One person was killed and another injured in a fire that began around 8 p.m. on Thursday in a storage yard at 2 South Quarantina Street, between Kimball and Carpinteria streets.
According to Battalion Chief Pat McElroy, neither victim has been identified, and little is known about the incident at this point, including how the fire started. The burn victim was transported to Cottage Hospital in serious condition. McElroy said the deceased is an adult.
UPDATE: The injured victim has been identified as Justin Mezey, 62, of Santa Barbara. He is listed on some websites as president of Sea-Ventures Enterprise, which appears to be a fishing company. His condition, however, was not released. The deceased, who is a female, is not being named pending the notification of next-of-kin.
A police officer in the area made the initial emergency call when he saw flames and smoke coming from the fenced yard, which contains a dumpster, a trailer, a truck, and miscellaneous items. The fire was put out within the hour and limited to some sort of container or structure, McElroy said.
Due to the thick smoke and the Lower Eastside's heavy industry — a MarBorg Industries natural gas filling station sits 50-100 feet from the site of the fire — five engines and a truck company were immediately dispatched when the first notification came in. It’s unclear right now who owns the property.
Fire and police investigators remain on the scene, and McElroy said more information will be released once it's available.
[UPDATE, 10:35 p.m.]: City Fire has called in the District Attorney's fire investigation unit to help process the area.
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Comments
That area of town always smells like what I imagine a meth kitchen might.
Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
November 17, 2011 at 10:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That seems kind of insensitive and rather unProgressive to throw something out implying some impropriety for the dead and injured when you have no idea what happened. You certainly protest when the rest of us talk about cause and effect of gang banging in this town and how they just happen to be over 90% Latino. And that's factual with zero conjecture.
italiansurg (anonymous profile)
November 18, 2011 at 6:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why do people who will never ever meet (see above, and just about every comment section of any major paper) get in fights? -AB in SB and Bali
andrewbaker77 (anonymous profile)
November 18, 2011 at 7:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe a couple of homeless folks were trying to camp out and keep warm, by starting a fire in a really dangerous place to have a fire. That area of town has a large element of danger to it, it is NOT safe to be over there at night because of the homeless and the drug addict population that are attracted to that area... it's not a secret that it is the yuckiest part of SB, all you have to do is take a drive through there at night, and hope that your car doesn't break down while you do that because it feels SO isolated!
santabarbarasand (anonymous profile)
November 18, 2011 at 7:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry I was merely describing my impressions of that area in general, not the victims specifically.
Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
November 18, 2011 at 3:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)