Update by edhat staff
A small brush fire broke out along Highway 101 near Winchester Canyon in Goleta on Friday afternoon.
At 2:49 p.m., Santa Barbara County firefighters responded to southbound lanes between Winchester Canyon and Storke road for a 1/4 acre vegetation fire.
The number two southbound lanes were closed as six engines, one water tender, and one battalion chief were battling the fire.
Air resources were cancelled as the forward progress of the fire was stopped.
The cause is under investigation.
Reported by Scanner Andrew
Forward progress has been stopped on a vegetation fire on Hwy 101 between Storke and Winchester Canyon.
So is the fire on the Mountain or the Ocean side of the freeway? I don’t know if it’s clear from the radio traffic because Noozhawk said it is between Storke & Hollister but they intersect and are not on the same side as Winchester Canyon. Ultimately though, I’m just glad forward progress was stopped and hope that it isn’t harming the butterflies!
There are some exceptionally high fire hazard areas along the 101 near Winchester canyon. In some places, the eucalyptus have been allowed to grow so dense that a man could barely walk through them. With that high of a fuel load, a conflagration is inevitable. Something needs to be done to thin out and clean up these areas ASAP. If we wait for a wind driven fire to clear it all out, it will be too late.
I get a feeling this has become a game of sorts for some vagrants. Kind of a nah-nah-nah you think you’re better than me taunt.