Santa Barbara County Fire crews responded to two vegetation fires on Thursday afternoon near Buellton and Lompoc.
One fire was reported at 12:34 p.m. at a vineyard in the 3800 block of Santa Rosa Rd. near Lompoc, where a helicopter in the area was working to conduct water drops over the blaze, according to Capt. Dave Zaniboni.
Zaniboni said that accessing the fire had initially been a challenge, but that a containment line around the fire had been established.
The fire, which was surrounded by vineyards, had spread to about a quarter of an acre.
“They do have a line around the entire fire,” he said.
Another fire was reported along Highway 246 near a lavender farm in the 800 block around noon on Thursday, near Buellton.
That fire was burning in a field that was filled with “a big woodpile that stretches for about an acre,” Zaniboni said.
There was a high amount of flame and smoke in the area, and Highway 246 remained open, though traffic was slowing down nearby, he said.
“It’s being very stubborn to put out,” he said. “There’s no risk of it spreading as long as the winds stay calm.”
Four engines, one water tender, one bulldozer, a hand crew and a helicopter responded to the scene.
No road closures had been issued and no structures were threatened in either fire, according to County Fire.
The cause for both fires is unknown at this time.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at lcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
