County firefighters and first responders from the Los Padres Forest Service battled a 3/4-acre vegetation fire on Sunday off of West Camino Cielo.

At around 12:15 p.m. on Sunday, the Los Padres United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, along with assistance from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, responded to a vegetation fire next to the Winchester Gun Club off of West Camino Cielo. The response team consisted of three fire engines, two dozers, a helicopter, and the full crews of both County Fire and the Los Padres Forest Service.

Upon arrival, the responders found the fire cover spreading at a moderate rate over approximately a quarter-acre of heavy brush. According to County Fire Captain David Zaniboni, they immediately executed ground and aerial combative action, using the helicopter to make several water drops. The crews also ordered two supplemental air tankers, but neither had to be used during the containment process.

The team of firefighters was able to contain the blaze before any houses, buildings, or people in the area were affected. “No evacuation protocols were instituted — the fire was very small,” said Zaniboni. By the time the fire was fully contained and extinguished, it had spread to about 3/4 of an acre. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but is under investigation by County Fire and the Los Padres Forest Service.

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