County Declares Emergency
Tea Fire Moves Farther South Toward Salinas Street
According to a press release just issued by Santa Barbara County, 70 homes have been consumed in a burned area of about 800 acres. Two injuries were reported from smoke inhalation and two from burn injuries. It is not yet clear if these injuries were sustained by fire personnel or area residents.
Other pertinent infomation:
* Schools Closed Tomorrow: Cleveland Elementary and Cold Spring School.
* Shelter Location: San Marcos High School, located at the corner of Turnpike Road and Hollister Avenue. There currently 40 people at shelter, but classes will still be held tomorrow.
* Road Closures: Mission Canyon at Foothill, Ashley Road, San Ysidro Road, Sycamore Canyon, APS from Mission Canyon to Camino Cielo, and Gibraltar Road at Mountain Drive. For more information, call the Road Closure Hotline at (805) 568-3006, or visit the county’s Web site
The county’s Tea Fire Call Center can be reached at (805) 681-5197. For animal evacuation information, call the animal hotline at (805) 681-4332.
An update received from Scott Craig, the public relations director at Westmont College, confirmed that several buildings on campus have been consumed, including the physics building, the old math building below the library, Bauder Hall, and the Quonset huts housing the art and ceramics studios. Strike teams have been called to fight fires in three buildings at Clark Hall. At least one faculty home has burned. “I think there are going to be more,” Craig said.
There are about 1,000 students still in the gym. Westmont officials are evaluating the situation and deciding whether they should let them stay there or get them out. Students still on campus are housed in a fireproof concrete building. They have been fed and are watching a movie.
