Tag archives: Tea Fire

On November 13, 2008, a wildfire started near a Montecito property known as the Tea Gardens.  The Tea Fire was first reported at about 5:45 pm. Strong sundowner winds with gusts up to 85 miles per hour reignited smoldering embers of an illegal bonfire from the night before.  At the time, Montecito Fire Marshal and […]

The Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art features the multimedia creations of Ethan Turpin, whose works are grounded in the natural cycles of wildfire, devastation, and recovery and regrowth from January 9 – March 22. The public is invited to a free opening reception of WILDLAND: Ethan Turpin’s Collaborations on Fire and Water on Thursday, January […]

Montecito Fire Department’s (MFD) Station 91 is an understated, red-tiled building in the foothills above Montecito – at a glance more “stately hacienda” than Command Center; though the hacienda’s 30’ aerial somewhat gives the game away. Fire Chief David Neels likewise cuts an approachable figure. Soft-spoken and earnest but given to sudden grins, he is […]