A true California hot spot: fire ants invade town loved by celebrities

Stings from the critters invading Montecito can be painful, can displace native wildlife and are a hazard to agriculture

A swank town in California's central coast where celebrities from Oprah Winfrey to Prince Harry have bought properties, has become a hot spot for another reason: an active infestation of red imported fire ants.

The Santa Barbara county agricultural commissioner's office is addressing an active infestation of these ants in Montecito, California, according to a statement issued last week.