Officials are trying to determine what sparked the vegetation fire northeast of Buellton last week, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said Monday morning.
Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the 200-acre McMurray Fire, according to Capt. Daniel Bertucelli.
He described the investigation process as “slow and methodical.”
The blaze was originally reported as multiple fires that broke out Sept. 9 near Highway 101, and firefighters reached 100-percent containment on the blaze Saturday morning.
Hundreds of firefighting personnel responded to the McMurray Fire in early days, as well as water-dropping helicopters and tankers.
Residents and livestock were evacuated in ranch areas northeast of Buellton during the first day of the fire, but no structures were damaged or destroyed, according to officials.
At least four separate fires were reported in the McMurray incident, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Although investigators have not determined a cause yet, on Sept. 9, the California Highway Patrol’s dispatch log indicated a malfunctioning vehicle traveling on the highway might have sparked the fire.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
