Firefighters responded early Sunday to a blaze behind a hotel and restaurant along the Santa Barbara waterfront. Officials say the fire is under investigation as a possible arson case.
According to Santa Barbara fire Battalion Chief Mike de Ponce, crews were dispatched shortly before 5:30 a.m. to the 200 block of West Cabrillo Boulevard across from West Beach.
They found a shed on fire behind the Sambo’s Restaurant and the adjacent Hotel Milo, de Ponce said, but were able to quickly douse the flames.
The fire had spread to a nearby palm tree, which took a little longer to extinguish, he said, adding that firefighters used a ladder truck to reach the top of the tree.
An investigator was called in to search for the cause of the blaze, which was “suspicious in nature,” de Ponce said.
There was no damage to the adjacent buildings, said de Ponce, who estimated the fire damage at $7,500.
No injuries were reported.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
