Three Separate Brush Fires Spark Near Cat Canyon

(Photos & Video: Mike Eliason/SBCFD)

Update by Edhat Staff
7:00 a.m. December 8, 2017

Santa Barbara County firefighters tackled three separate brush fires near Cat Canyon on Thursday and into early Friday morning.

At 11:30 a.m. Thursday, county fire crews responded to a 5-acre fire in Santa Ynez Valley near Highway 101, north of SR-154. Dubbed the Woodchopper fire, this one grew to 21.7 acres and two electrical boom trucks were destroyed. The cause is under investigation.

#VegFire-Update/Revisions-#Woodchopper Fire 21.7 acres, with 2 electrical boom trucks destroyed. Cause under investigation. The second fire, the Cat Canyon Fire- 2.2 acres, cause under investigation. SBC was assisted by USFS, Lompoc Fire, Santa Maria Fire pic.twitter.com/Cz2hvWcmp0

— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) December 8, 2017

Not long after, a second fire sparked off 6859 Cat Canyon Road at approximately 2.2 acres, called the Cat Canyon Fire. The cause is under investigation for this fire as well.

Both were contained by county firefighters who were assisted by the US Forest Service, Lompoc Fire, and Santa Maria Fire Departments.

#VegFire–#WoodchopperFire– SBC, USFS,CalFire, tankers/copter on scene for 5 acre fire. 101 north of Hwy 154 in SY Valley. C/T 11:30 Additionally-This is the 2nd fire off 6859 Cat Canyon- 4 acres at this time. Not related, but under same command. **Call Newsline** pic.twitter.com/D8QbdMCKsr

— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) December 7, 2017

At 2:15 a.m. Friday, County firefighters responded to another reported vegetation fire in the same area of the Woodchopper fire from Thursday, along Highway 101 northbound of the SR-154 exit near Alisos Canyon. However, this new fire was outside the perimeter of Thursday’s fire.

Upon arrival, the fire was 1/4 acre in size, but it grew to 24 acres. Called the Woodchopper 2 fire, it took one hour for crews to contain the spot fire. There were no structures threated and no injuries reported.

The cause is under investigation but Public Information Officer Mike Eliason reports there were PG&E trucks in the area working on lines.

Santa Maria Fire and Montecito Fire Departments assisted in containing the fire.