Commercial building engulfed in flames in early morning SLO County fire
Firefighters responded to a fire that erupted in a commercial building in southern San Luis Obispo County early Tuesday morning.
The fire began around 3:30 a.m. after a neighbor reported seeing “a glow” from the building, Cal Fire spokesperson Eva Grady told The Tribune.
Cal Fire said in a social media post that the commercial structure was located on Bull Canyon Road near the intersection of Bob Woods Place, north of Santa Maria in SLO County.
The first engine to arrive at scene reported that the building was “50% involved,” according to Grady.
The roof of the building quickly collapsed, Grady said, and firefighters took “a defensive stance” to contain the fire to the structure since some chemicals and fertilizers were inside.
According to a video posted by the agency, a door had caved in from the blaze and large plumes of smoke were billowing above the building.
Cal Fire had several fire units on the scene. Santa Maria City Fire and Santa Barbara County Fire also responded to the blaze.
The cause is still under investigation as of Tuesday morning, Grady said.
Cal Fire said on X that Bull Canyon Road was closed for five hours while crews worked to contain the fire, Cal Fire said.
“Please avoid the area and use alternate routes to allow firefighters to continue operations safely,” Cal Fire’s social media post said.
As of 9:10 a.m., firefighters had “extinguished the fire for the most part,” and a hazmat team was on its way to access the situation, Grady said.
This story was originally published December 23, 2025 at 9:46 AM.
