montecito tea fire | furn-store

The Montecito Tea Fire was a significant wildfire that occurred in Santa Barbara County, California, on November 13, 2008. Here are the key details about this destructive event:

Origin and Spread

• The fire started on the evening of November 13, 2008, at the Montecito Tea Gardens, also known as Mar Y Cel (meaning Sea and Sky) .
• The Tea Gardens was a historic property spanning approximately 331 acres on the Montecito mountainside .
• The fire quickly spread due to high winds and warm weather conditions .

Impact and Destruction

• The Tea Fire burned 1,940 acres within hours .
• It destroyed 210 homes in the Montecito area .
• The fire forced hundreds of families to evacuate with very little notice .
• Westmont College campus suffered extensive damage, with 13 faculty homes destroyed in the Las Barrancas neighborhood .

Cause

• The fire's origin was traced back to a bonfire started by a group of 10 individuals aged 18 to 22 the night before .
• The group believed they had extinguished their bonfire, but embers remained and were reignited by strong winds the following evening .

Fire Behavior and Firefighting Efforts

• The fire spread rapidly due to ember cast, which allowed it to jump ahead of firefighting resources .
• Fire Chief David Neels noted that the ember cast caused issues by igniting large trees, particularly eucalyptus, beyond the main fire front .
• The fire's advance slowed around 2:00 a.m. when the winds died down .
• Multiple fire departments from Santa Barbara County and beyond responded to the incident .

Aftermath and Lessons Learned

• The Tea Fire was considered a turning point in how community members prepared for evacuations .
• It highlighted the importance of emergency alert systems and preparedness .
• The incident led to increased emphasis on signing up for emergency alerts through  www.readysbc.org[1 ].

Legal Consequences

• The group responsible for the initial bonfire cooperated with investigators .
• Reports were sent to the District Attorney's Office to determine potential charges .

The Montecito Tea Fire serves as a stark reminder of the destructive potential of wildfires in California and the importance of fire safety and community preparedness in wildfire-prone areas.