15-acre brush fire prompts evacuations in Santa Barbara County

Several homes were being evacuated Wednesday in Santa Barbara County after a brush fire broke out in a mountaintop community near Highway 154.

The Lookout fire broke out about 8 a.m. near the highway and Painted Cave Road, burning about 15 acres in the first hour, according to the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management.

It was not immediately clear how many homes were threatened by flames, but Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. David Sadecki said officials used a reverse 911 notification system and went door to door "to get some of those residents out."

Several agencies are on hand from Santa Barbara County and the U.S. Forest Service, and Sadecki said air tankers had been requested to help fight the blaze. There are also several live power lines down in the area.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation, Sadecki said.

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Map: Approximate location of fire shown in red. Credit: Google Maps