Fire! (Again...)

[shiredancer]

Oh, crap. I *thought* fire season was over; I *thought* we were heading into some cozy, cool weather at last. Well, I thought wrong. The hills above Santa Barbara and Montecito are on fire. Again. This is much worse than the summer fire -- many homes are burning. Several of Kidlet's friends' homes have been evacuated, I'm sure. I hope none of them have been lost. Her high school is an emergency Red Cross shelter for these events -- I wonder if they realize the fall play is going on tonight, and if they will be able to work around the already-crowded parking lot?

There are a thousand students hunkered down in the gym at Westmont College, with the fire burning around them. The gym is fireproof and a declared refuge during emergencies; still, if I were the parent of one of those students, I'd be frantic with worry.

A state of emergency has been declared. There are high winds up in the hills, 70 miles per hour and more ("almost hurricane force!" the media keep saying) and it's shaping up to be a long night for the firefighters and other emergency personnel. There are two burn victims at the hospital. This is looking bad.

It has the bizarre name of the Tea Fire, so-called because it started "near the Tea House." This is said blandly by the news reporters, as if we all of course know what the Tea House is. Now, I've been here 36 years and can't figure it out. Unless they mean the little tea house on the grounds of the Botanical Garden? O_o That would be bad.

juneb, if you read this -- the area burning is all along the back country drive we took when you visited two summers ago. Remember Mountain Drive? Yeah, there.

*goes back to biting nails*

ETA: oops, didn't mean to get quite so dramatic -- Westmont College isn't engulfed in fire or anything, but there are several small fires on campus and nearby. With luck they'll all get put out.

Comments

[linaelyn.livejournal.com]

GEEZUBUZ!!! FIRE? In mid-November???!!!???

My alternate choice for college was Westmont. I'm familiar with the area. Wow, that's a bad bunch of fuel around those buildings. After two drought years, it's probably tinder-dry, even with the couple showers we've had move through the state.

My thoughts and prayers are with you all, my dear. I hope all turns out well and people stay safe.

[shiredancer.livejournal.com]

I know -- it's way too late in the year for fire! We're all taken aback. It was in the low 80s today and the wind kicked up -- sundowner. Always a deadly combination.

Heh, for some reason I thought you might know Westmont! No further news of the fires growing there, so we'll hope for the best. The Riviera, though... the fire is moving up on Las Alturas and APS. Damn.

Thanks for the good thoughts -- I'll hold onto them.