[Updated: Wed., Dec. 3, 2025, 10:47am]
A residential structure fire in western Goleta Friday night displaced five young adults, including three aspiring chefs from Ecuador who say they lost everything in the blaze.
Santa Barbara County firefighters were dispatched just before 9 p.m. to a home on Saint George Place, where they found flames and smoke pouring from the single-family residence. According to the Santa Barbara County Fire department, the fire was isolated to two rooms within the house and was extinguished at 9:30 p.m. No injuries were reported, and the American Red Cross was called to assist.
The property included an independent unit (the one that burned), where the three Ecuadorian culinary interns lived. The main house, which was spared by the fire, housed the two other tenants (also J-1 workers from the Ritz-Carlton Bacara) and the spouse of one of them. Although their belongings were not damaged, the entire property has been red-tagged, displacing all residents.
“We still have no final determination on the cause of the fire,” said Johann Jadán, one of the three culinary interns. “The detective informed us that it has been classified as accidental, meaning it was not intentionally set. He also noted that the house lacked basic safety measures such as smoke alarms.”
Three of the five residents — Said Coba, Jorge Jaramillo, and Johann Jadán — have since launched a GoFundMe campaign, saying the fire destroyed their personal documents, clothing, tools, and everything they had brought to Santa Barbara from Ecuador in pursuit of culinary careers.
“Despite this tragedy, our spirit and our dreams remain intact,” they wrote. “Losing everything material reminded us of what truly matters: the people we’ve met, the community that welcomed us, and the passion that brought us here.”
All five residents work at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, and the hotel has stepped in to offer temporary housing while the interns secure a more permanent place to stay.
“Our employers at The Ritz-Carlton have been incredibly supportive,” Jadán said. “We are profoundly grateful to the entire Bacara community; their generosity and solidarity during this difficult time have meant the world to us.”
The trio said they are now hoping to raise funds to rebuild their lives and careers. As of Tuesday morning, the GoFundMe fundraiser — titled “Three Cooks, One Dream, and a Fire That Couldn’t Extinguish It” — had reached nearly $2,000 of its $8,000 goal.
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