Tea Fire in Santa Barbara

Post by **Maka** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 7:43 -0700

Hello UYDers,

Santa Barbara has by another major fire again this year. This time the fire has/is destroying homes (~100 lost so far) I was driving home from work around 8:30 p.m. last night I could see the flames on the mountains downtown. It looked scary. My friend Lisa took posted some photos last night on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 041&ref=nf

My family is safe. The evacuation center is on our freeway exit.

Our local entertainment paper is doing a great job covering the fire:
http://www.independent.com/

Pray for those evacuated and the fire/police/safety professionals who are risking their lives to help others.

peace, maka

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 12:34 -0700

I'm glad to hear you and your family are safe. I've been watching the news last night and this morning. My daughter have friends who go to Westmont College. They had several of their buildings, including a dorm, devastated. The student body spent the night in the gym, which they say is fire resistant.

Post by **Maka** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 14:34 -0700

Thanks Stan,

It's pretty scary to see the photos taken at Westmont: http://www.sb-outdoors.org/fire/

But thankfully, it seem like no students were hurt and the fire in that area is out. http://www.independent.com/news/2008/no ... ents-safe/

Peace, maka

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 21:18 -0700

The fires have been getting dangerously close to where I live in Anaheim Hills. A little too close!!! I've been posting photos from my backyard on my Facebook page. I'm in the Pasadena Marathon Bike Race tomorrow @ 6AM...hey Stan, how's the air quality over there???

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 5:38 -0700

Todd Shogun wrote:The fires have been getting dangerously close to where I live in Anaheim Hills. A little too close!!! I've been posting photos from my backyard on my Facebook page. I'm in the Pasadena Marathon Bike Race tomorrow @ 6AM...hey Stan, how's the air quality over there???

I was concerned about you. Did you have to evacuate?

Son Matthew was going to be in the bike race as well--for his biking merit badge. The marathon was cancelled because of poor air quality.

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 7:10 -0700

No evacuations just yet, but they have started evacuating about a mile from my house...

Too bad the Marathon got canceled. I was really looking forward to it but not completely surprised.

Here's an attempt to link to my Facebook page. Not sure if it will work. I think you need to login then have me added as a contact. I posted a few photos and videos from my backyard.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=ho ... 1&ref=name

Thomas Froehling · Post by **Thomas Froehling** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 0:45 -0700

My heart and prayers are with those threatend by that fire....

Especially with our beloved Todd Shogun; news coverage is vague at it's best here in Germany, from what we see in the papers or on TV, L.A. seems to be approached by fires from three sides, power supplies are in danger of being cut off...

Really scary!

It may be a stupid question, but can anybody tell me why it is called Tea fire?

Post by **Steve Hubbell** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 6:49 -0700

The "Tea" fire is the one near Santa Barbara / Montecito and was named that because it originated in the area of some old tea gardens. That is all I have been able to learn since I was intrigued by the name as well. The fires in Los Angeles and Orange County have been given their own names - the Sayre Fire and the Triangle Complex Fire (a series of wildfires, also known as the Yorba Linda-Corona Fire, or Freeway Complex Fire) which is the fire near where Todd Shogun lives. There is actually a Wiki article already about these fires.

Thomas Froehling wrote:My heart and prayers are with those threatend by that fire....

Especially with our beloved Todd Shogun; news coverage is vague at it's best here in Germany, from what we see in the papers or on TV, L.A. seems to be approached by fires from three sides, power supplies are in danger of being cut off...

Really scary!

It may be a stupid question, but can anybody tell me why it is called Tea fire?

Post by **Maka** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 14:47 -0700

The TA of the cinematography class I'm taking shot this short video of the fire as it was going on and the aftermath: http://vimeo.com/2275324

Notice the power towers, they must be at least 70 feet, and the flames are just dwarfing them.

The news makes it seem like it was just the rich that were harmed by this fire in Santa Barbara. But one of my work colleagues lost everything when her home was burned to the ground. Thankfully her husband and she were able to stay at their daughter's home. UCSB is doing some good things to help employees who were affected. But it must be a surreal experience to not have any material goods to your name except your car and the clothes on your back. Between the three southern California fires so many people were affected. Pray for those people.

Peace, maka