An underground homeless encampment was uncovered along a ritzy California bike path only after emergency crews discovered a fire burning inside.
The fire at the subterranean encampment along the Carpinteria Creek Bike Path was reported Thursday, Aug. 27 right after midnight, according to the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District.
Initially crews responded to a conduct a smoke investigation in dense vegetation on the 5400 and 5500 blocks of Carpinteria Avenue.
Then when they got to the location they discovered “a bright orange glow and flames coming from a moderate to heavy vegetation area on the Carpinteria Creek bike path.”
Personnel found “a fully involved hidden subterranean structure that was confirmed as a homeless encampment” and extinguished the fire.
The fire didn’t spread into the vegetation or surrounding structures and no one was injured, according to the fire department staff.
The Noozhawk, a local news outlet covering Santa Barbara County, reported that the city assistant manager Ryan Kintz said that the city’s Public Works team, Code Compliance, and the Fire Marshal met following the initial emergency response.
The structure and associated debris have since been removed, Kintz told Noozhawk.
“The remaining work is to backfill the depression left after removal of the structure and restore the area,” he added.
Kintz added that Public Works is “currently assessing the site” and working with different agencies for “any necessary permitting and reporting requirements… at this point, our immediate focus is completing the remaining work and appropriately restoring the site.”
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