Dead bobcat found on power pole at scene of Central Coast wildfire

A dead bobcat was discovered on a power pole at the scene of a small vegetation fire near Lompoc on Sunday night.

Santa Barbara County and Lompoc firefighters were dispatched to an incident in the 2100 block of Santa Rosa Road near Highway 1 at approximately 8:30 p.m., county fire Capt. Scott Safechuck said.

Crews reported that the Rosa Fire was moving at a slow rate on a hilltop with ranch roads nearby expected to help corral the flames.

The fire was contained to one-eighth of an acre of grass with forward progress stopped at 9:40 p.m.

As they successfully battled the blaze, firefighters reported a surprising discovery — a bobcat dead on a power pole at the scene of the incident.

It’s not clear if the bobcat on the pole sparked the fire or if it had climbed the pole to escape the flames.

While birds flying into power lines often spark wildfires, a wild cat being the cause would be unusual.

Representatives of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife were notified about the firefighters’ finding.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation late Sunday.

Additional information wasn’t immediately available.

— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com.