A benefit concert for Tea Fire burn victims Lance and Carla Hoffman raised an estimated $15,000 last Sunday, March 14, at Earl Warren Showgrounds. Around 2,000 people attended the event, which featured the music of Dishwalla, the Upbeat, and Still Time, hosted by the City of Santa Barbara firefighters union.
The Hoffmans, who were seriously burned while fleeing the fire, could not attend the concert due to the scheduling requirements of their treatment regimen. As a result of their burns, the Hoffmans have been told they have to avoid direct contact with sunshine for the next year. In addition, the benefit screening of Craig Harris’s documentary film, Tea Fire: Re-Birth, sold out the Marjorie Luke Theatre Monday night. The vast majority of those attending were Tea Fire victims, who did not have to pay. The proceeds will be used to help those who were burned out but lacked fire insurance.