The Caballo Fire that broke out on Labor Day and burned almost 70 acres in the Santa Ynez Valley was caused by an unpermitted weed and vegetation burning operation, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Crews were dispatched at 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 6 for a two-alarm vegetation fire on the 3300 block of Caballo Lane in Los Olivos.
The incident prompted evacuation orders and warnings for residents in the area.
In addition to ground crews, multiple aircraft helped battle the blaze, which damaged only a single outbuilding — a barn.
Fire investigators determined that a propane-fueled torch was used to eradicate weeds and vegetation without a Fire Department permit, Capt. Daniel Bertucelli said Tuesday.
The fire escaped the control of the operator and spread to nearby vegetation, Bertucelli said.
Those allegedly responsible for the fire were not named by the Fire Department.
The county Fire Department does not recommend using torches or open flames for weed or vegetation control, Bertucelli said.
He added that a permit from the Fire Department is required for anyone operating a torch or an open flame device in a wildfire risk area.
Anyone with questions regarding how to obtain a permit can contact inspection.services@sbcfire.com or 805-686-5077.
Anyone with additional information regarding the blaze can contact fire investigators at fireinfo@sbcfire.com.
— 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.
