A vehicle fire spread to brush in a remote area of Santa Barbara County on Thursday, but crews quickly stopped the blaze from growing. 

At 11:20 a.m., personnel from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department responded to the incident in the 6400 block of Palmer Road southeast of Orcutt.

Firefighters were working to contain a  car fire that spread to nearby brush, but had stopped the forward progress by 11:50 a.m., fire Capt. Scott Safechuck said. 

Crews confined the brush fire to less than one-quarter acre, he added.

The car fire burned the vehicle down to the frame, according to emergency dispatch reports. 

California Highway Patrol officers and Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies also were dispatched for the incident. 

The vehicle fire sparked as crews continue to conduct a prescribed burn targeting 470 acres of sage scrub and oak woodland near Midland School, 5100 Figueroa Mountain Road in the Santa Ynez Valley. 

The prescribed burn was set to take place over three days from Wednesday through Friday.

Firefighters initially aimed to complete the prescribed burn last fall but weather did not cooperate.

The vegetation management burn aimed to reduce the risk of wildfire for the residential communities of Woodstock Ranch, Oak Trail Estates, and Midland School, county officials said. Prescribed burns can help prevent the spread of wildfires and can reduce impacts to watersheds.

Any prescribed burn only takes place when the meteorological conditions are favorable including directing smoke away from population centers. However, nearby residents should prepare for the potential for residual smoke in the area during evenings and morning hours, officials said.