Montecito firefighters responded to a structure fire Thursday evening in the 200 block of Dawlish Place after smoke was reported coming out of a home.
The fire department was alerted to the fire just after 6 p.m. and confirmed that no one was trapped in the house.
Department spokesperson Christina Atchison said a neighbor noticed the smoke and reported the blaze. The burning home’s owners were out of town at the time, but they were notified, she added.
There was major interior damage and responding firefighters found a cat in the home that died in the fire, Atchison said.
Crews put the fire out within 20 minutes by cutting a hole in the roof and ventilating the house.
Firefighters then stayed on site to clean up and make sure there were no flare-ups from embers or sparks.
Atchison also confirmed that the fire was contained to the home and there was no damage to nearby houses or buildings.
An investigator reported to the scene Thursday night, but the cause of the fire had not been determined as of Friday morning.
Atchison also thanked the neighbor who saw the smoke and reported it.
“We really appreciate those neighbors who called 911 when they noticed the smoke,” Atchison said.
“It just gave us the time to address the fire quickly before it got any worse.”
