Santa Barbara fire: Botanic garden loses century-old building

Officials at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden in Mission Canyon had big plans for the century-old Gane House, the Craftsman-style home the garden purchased many years ago. They wanted to seek historic landmark status for the building, which was named after the original family that owned it. It was to be restored and become their administrative center.

Last night flames engulfed the two-story building, leaving little more than three brick chimneys standing.

"Obviously we're very heartbroken. It's a large, large loss for us," said Nancy Johnson, the garden's vice president of marketing and government relations. "We were hoping to restore it to its grandeur."

Lost inside were all the gardening tools, horticultural materials, the metal shop that made tags to identify plants, overstock of books published by the garden, and the office contents and computers of the head gardener and facilities maintenance man. Biofuel gardening trucks parked outside also appear to have been destroyed.

The home and garage of Edward L. Schneider, the garden director, also burned to the ground, Johnson said. In addition, they lost a building used to propagate plants and a deck over Mission Creek.

Firefighters gave Schneider a tour of the area last night, in the dark. But garden staff have not been allowed in today for safety reasons, Johnson said. So they're still unsure what else -- including plant specimens -- might have been lost.

Johnson said firefighters "made a valiant effort to save our other buildings," including the herbarium, the library and library annex and the rare book room. "They really worked hard yesterday to save those buildings so we're really appreciative of that."

She also said the garden was saved by a decision last year to spend between $300,000 and $400,000 on six hydrants. "The firefighters told us that had those hydrants not been installed, they couldn't have saved the other buildings," she said.

Johnson stressed that the garden's loss is just one small part of what the community is going through.

"We're sad for all members of the community, but people are pulling together," she said. "I'm personally housing three evacuees."

-- Nita Lelyveld

Photo: The Jesusita fire destroyed the Gane House in the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens near Mission Canyon Road. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times; Illustration credit: From Santa Barbara Botanic Garden's "Vital Mission Plan"

Related:

Map: The Times is tracking the path of the Jesusita fire on a Google map. 
Latest: Calmer 'sundowner' winds give firefighters a break in Santa Barbara
Twitter: For live updates throughout the day, follow us on Twitter @latimescitydesk
Photos: From the scene
Big Burn: The Times' Pulitzer Prize-winning series on the cost and growth of wildfires.

Comments

[David R Ashworth]

We have had many vacations in Santa Barbara from England and have visited the Botanical Gardens at least 15 times over the years. It is a terrible shame to see so much fire damage to this lovely part of the City. We hope that the staff who have helped us with propogating and setting seeds etc , can bring back the beautiful gardens from all this damage. Our hearts go out to all those people and to those who have lost their homes and properties in one of the nicest cities in the whole of America. We have bougainvillia, geranium, california poppy , aspen, and many other cuttings and seeds from Santa Barbara, and if you need any to restore the gardens, we will send some back.

[Patrick Cavanaugh]

My daughter was married three weeks ago on the beautiful grounds of the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens. It was a perfect setting for the ceremony, so we're especially saddened to know that the Gardens were not spared from this devastating fire.

[Leslie]

I am deeply saddened by the devastation caused by the fires in the Santa Barbara mountains. My heart goes out to one of my favorite,and I believe magical places in the world - the SB Botanical Gardens - the trees, flowers and the habitat. I place my faith on the resilience of nature to quickly recover from the fire. My thoughts are for the director and the SBBG community as they face the recovery from the devastation.

The plants in my garden that I purchased at SBBG are thriving, and I am grateful to have these rare specimens from such a significant and special place.