Fire crews respond to a blaze along Highway 154 near West Camino Cielo and Painted Cave Road Monday afternoon. 
Firefighting crews work on a steep hillside along Highway 154 Monday evening in response to the Camino Fire. 
Fire crews respond to a blaze along Highway 154 near West Camino Cielo and Painted Cave Road Monday afternoon. 
Fire crews respond to a blaze along Highway 154 near West Camino Cielo and Painted Cave Road Monday afternoon. 
A vegetation fire burns along the Highway 154 corridor above Santa Barbara Monday afternoon. 
Fire crews respond to a blaze along Highway 154 near West Camino Cielo and Painted Cave Road Monday afternoon. 
Fire crews respond to a blaze along Highway 154 near West Camino Cielo and Painted Cave Road Monday afternoon. 
Firefighting crews work on a steep hillside along Highway 154 Monday evening in response to the Camino Fire. 
Firefighting crews work on a steep hillside along Highway 154 Monday evening in response to the Camino Fire. 
Highway 154 was closed between Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley Monday afternoon due to a wildfire near West Camino Cielo.
Authorities reopened Highway 154 midday Tuesday after a closure due to the Camino Fire, which burned 5-6 acres near West Camino Cielo on the Santa Barbara side.
The vegetation fire was first reported at 4:34 p.m. Monday and moved uphill, prompting authorities to shut down the roadway and issue evacuation warnings to nearby residents, which were later lifted.
Ground crews and a water-dropping helicopter fought the fire and stopped the forward progress of the blaze after a few hours, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said.
“We do have some structures that are threatened, but the fire’s forward rate of spread has slowed significantly, and our crews are making very good headway,” Capt. Daniel Bertucelli said at 6:25 p.m. Monday.
The size of the fire initially was estimated at 15 acres, but was later revised to be 5-6 acres, Bertucelli said.
Evacuation warnings were lifted for the East Camino Cielo and the Painted Cave community as of 7:55 p.m. Monday, and firefighting crews stayed at the scene overnight.
Residents were allowed back into the area, past the roadway closure, but through traffic of Highway 154 was blocked until noon Tuesday.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Caltrans District 5 closed Highway 154 in both directions between State Route 192 in Santa Barbara and the State Route 246 roundabout in the Santa Ynez Valley, with drivers directed to use Highway 101 as a detour, spokesman Jim Shivers said.
According to the California Highway Patrol incident log, some local access was allowed within that larger closure, but there was no through traffic available as of 9:30 p.m.
Rain and thunderstorms are expected Tuesday and Wednesday in Santa Barbara County.
Sign up for Santa Barbara County emergency alerts through ReadySBC.org.
Click here to sign up for free Noozhawk Breaking News text alerts to your cell phone.
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
