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South Coast Brush Fire Which Damaged Two Homes Now 100% Contained

A Thursday night brush fire in Santa Barbara threatened about 50 homes before fighters got the upper hand on the blaze.
(Photo by Mike Eliason, Santa Barbara County Fire Department)
A Thursday night brush fire in Santa Barbara threatened about 50 homes before fighters got the upper hand on the blaze.

Road near base of charred hillside will remain closed for days

Firefighters say an arson caused brush fire which damaged two homes on the South Coast is now fully contained.

The Loma Fire started on Santa Barbara’s TV Hill Thursday night. It forced the evacuation of some nearby homes. Firefighters got the upper hand on the seven acre blaze in about two hours. But, mopup work continued until Monday.

Fire investigators say they spotted Victor Angel Hernandez hiding on the hillside the night of the fire. The 23 year old man was taken into custody, and later arrested on multiple arson counts.

Loma Alta Drive, which is at the base of the hillside which burned, is expected to remain closed through the holiday weekend due to concerns about potentially falling rocks and debris.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral.