Fire Destroys Residential Structure in Isla Vista

By edhat staff

A fire destroyed a two-story home in Isla Vista early Tuesday morning.

At 3:10 a.m., Santa Barbara County Firefighters responded to the 6600 block of Abrego for a first alarm structure fire response. Soon after the first engine company arrived and discovered a two-story single-family home fully involved in fire the response was upgraded to a 2nd alarm to include an engine from Santa Barbara City Fire Department.

Crews were unable to get close enough to the building due to the excessive heat to perform a primary and secondary interior search for possible occupants so a defensive posture was made to knock down the fire on all four corners, said County Fire Captain Dave Bertucelli.

Reports state the home was abandoned but people were frequently seen inside. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department has yet to state if there were any injuries connected to this fire.

Investigators are examining the site to try to determine how the fire started, said Bertucelli.