Fire at Carpinteria Greenhouse
Fully Contained by 7 p.m.; County Resources Dispatched to Calf Fire
A fire that burned through a Carpinteria greenhouse at 4385 Foothill Road has been fully contained, said Chief Michael Mingee with the Carpinteria–Summerland Fire Protection District. The blaze started sometime around 6:20 p.m., but 18 firefighters and four engines gained the upper hand by 7 p.m.
The 15,000-square-foot greenhouse, said Mingee, stored plastic crates for planting flower bulbs. The property is owned by the Van Wingerden family and leased by B & H Flowers, Inc. The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined. No injuries were reported.
Meanwhile, 115 miles north, the Calf Fire that began early Monday afternoon has burned approximately 800 acres of rural grassland and brush near Santa Margarita in San Luis Obispo County. The American Red Cross set up an evacuation site at the Santa Margarita Elementary School for displaced residents, but there are no reports at the moment of any structures burned. As of 8 p.m., the Calf Fire was 20 percent contained.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department, according to its Facebook page, has dispatched 10 engines and two battalion chiefs to help in the containment effort. Approximately 200 firefighters from multiple agencies are in the area, aided by helicopters and air tankers. Wind gusts up to 20 miles per hour have been reported around Santa Margarita, and temperatures are currently in the mid 70s.
