A man has been arrested on an arson charge for a brush fire which prompted an evacuation warning for some South Coast residents.
Santa Barbara County firefighters were called to Goleta just after 11:30 p.m. Wednesday by reports of a brush fire south of Ward Avenue. The area is just north of Goleta Beach.
They found a fire near a bike path. It grew to just under ten acres. An evacuation warning was issued for some nearby homes. But the more than 80 firefighters called out to help were able to protect the houses, with no damage reported.
When Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies reached the scene Wednesday night, witnesses say they saw a man behaving suspiciously in the area. They spotted, and detained Jose Martin Alvarez-Castro. After questioning, the 30-year-old Santa Barbara man was arrested for arson, as well as for two misdemeanor charges.
