Hollister Ranch Fire Fully Contained

A small brush fire that broke out yesterday afternoon along the Gaviota Coast is now fully contained, according to Santa Barbara County Fire officials.

In what has been a relatively quiet fire season thus far, Gaviota’s Hollister Ranch played host to one of the more potentially dangerous wild fires to break out to date. Shortly before 3 p.m. yesterday, as this summer’s first real run of dry, hot weather was taking hold across the county, a grass fire about four miles west of Gaviota State Park broke out inside the private coastal enclave. By 9 p.m., fire crews had the blaze fully contained and all but extinguished.

According to County Fire’s David Sadecki, response teams hit the fire — which burned mostly in a grassy area and eucalyptus grove — quick and hard with four engines, two air tankers, a helicopter and assorted other tools of the trade answering the initial 911 call.

The cause of the fire, which ended up scorching five acres and was known officially as the Alegria Incident for the nearby beach and canyon, is still under investigation, says Sadecki.