Fire breaks out at abandoned Orcutt house

Santa Barbara County firefighters are asking the community for information regarding an early morning fire that broke out in Orcutt on Thursday.

Firefighters responded around 3:30 a.m. to a report of a fire at an abandoned home at 4470 Orcutt Road, said county fire Capt. Eli Iskow.

When the first crews arrived, they found a 35- by 35-foot garage in flames, he said. The garage was destroyed but the rest of the home was not damaged and no one was hurt, he said.

Officials have deemed the fire suspicious, and found evidence of several other small blazes nearby that had occurred recently.

Crews were able to knock down the flames in about 20 minutes and fully control the blaze within an hour, Iskow said.

Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen anything in the area to call them at 686-8182.

The property was purchased by Wal-Mart in 2006, and includes 51.5 acres east of Highway 135 along Orcutt Road, south to Foster Road and west of Hummel Drive. The Arkansas-based company has not revealed its plans for the site.

May 9, 2008