Those traveling down State Street today may have noticed fire trucks near the intersection of State and Carrillo streets around 1 p.m. today. Despite appearances to the contrary, however, the cause of the alarm was relatively minor.
According to Battalion Chief Jim Bryden of Santa Barbara City Fire Department, a Carrillo Building air conditioning unit malfunctioned, sending smoke into one of the shop’s bathrooms. An employee called emergency services, resulting in the arrival of two engines. In the end, Bryden said, what might have appeared to be significant wasn’t. “We’ve done these a zillion times, but you always have to assume that it’s the real deal,” he said.