Tea fire shuts Santa Barbara Zoo and museums; Biltmore houses evacuees
Many of Santa Barbara’s most popular tourist stops closed today because of the Tea fire that has destroyed about 100 homes and devoured about 2,500 acres in areas of Montecito and Santa Barbara.
The Santa Barbara Zoo, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History all closed today, according to their respective websites. The art museum will remain closed Saturday, and the California Indian Festival at the natural history museum also is canceled due to the fire (though the museum may open Saturday depending on conditions). Safe to say, if you were planning to visit any of these sites, check the website or call in advance.
Other closures noted on the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau website: Sustainable Vine Wine Tours will be canceled today through Sunday.
Fire evacuees started arriving last night at the Biltmore at 1260 Channel Drive. “We’re honoring reservations, but accepting new ones is on hold. A lot of evacuees checked into the hotel last night and we want to allow them to extend their stay,” said sales assistant Whitney Schott. Schott said the hotel had some group events canceled but that guests were still checking in today.
– Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times staff writer
[Photo: Michal Czerwonka / EPA]
7 Comments on “Tea fire shuts Santa Barbara Zoo and museums; Biltmore houses evacuees”
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November 14th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
I wonder if all your readers know what a Tea fire is and for what level of communication you are responsible in your articles. Of course, we outlanders could always call our fire department to determine the danger behind all those tea leaves stored in our pantry, and their potential for spontanious combustion.
Guy Peterson, Mesa, Arizona.
November 14th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
I love the fact that so may have lost so much in Montecito.
Enjoy!
November 14th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Greenwich Place, Montecito was the site of my childhood home. I’m now (about fifty years later) a DC resident but feel deeply concerned about the fire, and wonder if anyone knows what happened to my long-ago street. Any news?
Thanks.
November 14th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
I am sure Msrs. Peterson and Linkend might react differently were their homes burning. As a long time former resident of Santa Barbara and Montecito, I find their comments indicative only of their intelligence….
November 15th, 2008 at 12:12 am
There are plenty of people living in or near the fire area who are not wealthy. Losing a home with all of one’s own or one’s children’s treasured memories is sad whatever your income bracket. The fire has certainly damaged local treasures such as the Botanic Garden and Westmont College. I’m on disability for a serious illness and my housemate just got laid off, and I have never and will never be able to afford a home, so I understand the temptation to schadenfreude, but I can’t rejoice at anyone’s tragedy. That is just sick. As for the name of the fire, it reminds me of when they first called the Painted Cave Fire the “Paint Fire”. Just bizarre.
November 15th, 2008 at 1:18 am
From where do these kinds of negative thoughts bloom.
So sad to read of your hatred.
November 15th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Iknow that a couple of Obama supporters were having a post election party up at the Tea Gardens. Just the first of the unintended consequences.