Montecito Tea Fire
| Tea Fire | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | Montecito, California, United States |
| Statistics | |
| Cost | $5.7 million (2008 USD) |
| Date(s) | November 13, 2008–November 17, 2008 17:50 PDT (1:50 UTC) |
| Burned area | 1,940 acres (8 km2) |
| Land use | Residential; Open space |
| Injuries | 13 |
| Fatalities | Potentially 1 |
| Perpetrator(s) | 10 college students |
| Motive | Bonfire party |
The Tea Fire was a wildfire that began on November 13, 2008, destroying 210 homes in the cities of Montecito and Santa Barbara, California in the United States of America. It was the first of several November 2008 wildfires that burned hundreds of homes November 13–15, 2008. The Tea Fire ignited in the Cold Springs section of Montecito at approximately 17:50 PST on November 13, 2008. The fire started at a Mar Y Cel historic structure called the "Tea House" above Mountain Drive, giving the fire its name. Spreading rapidly, it was fanned by offshore winds, known as Sundowners that blow down the Santa Ynez Mountains, gusting up to 85 mph (113 km/h). These winds caused the fire to spread into the city of Santa Barbara. The fire was 40% contained on the 15th, 75% on the 16th, and by November 17, 2008 it was 95% contained after burning 1,940 acres (7.9 km2), and on November 18, it was 100% contained.
On November 15, 2008, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visited areas burned in the Tea Fire, noting: "When you walk around the area that was destroyed, it looks like hell."
The cause of the fire was under investigation for the first four days when authorities determined on November 17 that it was "human caused". The following day, Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office investigators announced that the fire was caused by a group of ten men and women, age 18 to 22, college students, who went to the abandoned Tea House on the night of Wednesday, November 12 and held a bonfire party at the location, through the early morning hours of Thursday, November 13. The students told investigators they had put the fire out, but authorities believe the fire smoldered until the heavy winds ignited the fire on Thursday afternoon.
On November 20, 2008, Dr. Andreea M. Serban, President of Santa Barbara City College, issued a statement noting that "nine of the ten individuals identified as allegedly responsible for the Tea Fire have been confirmed as Santa Barbara City College students." That same day, Dr Gayle Beebe, president of Westmont College, noted in a press release the college's relief to learn that none of the ten were enrolled at Westmont.
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