Full Notification

On April 27, 2015 at approximately 7:27 a.m., the Montecito Fire Protection District responded to several reports of a structure fire in the 100 block of Loureyro Road.

Montecito Fire Protection District, Santa Barbara City Fire Department, and Carpinteria-Summerland Fire District and AMR responded to the incident. Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol also assisted with traffic control.

During the response, the body of an adult female was found deceased in the structure. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office has notified next of kin and identified the victim as 88-year-old Lorraine Mathilda Schmerzler of Montecito. The cause of death is pending an autopsy scheduled for this afternoon.

The investigation relating to the cause and origin of this incident is ongoing and being conducted by Montecito Fire Investigators, along with other members of the Santa Barbara County Arson Task force investigators including Carpinteria / Summerland Fire, Santa Barbara County Fire and the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.