Tea Fire Remains Totally Uncontained

Santa Barbara, CA — According to the latest CAL Fire report from the upscale Montecito community (9am), the Tea Fire has burned 1,500 acres and has destroyed over 100 homes.

There are currently mandatory evacuation orders in Montecito, the city of Santa Barbara and areas within Santa Barbara County.

Overall there are 1,141 firefighters on site, 260 of those from CAL Fire. Resources include 193 engines, 25 fire crews, seven dozers and one watertender.

The CAL Fire Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit, according to Emergency Command Center Communications Operator Ed Allendorf, has sent one state strike team of engines, three strike teams of crews and one local government strike team of engines from Calaveras County to the southern California fire that started at 6:30pm Thursday.

70mph winds whipped the fire last night. Those winds died down this morning but are expected to increase this afternoon. Cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Two firefighters have suffered smoke inhalation and two residents have been injured. Containment is zero percent.

Written by Bill Johnson