Fire prompts evacuation of main post office

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

An electrical fire broke out at the main branch of the Santa Barbara Post Office at 2:40 p.m. yesterday, prompting the evacuation of about 30 employees and a handful of customers.
City Fire Capt. Tom Haines said the fire was caused by a series of overloaded extension cords that were located in an office at the back of the building. He said two extension cords were plugged into each other and an electrical strip, which had four items plugged into it, finished the series.


“Plugging extension cords into other extension cords; it’s a risky thing to do,” Haines said.
When the fire department arrived on the scene with two fire engines and a latter truck just after 2:45 p.m., Haines said an employee who used a fire extinguisher had already put out the fire.
Haines said the fire did not cause any damage to the building.
Kathleen Doherty, a clerk who has worked at the main post office for 28 years, said she could only recall one other time in her tenure when the building was evacuated.
About three years ago she said the building was evacuated when the scent of electrical wires burning filled the office. She said it was determined the smell was not caused by a fire.
But yesterday, she said smoke filled the back of the post office and the fire alarm sounded.
“They got us out really quick and the fire department showed up instantly,” Doherty said.
Richard Pinnock was in the middle of a transaction at one of the clerk windows when the fire alarm sounded.
Pinnock said he couldn’t smell smoke in the lobby, but could smell smoke near the rear of the building.
“They shut the gates down and told us to get out,” he said.