Tea Fire Press Conference Brief

A press conference featuring representatives of various governmental, law enforcement, and emergency teams working to stop the Tea Fire is airing live on TV as of the posting of this article. Indy reporter Chris Meagher is attending and fill follow shortly with a full report.

However, Sheriff Bill Brown did say that no further evacuation seem imminent. According to what he said at the conference, the area under mandatory evacuation is Hot Springs to the east, and Mission Canyon and Tunnel roads to the west, and everything north of Alameda Padre Serra. He did not comment on reports The Indy has received that the area north of Salinas Street all the way to 101 has been told to evacuate. Brown did say, however, that people living in any mountainous area near the fire should definitely be prepared to leave if they have not done so already.

Brown said that around 100 houses have been lost, though many more are likely to have burned that have not been counted. He said that he personally counted 80 houses burned.

Fire officials said containment isn’t something officials can estimate yet. Currently, firefighters are concentrating on saving lives and saving houses.

Officials did not offer a definite perimeter for the fire, but it was at least offered that the fire is in the basic shape of a triangle, with Westmont College being the eastern point, St. Mary’s is the western point, and the upper Riviera is the southern point.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger just issued a state of emergency declaration.

Check back in at independent.com for a full report.