Evacuation Warning for Fire Along Highway 154

[Update: Mar. 10, 8 a.m.] Evacuation warnings lifted at around 8 p.m. on Monday for the fire at San Marcos Pass, and highway 154 remained closed to through traffic this morning. The rain and fire mop-up were creating slippery conditions, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The fire was estimated to be five to six acres, said Captain Daniel Bertucelli of Santa Barbra County Fire Department, as it moved quickly up steep hillsides. Eight engine companies and a helicopter responded to the fire Monday, slowing its forward spread. Crews remained on scene overnight to create suppression lines and lay hose.

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[Original Story] Shortly before 5 p.m. on Monday, Santa Barbara County Fire received a report of a blaze along State Route 154 where East and West Camino Cielo meet the highway. The route is closed at Foothill and Paradise roads. 

Homes along East Camino Cielo and Painted Cave are under an evacuation warning, Raquel Zick of the Sheriff’s Office stated. 

The fire, which has been named the Camino Incident, is at about 15 acres currently and burning amid calm winds and vegetation that appears green. The fire is as yet uncontained.