UPDATE (4:27 p.m.)- The Santa Barbara City Fire Department said the cause of the fire on the 17000 block of De La Vina St. was electrical in nature.
They said an electric bike was charging its lithium battery and then it malfunctioned, which is when the fire broke out.
Two Santa Barbara residents have been displaced from their home after an apartment complex caught on fire Saturday morning.
The Santa Barbara City Fire Department responded to the incident on the 17000 block of De La Vina Street just before 8 a.m. Saturday.
Fire officials said the fire was outside and underneath a stairwell of the apartment complex that appeared to be a storage area.
Photo Courtesy: Santa Barbara City Fire Department
Fire crews said three engines, one truck company and a Battalion Chief were able to quickly extinguish the fire on the outside of the apartment.
The smoke damage from the fire below caused the two people living in the apartment above to be displaced.
Photo Courtesy: Santa Barbara City Fire Department
In total 28 people were safely evacuated during the fire. Fire officials said no one was injured.
They estimate the property damage to be about $15,000.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Structure fire on De La Vina St displaced 2 residents due to smoke damage. The Santa Barbara City Fire Department would like to discourage anyone from storing items… https://t.co/sXAVFVQfVF
— SBCityFirePIO (@SBCityFirePIO) February 23, 2019
