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Dozens of Homes Destroyed, Thousands Threatened by 'Tea Fire' Near Santa Barbara
Folks watch a home burn in the hills above Santa Barbara, Calif., on Thursday Nov. 13, 2008. (AP Photo/Phil Klein)
At least 100 residences were destroyed by an uncontained brush fire that was spotted in the Montecito hills northeast of Santa Barbara around 6 p.m Thursday and up to 1,200 more remain threatened, according to officials .
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Firefighters from as far as Orange County and San Luis Obispo were reporting to the scene of the 800-acre+ wildfire, dubbed the Tea Fire, as of midnight.
High fire danger is forecast through Saturday across the region as conditions remain dry and temperatures rise into the 90's.
Visit KNX , KFWB, KCLU , and the Santa Barbara Independent to follow the story overnight. A GoogleMap of mandatory evacuations is at CrisisWire .
Thanks to Edward Vielmetti who posted this photo (and more) via his brother who lives in the area. We count on your first-hand reports and photos to report this information to the LAist community. Join our Flickr group here .
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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