Firefighters Douse Structure Fire in Painted Cave Community

SANTA BARBARA CO, Calif. (KEYT) - The call-out initially included crews from nearly a dozen local fire departments when a structure fire broke out just before 3:30 Thursday afternoon in the Painted Cave area off Highway 154.

According to PulsePoint, a 911-connected app, the flames sparked at a property on the 4800 block of Glenn Rd., an area with a devastating fire history in the hills above Santa Barbara.

A majority of the fire crews were called off before arriving, however, nearly a handful of crews from Santa Barbara County quickly responded, given the tinder dry and extremely warm conditions in the area for days on end.

Santa Barbara County Fire PIO Karen Cruz Orduna posted on X that the structure fire involved a vacant single-family residence and an outbuilding. The flames also charred roughly 40' by 40' of nearby vegetation.

Crews quickly stopped the fire from spreading further.

No one was hurt; fire investigators are working to determine the cause.