A downed power line sparked the Lookout Fire that menaced the mountaintop Painted Cave community this week, the U.S. Forest Service said Friday afternoon.
The blaze, which broke out shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday, threatened some 100 homes and prompted evacuations before being contained Thursday evening.
Some 40 homes in Painted Cave were evacuated, and residents of other mountain communities were put on alert as up to 300 firefighters battled the flames.
Power lines were reported down at the outset of the fire, but a Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman initially said the lines did not appear to be the cause of the blaze.
No structures were damaged in the fire, and only two minor injuries to firefighters were reported.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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