A station wagon was destroyed Saturday when it caught fire on Highway 101 in Santa Barbara.
Emergency crews responded at about 11:30 a.m. to the southbound freeway lanes between Garden and Milpas streets, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The engine compartment of the 2001 Subaru Outback was engulfed in flames, which were spreading to the passenger compartment, when firefighters arrived on the scene, Santa Barbara Fire Battalion Chief Mike de Ponce said.
Crews were able to quickly douse the fire, and no injuries were reported.
The fire likely was caused by a mechanical malfunction, de Ponce said.
“The driver aware that it was having mechanical issues before the fire broke out,” said de Ponce, who added that the man was the only person in the vehicle.
Two lanes of the freeway were closed for a time, but all lanes were reopened within about 20 minutes.
— 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.
