Westmont College: Our students didn't spark Montecito fire

Westmont College, the Christian school that was damaged in Montecito’s Tea fire last week, announced Wednesday that none of its students were involved in the late-night bonfire that sparked the blaze.

Authorities revealed Tuesday that the wildfire was sparked by a smoldering bonfire built by students on a ridgeline overlooking Montecito, but would not comment on what school the students attended.

After much speculation that they were Westmont students, college President Gayle D. Beebe issued a news release on the matter.

"On Wednesday afternoon at approximately 2:45 p.m., Drew Sugars, the public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, officially informed the college that no current Westmont students were present nor in any way involved with this tragic incident," the release states.

Authorities said a group of 10 young men and women described by authorities as locals went to the Tea house, an abandoned mansion, on Wednesday night for a bonfire party. They told Santa Barbara County sheriff's investigators that they had put the fire out before they left that night. But authorities believe the fire continued to smolder through Thursday before breaking out into fire when winds swept in Thursday afternoon.

The 1,940-acre Tea fire damaged or destroyed 219 residences.

—Monte Morin

Comments

[anna potter]

Thank you for reporting on this so quickly. It is nice to see a new organization print timely stories that eliminate negative speculation and blame. Kudos to you for your fairness.

[Surf Sun]

It was LOCALs that started the fire? Not Oprah and her gal pals having a sing-along campfire? Not the Spielberg kids shooting a disaster movie? Not that weird daughter of Bruce Willis holding some kind of wiccan bonfire? Not Christian kids witnessing their faith, with a little help from Sam Adams? Come on, tell us who -- so we can holler at them for their idiocy.

[chinroo24]

I know that for starters, these exceedingly naive and clueless "students" should be assigned to some of the clean-up crews that will be working in that area to help clean up some of the mess that they unwittingly started...just so they get a small taste of the "1,940-acre Tea fire that damaged or destroyed 219 residences", their 2 minutes of brainlessness caused...not to mention all of the forest critters they made homeless with what I would label as sheer stupidity.

[Martay]

Exerpt from edhat.com

From: Superintendent/President Dr. Andreea M. Serban, Santa Barbara City College

Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department notified me yesterday, November 19, that nine of the ten individuals identified as allegedly responsible for the Tea Fire have been confirmed as Santa Barbara City College students.