$3-million White fire in Santa Barbara County ruled accidental

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Ty Charlton with the Rio Bravo Hotshots firefighting crew lights a backfire near the Upper Oso campground in the Las Padres National Forest. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Smoke rises from the smoldering White fire in the Los Padres National Forest. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Rio Bravo Hotshots walk through the Upper Oso camping area in the Los Padres National forest. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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The pump house at the Los Prietos Ranger Station was significantly damaged by the White fire. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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A service area as well as a vehicle at the Los Prietos Ranger Station was damaged by the White fire. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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The burned-out service area and vehicle at the Los Prietos Ranger Station. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

By Samantha Schaefer

May 31, 2013 3:28 PM PT

The White fire that burned nearly 2,000 acres in Santa Barbara County this week was started accidentally, officials said Friday.

The blaze was sparked by embers that escaped from an approved fire-use site at the White Rock Day Use Area in the Santa Barbara Ranger District’s Lower Santa Ynez Recreation Area, a joint investigation by Los Padres National Forest officials and the district attorney’s Arson Task Force found.

Preliminary estimates put the cost of the fire at $3 million.

Officials urged the public to “be vigilant” when cooking or enjoying campfires at campgrounds and day-use sites.

“The White fire could have been avoided if this person or persons paid closer attention to their cooking fire,” said Santa Barbara District Ranger Pancho Smith.

The fire broke out Sunday in the Los Padres National Forest, and flames quickly consumed brush, oak trees and chaparral, the U.S. Forest Service said. It raged out of control on a day when Southern California was buffeted by high winds as fire crews responded to other, smaller brush fires in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties.

Close to 900 firefighters battled the wind-driven fire as it swept through popular recreation areas. It burned 1,984 acres before it was contained Thursday.

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Twitter: @Sam_Schaefer

samantha.schaefer@latimes.com