Barbara County Fire Department in a tweet Wednesday.
According to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, the fire at Girsh Park was a 30-foot by 30-foot spot fire at its greatest size.
For more information about fire safety, visit Santa Barbara County Fire Department's Ready-Set-Go webpage.
The following message was issued by the UC Santa Barbara Police Department on Jul. 3, at 4:19 p.m.:
This email is being sent to the campus community as a Timely Warning regarding crimes that occurred on campus property. The following is provided for your personal safety.
On the morning of Wednesday, July 3, 2024, the UCSB Police Department received a report of an arson that occurred at Storke Family Housing in the community garden at an unknown date and time (believed to be last week). A burnt picnic table was discovered by a community member. The circumstances are similar to an arson incident that occurred on March 12, 2024, around 4:10 pm. During that incident, a picnic table near the Storke Family Housing community garden was burnt in two spots. Additionally, on Sunday, June 9, 2024, a burnt trampoline was reported at the Storke Family Housing Playground, along with the AstroTurf underneath it. The date and time of this fire is unknown. There is no suspect information for these arsons.
On the evening of July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm, UCPD received information about a couch on fire at an off-campus location in Isla Vista. Shortly after, a dumpster fire was reported at another off-campus location in Isla Vista, followed by a dumpster fire reported at the Santa Ynez Apartments on-campus. A fourth first was reported in the bushes at Girsh Park. Emergency Notifications were sent in the early morning hours of July 3, 2024, regarding these incidents. There is no suspect information for these arsons.
It is unknown if the arson incidents from last night are connected to the arson incidents at Storke Family Housing.
UCPD is investigating these crimes. If you have information that might assist in the investigation, please contact the UCSB Police Department at (805) 893-3446, or report crime information anonymously at www.police.ucsb.edu/report-crime.
