A garbage truck operating on Santa Barbara’s Coast Village Road was completely engulfed in flames Friday morning before being put out by firefighters.
No one was hurt, and the damage was contained to the MarBorg Industries vehicle, which was behind The Bottle Shop at 1200 Coast Village Road, said Santa Barbara City Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike De Ponce.
Firefighters’ initial concern was that the flames could spread to the adjacent apartment complex, he added. The Fire Department responded to the fire around 8:15 a.m. and was aided by the Montecito Fire Protection District.
As of 9:30 a.m., Middle Road was closed at Coast Village Road as crews prepared to move the truck.
De Ponce said an investigator was on scene speaking to witnesses and the driver to determine the fire’s cause.
Another MarBorg truck caught fire March 2 in the Mesa neighborhood of Santa Barbara, prompting fire officials to remind people not to discard hot embers or other such materials in the trash.
— Noozhawk staff writer Sam Goldman can be reached at sgoldman@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
(Jim Copus video)