Destruction of 210 Homes
"My wife called and said 'Montecito is on fire -- get out'. And I thought she was kidding. We got in the car, pulled out of the driveway and the entire mountain behind was flames 200 feet high -- shooting into the air. Embers were raining down, they were in our shirts and in our hair, and the wind was easily 70 mile per hour... it was Armageddon!" (Rob Lowe, November 14, 2008)
The Tea Fire resulted in the destruction of 210 homes in Montecito and Santa Barbara. Of the destroyed homes, 106 were in the city of Santa Barbara, and the remainder were in Montecito. One of the homes destroyed in the fire belonged to actor Christopher Lloyd (best known for playing "Doc" Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy). Another was the home of TV producer Marcy Carsey. Actor Rob Lowe, who lives in the area struck by the fire, was forced to flee his home. Film director, screenwriter and film producer Steven Spielberg is also a resident in the area.
Television personality Oprah Winfrey owns a 42-acre (170,000 m2) estate in the area. She began her Friday, November 14 The Oprah Winfrey Show talking about the fire and her concern for neighbors. Winfrey's house was spared, but Winfrey noted, "From now on I'll have so much more empathy and compassion for people who are going through it."
Read more about this topic: Montecito Tea Fire, Impact
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