No “Current” Westmont Students Involved in Causing the “Tea Fire”

I pulled this from Westmont College’s homepage 7:18pm on November 19, 2008. I find it very curious that the letter uses the word “current” in its description of who the students are not. What does that mean? Nonetheless, I am glad to hear that the crowd is not a bunch of Westmont kids.

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Tea Fire Update from President Gayle Beebe

Dear students, faculty, staff and friends:

It has nearly been a week since the Tea Fire ravaged our campus and the larger Montecito and coastal community. Our prayers are with all devastated by this fire as each of us affected throughout the region continues to face the reality of having our everyday lives turned upside down.

Due to the close proximity of the college to the off-campus site of the fire, we have been inundated with questions from many concerned audiences. I’m sure that you have also been contacted as a source of information by friends and family.

There are a few questions that have come up repeatedly, and I’d like to share my responses with you. The most accurate source of information about the fire investigation will come from the authorities themselves; misinformation will only cause greater suffering for the region. For information concerning the investigation, please refer to the Sheriff’s department.

Sincerely,
Gayle D. Beebe, President

1. Were any Westmont students involved in causing the fire?

No. On Wednesday afternoon at approximately 2:45 p.m., Drew Sugars, the public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, officially informed the college that no current Westmont students were present nor in anyway involved with this tragic incident.

We have been in regular contact with investigators since the fire and have been providing any information that might be helpful toward determining the exact cause of the fire. This is our responsibility as a community citizen. Our surrounding coastal region is home to many colleges and universities, and like all of them, we are awaiting new information.

It should be noted that at this point, the group of individuals responsible for starting the fire are under the jurisdiction of law enforcement authorities. Again, no current Westmont students were involved with this incident.

Tags: Montecito, Montecito fire, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Fire, tea fire, Westmont College Fire, Westmont College Fire Update, Westmont Fire