Fire Destroys 80 Montecito Homes


Firefighters have been battling a fast-moving brush fire driven by 50- to 70-mph winds which erupted Thursday night in the hills above Montecito in Santa Barbara County. So far, it has burned 1,500 acres, and has destroyed more than 80 homes.


The blaze, dubbed the Tea fire, broke out about 6 p.m. in the coastal foothills of Montecito, where a number of celebrities live, and quickly overwhelmed firefighters with its speed. A number of evacuations have been reported.