Fire destroys big rig, spreads to brush on Hwy. 101 in Santa Barbara County

A fire fully engulfed a tractor-trailer along Highway 101 on Monday, spreading to nearby brush and prompting the temporary closure of the road south of Buellton.

Personnel from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department responded to the incident on northbound Highway 101 near Old Coast Highway at 11:40 a.m. Firefighters reported that flames had fully engulfed the tractor and started spreading to the trailer plus nearby vegetation.

The brush fire was estimated at an acre and a half, with crews quickly containing the blaze.

The roadway was expected to remain closed for about 20 minutes, according to California Highway Patrol emergency dispatch reports.

Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.

This story was originally published November 6, 2017 at 1:37 PM with the headline "Fire destroys big rig, spreads to brush on Hwy. 101 in Santa Barbara County."