Emergency crews first responded at 6 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a vegetation fire that had sparked near the southbound Highway 101 in Summerland.
Emergency crews first responded at 6 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a vegetation fire that had sparked near the southbound Highway 101 in Summerland. Credit: Montecito Fire Protection District photo

While a small vegetation fire that sparked in Summerland Tuesday morning is still under investigation, a local homeless encampment was likely the cause, Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District Chief Dan Stefano confirmed Thursday.

“All indicators identify this as the result of a homeless encampment,” Stefano said. “This stretch of area between Summerland and Montecito has continued to be problematic as it relates to the homeless encampments in and around the train tracks.”

Emergency crews first responded at 6 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a vegetation fire that had sparked near southbound Highway 101 and the railroad tracks in Summerland.

Crews quickly extinguished the 50-by-50-foot spot, a Montecito Fire Protection District spokesperson confirmed.

— Noozhawk South County editor Evelyn Spence can be reached at espence@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.