Santa Barbara Tea Fire - Night Terrors

I stood on the roof of our house at 11:30 last night and watched the western edge of the fire as it ran up the canyon toward Gibralter. I saw the top of Sycamore
canyon explode in towers of wind driven flame 100 feet high. At the same time I could see the glow of the fire on the eastern edge of the Riviera.

We are safe and sound this morning. The menacing orange rampage of last night is replaced by an ashen and edgy calm here this morning.

We're in shock. Like waking from a nightmare that continues to haunt you.

Last night at about 5:45 the fire started. In less than an hour it was tearing through the brush and homes were literally exploding. I know that when the stories are told we'll be hearing about people literally running out the door of their homes with the smoke and flames chasing them down the street. This has been an extremely agressive and fast moving fire.

No cause reported yet, but rumor and speculation?

One friend who lives near ground zero says the Tea House area is popular with people who like to enjoy the view at sunset...with perhaps a smoke of one kind or another.

The damage could be half a billion dollars.

That's a lot of dreams in ashes this morning.

UPDATE - Fire Map Link

Tea Fire - Santa Barbara is Burning Tonight

I took these photos during the 7:00 PM hour from the roof of my home in Santa Barbara. The sundowner winds are driving a the flames at up to 70 miles per hour.
Wind gusts and warm, dry conditions are forecast to continue through tonight.
The helicopters are in the air...we are told that a water dropping copter from LA is here and a chopper from SB County. The rest are media choppers

I saw SB County fire crews and engines surrounded by burning homes from an aerial picture on KCAL9 TV from LA. Fire started in the area above Sycamore Canyon/western Montecito.

AT 10:00 PM

Fire is totally out of control in suburban foothills. Areas below HWY 192 East Valley Road / Stanwood Dr / Hot Springs Rd. ordered evacuated. More current news
at CAL FIRE

Dozens of homes burned so far. The Riviera is burning. Fire crews are rushing in but they can't begin to stop the fire.

people are being cautioned to be ready to leave. We're asked to turn off the gas main before evacuating because homes are exploding.

We are safe at this time. But winds and fire will make the next several days very long. The same area burned in 1977 in the Sycamore Canyon Fire.

Before that, the area burned in the Coyote Firein September 1964. I sat on the couch in our living room as my family waited for the evacuation order which was delivered by a police officer who came to the door and told us to leave.

A night like tonight brings that all back.

Special thanks to Rincon broadcasting of Santa Barbara and KEYT Channel 3 for their excellent work tonight.

I happened to be listening to the radio when my old friend Peter Bie cut in with the first live report about 40 minutes after the fire took off. Great work Peter!

UPDATE 10:30

National Guard troops are ordering evacuation of homes on upper Gutierrez Street just below the Riviera neighborhood. Caller says portions of Botanic Garden (Mission Canyon) are burning.

UPDATE 11:50

Link to KTYD Live coverage

Link was busy on my last attempt but good local content