A flare-up on the Santa Barbara coast near Hope Ranch, known locally as the 'Hope Ranch Volcano,' drew firefighters on Thursday. Geologists explain it's not a volcano but spontaneous combustion caused by shifting earth layers exposing iron sulfides to oxygen.
This process has occurred since the 1800s and is not volcanic. - The 'Hope Ranch Volcano' ignited on Thursday, April 23, 2025, requiring hours of firefighting.
- Geologists attribute the phenomenon to spontaneous combustion from oxidation of iron sulfides in rocks. - Similar events, like the 'Rincon Volcano' in Ventura County, have been recorded since 1835.
- California has active volcanoes, but these coastal flare-ups are not volcanic in origin.