Fire alarm went off in middle of night at Hearst Castle. Here’s what happened

Smoke and a stench of electrical malfunction prompted a fire alarm at Hearst Castle early Sunday, but after investigation, State Parks said the alert was far less serious than it could have been.

“Just after 2 a.m. this morning our alarm system reported smoke in one of the basement areas of the Castle,” parks district superintendent Dan Falat told The Tribune Sunday night. “Rangers arrived on scene shortly after the alarm to investigate and observed what appeared be some light smoke and a rubber/electrical smell.”

According to an investigation by Castle maintenance crews, the alarm system’s alert was likely triggered by a loose belt and not an actual fire, Falat said.

Cal Fire firefighters, Castle rangers and other crew members thoroughly investigated the scene, Falat said.

Eventually, those examinations showed “there was no damage found to any part of the collection, Castle or equipment,” he said in a 10 p.m. emailed response to The Tribune.

Any fire at the historical monument could be a catastrophe, but fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case Sunday.

During a search of the area, rangers “found no visible flames and could not identify a source of the smoke,” Falat said. Cal Fire arrived on scene and used a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) heat sensor, which also didn’t find any evidence of fire.

As the early morning exploration continued, investigators combed through the area.

“Our maintenance crews went through the room’s electrical components and found nothing unusual. After further investigation it is believed to have been caused from a loose rubber air compressor belt and not from a fire,” Falat said, adding that “additional inspections will be done tomorrow (Monday), but there have been no additional alarms as of this email and all appears back to normal.”

Any threat to Hearst Castle is a big deal, given its prominence as a historic-house museum and scenic State Parks monument that, in 1919, previous owner William Randolph Hearst started to build overlooking the village of San Simeon as part of his vast ranch holdings.

“He called the estate ‘La Cuesta Encantada,’ Spanish for the enchanted hill,” the monument’s website says. “By 1947, the hilltop complex included a twin-towered main building, three sumptuous guesthouses, and 127 acres of terraced gardens, fountains, and pools.”

The 165-rooms estate built to Hearst’s specifications showcases part of his legendary art collection.

Kathe Tanner

The Tribune

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Kathe Tanner has been writing about the people and places of SLO County’s North Coast since 1981, first as a columnist and then also as a reporter. Her career has included stints as a bakery owner, public relations director, radio host, trail guide and jewelry designer. She has been a resident of Cambria for more than four decades, and if it’s happening in town, Kathe knows about it.