Updated: Tuesday, August 31, 1999 - 6 p.m.

California firefighter Joseph Masto, who was acting as a emergency medical technician for firefighters fighting a 180-acre brush fire north of Santa Barbara over the weekend, was found dead Saturday, August 28 after he failed to return to camp the night before. The cause of his death was not immediately known and there were no signs of burns.

Masto was a member of the Santa Barbara City Fire Department.

Rescuers found Masto, 28, in steep terrain of the Los Padres National Forest on Saturday after he didn't return to camp. He had a working radio and a canteen full of water, officials said. An autopsy was performed on Monday, but results were inconclusive. Full results will likely not be known for weeks, officials said. There was no evidence of burns, smoke inhalation or serious injury.

``This may have been his first wildfire,'' said Michael Kotowski, a battalion chief with the Santa Barbara City Fire Department. "You can decline to go, but he certainly didn't. He wanted to go."

Memorial services for Masto are scheduled for Wednesday, September 1, 1999 at the Rose Garden, across the street from the Old Mission in Santa Barbara, at the intersection of Laguna and Los Olivos streets. Services begin at 11 a.m. with a reception immediately following at the Knights of Columbus Serra Hall next to the Old Mission. The reception is open to family, friends and outside safety agencies, the department said.

There will be a second memorial service and internment to be held on Saturday, September 4, 1999. The service will be held at 10 a.m. at St. Rita's Catholic Church, located at 318 N. Baldwin in Sierra Madre. Internment will follow at the Rose Hills Memorial Park.

Masto has been with the Department since January of this year. He was married with no children.

Expressions of sympathy and support through cards and correspondence may be forwarded to the following:

The Masto Family
C/O Santa Barbara City Firefighter's Association
121 W. Carrillo Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101