Structure, known as Hans Christian Andersen Square and the “Water Wheel Building,” has been empty for over a decade
An early-morning fire engulfed an abandoned three-story building on the corner of 1st Street and Molle Way in Solvang on Friday, May 2. The building is Hans Christian Andersen Square, informally known in town as the “Water Wheel Building.”
Santa Barbara County Fire responded to a 5:29 a.m. for a structure fire, and firefighters arrived at the scene with the building already fully in flames. Originally a two-alarm fire, the incident was upgraded to a third alarm, with a strike team from the Operational Area being ordered.
“We went into defensive operations to keep the fire from spreading to adjacent building,” said County Fire PIO Scott Safechuck in a video posted on X. “[We also] evacuated a block in either direction due to the fire conditions and the heat coming off the building.”
Safechuck reported the fire was knocked down at 7:19 a.m. County Fire said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.
The property at 1st and Molle consists of three buildings that hosted a number of shops and a museum, but has sit abandoned for over a decade.
