A street sweeper caught fire Wednesday on Highway 101 north of Refugio Road, and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department responded to the scene with three engines and a ladder truck.
The call came in at 5:41 p.m., and despite the windy, hot and dry weather in the area, fire crews made quick work of the flames.
“Firefighters were able to knock the fire out and prevent it from spreading into the nearby vegetation,” Capt. David Sadecki said.
Some firefighters remained on scene as of 6:30 p.m. to mop up the incident, and two of the three Highway 101 lanes were closed, slowing traffic in the area.
Sadecki said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The California Highway Patrol was also on the scene.
Down the coast, the Montecito Fire Protection District had a vehicle fire call come in at 6:17 p.m. when a vehicle caught fire on Highway 101 southbound between San Ysidro Road and Sheffield Drive, spokeswoman Geri Ventura said.
The district sent the normal response of one Montecito and one Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District engine and added a brush truck given the vegetation in the area.
The fire was reported out by 6:28 p.m., and no injuries were reported, according to Ventura.
Less than an hour later, a Jeep Laredo caught fire in the parking lot behind the 99 Cent Store on State Street downtown.
Santa Barbara city firefighters responded, and were able to prevent the flames from spreading, according to Battalion Chief Mike DePonce.
No injuries were reported.
The Montecito Fire Protection District has increased staffing by two brush engines and an additional dispatcher for Wednesday night given the hazardous weather warnings of record-breaking heat, offshore breezes and low humidity across the Santa Barbara County mountains. The National Weather Service has issued high-wind advisories.
Ventura said that volunteers in MERRAG — the Montecito Emergency Response & Recovery Action Group — have been activated as well.
— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
