A fire in Santa Maria that damaged several apartments and left dozens of people homeless is being blamed on improper disposal of a small butane lighter in a flammable container.
Just before 4:30 p.m. March 12, the Santa Maria Fire Department responded to multiple reports of a residential structure fire at the Vizcaya Apartments in the 500 block of West Sonya Lane.
A resident of an upstairs unit reported hearing “a loud bang” from the patio area before the fire started.
“An open flame device was used, and after use was placed in a combustible container,” Chief Dan Orr said Thursday. “The device was still hot and caused fire.”
A resident told investigators that he had been playing with the lighter, such as the kind used to smoke a hookah-type pipe, prior to the fire, according to Orr.
Firefighters arrived to find three units engulfed in flames, with the blaze spreading into adjoining apartments and the attic.
“An aggressive interior attack coordinated with vertical ventilation quickly knocked down the main body of fire, however multiple ventilation holes and extensive overhaul finally put the fire under control,” Battalion Chief Mike Barneich said last week.
Santa Maria police rescued multiple occupants from an apartment adjacent to where the fire started.
Two people received minor injuries. Police officers also reportedly received treatment after getting smoke in their eyes.
The loss was estimated at $500,000, including building and contents.
In all, the fire displaced 33 occupants — slightly lower than original estimate of 40 — because the entire building was deemed uninhabitable.
The force fighting the fire included six engine companies, two aerial truck companies, two battalion chiefs and three fire investigators.
Santa Maria city received assistance from Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Cal Fire and Five Cities Fire Authority, with units responded to the scene plus covering the city’s stations to handle other incidents.
Santa Maria police officers provided traffic and crowd control in the area, and AMR crews were on hand for assistance, including treating overheated firefighters.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.