New prescribed fire started in Santa Barbara County on Jan. 14

Published Jan 14, 2026 #Painted cave rx fire

Started: 3:34 p.m. Jan. 14

Initial location: Santa Barbara County, Calif.

Fire type: Prescribed

Fire name: Painted Cave

A new prescribed burn, named Painted Cave, was initiated today at 3:34 p.m. in Santa Barbara County, California.

The prescribed fire has been burning on private land.

Currently, there are no specifics as to how much land has been burned or the size of the crew executing the prescribed fire.

Prescribed fire (prescribed burn) is a wildfire prevention method that involves burning an area of land in a controlled manner to minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

Source: National Interagency Fire Center