A hidden underground homeless encampment along an upscale California bike path came to light only after firefighters were called to investigate a fire burning inside it.
The blaze was reported just after midnight on Thursday, Aug. 27, along the Carpinteria Creek Bike Path, the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District said.
Fire crews were initially dispatched to check on smoke spotted in thick vegetation near the 5400 and 5500 blocks of Carpinteria Avenue.
When firefighters arrived, they saw “a bright orange glow and flames coming from a moderate to heavy vegetation area on the Carpinteria Creek bike path.”
Crews then discovered “a fully involved hidden subterranean structure that was confirmed as a homeless encampment” and worked to extinguish the fire.
MORE STORY: Former North Texas Police Officer Gets 3 Life Sentences for Child Pornography, Soliciting Minor
The fire didn’t spread into the vegetation or surrounding structures and no one was injured, according to the fire department staff.
The Noozhawk, a local news outlet covering Santa Barbara County, reported that the city assistant manager Ryan Kintz said that the city’s Public Works team, Code Compliance, and the Fire Marshal met following the initial emergency response.
The structure and associated debris have since been removed, Kintz told Noozhawk.
“The remaining work is to backfill the depression left after removal of the structure and restore the area,” he added.
Kintz added that Public Works is “currently assessing the site” and working with different agencies for “any necessary permitting and reporting requirements… at this point, our immediate focus is completing the remaining work and appropriately restoring the site.”