Santa Maria firefighters returning to their station from a different incident spotted a fire at a house in a remote area of the eastern Santa Maria Valley early Saturday morning. 

At 3:15 a.m., Santa Barbara County Fire Department personnel were dispatched to the incident on the 2100 block Stowell Road to join Santa Maria firefighters, county fire Capt. Scott Safechuck said. 

Santa Maria’s Engine 5 “was returning to station from another incident and noticed a burning house in farm field area,” Safechuck said. 

He added it was not known if residents were home at time of fire.

The incident required extensive mop-up efforts, Safechuck added.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation, he added.