Fatal House Fire in Goleta

KEYT

An over-night house fire in Goleta claimed the life of a local man, sleeping in his bed. Flames burned the main structure at La Patera Rancho located on the 900 block of North La Patera Lane.

Santa Barbara County Fire Officials say two ranch workers were sleeping when the blaze broke out around 2 a.m. this morning.

The fire crews on the scene could not find a water supply on the property, so they had to draw from a nearby pond to battle the flames.

The blaze also came close to power lines. Firefighters discovered the victim's body after they doused the flames. The case of the fire is under investigation.

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SB Daily Sound

A two-alarm house fire early this morning in the Goleta Valley claimed the life of at least one resident, fire officials said.At 2:48 a.m., firefighters arrived at 900 N. La Patera Lane to find the main ranch house fully engulfed in flames, County Fire Spokesman Michael Burke said. Live power lines on the ground and a lack of water made it difficult for crews to knock down the blaze, officials said.

“That area is kind of rural, and basically we bring our own water with us up there, so we had to wait for our water tenders,” Burke said. “They lost pretty much the whole main house there on the ranch.”

At 1 p.m., Burke said investigators are still on the scene, trying to determine the cause of the blaze. Officials had not determined the age or gender of the victim yet, he said, adding that more information will be made available throughout the day.