A brush fire in the heart of Santa Barbara caused a big scare Thursday night, threatening homes and forcing evacuations before firefighters got the upper hand on it.
What's being called the Loma Fire broke out at about 9 p.m. on Santa Barbara's TV hill. Windy conditions help spread the flames, and evacuations were ordered in some neighborhoods. Because of its central location in the city, the flames were visible throughout the community.
However, firefighters moved quickly to protect homes. Only one was reported damaged. By 11 p.m., they had the upper hand on the blaze.
Early estimates put the amount of land burned at around 20 acres, but more accurate mapping won't be possible until during the day Friday.
But, by midnight, the blaze was 40% contained, and people were allowed to return home around 12:30 a.m. Friday.
There's no word on the cause of the blaze.
