Westmont College - Montecito Fire Update - by Scott Craig

We have become aware that not all Westmont constituents received this
update, so are sending it again.

*Westmont Update on Tea Fire*


All Westmont College students, faculty, staff and guests are safe and
well, and most buildings are intact less than 24 hours after a wildfire
raced through campus. "We're so thankful everyone is out of danger and
that there were no injuries," says President Gayle D. Beebe. "But we're
deeply saddened that 15 of our faculty families --- and one retired
professor --- have lost their homes. Given the strength of the winds and
the fire, we're amazed the damage isn't greater."



In addition to 14 homes in Las Barrancas (an area adjacent to campus
where the college built 41 homes for professors), Westmont lost nine
structures: four of the 17 buildings that make up Clark Halls (F, G, M
and S), Bauder Hall, the physics building, the old math building and two
Quonset huts. The latter three buildings were scheduled for demolition
in the coming weeks to make way for new facilities on campus. While
Westmont has lost trees and landscaped areas, the formal gardens below
Kerrwood Hall were spared, as was the grove of Italian stone pines below
the dining commons.



The fire started just before 6 p.m. above campus and by 6:15 p.m., the
college's Crisis Response Team had instructed students, faculty and
staff to evacuate to the gym where they could be sheltered in place and
protected from the fast-moving flames.



Students responded immediately, hurrying out of their rooms, leaving
plates of food in the dining commons and dropping a Frisbee on the
walkway to the gym. Their quick action insured everyone's safety. "The
students did amazingly well," says Chris Call, vice president for
administration, who led the crisis response Thursday evening. "They
remained calm, ate a late-night snack and spent part of the evening
watching the movie "The Incredibles."



Westmont developed its crisis response plan years earlier in
consultation with fire officials who recommended that students stay on
campus in a protected building rather than flee in cars and be exposed
to the dangers of a quickly burning fire. Although the flames came close
to the gym, the students were safe inside, and the plan worked as expected.



Beginning early Friday morning when the direct threat had lessened,
students were taken off campus. Many churches and local residents have
generously opened their homes to both students and faculty. "We're so
grateful for the many offers of assistance that have poured in since the
fire began," Beebe says. "It's so encouraging to receive that kind of
support from the community."



One Westmont alumna, Lesley Miller, has set up a Facebook group,
Westmont College Prayer and Support for Tea Fire, which already has 318
members. To find the site, go to Facebook and search for it in the
Groups category.



All students have found temporary housing, but about 40-50 lost their
rooms and will need to make longer-term arrangements. Anyone willing to
house a student for the rest of the fall semester and possibly during
the spring can contact westmonthousinghelp@gmail.com



President Beebe met with his executive team on campus Friday morning to
assess the situation. How soon classes resume depends on a number of
factors: there is no threat from the fire, power is restored on campus,
buildings are clean and safe to enter, and faculty who lost their homes
and/or offices can resume teaching. The executive team is meeting 8 p.m.
Monday evening, Nov. 17, to make a decision about restarting classes,
which will not begin any earlier than Wednesday, Nov. 19. Beebe will
make an announcement Monday evening following this meeting about the
class schedule. This information will be posted on the college's Web
site and on the emergency hotline, 1-888-565-7911.



About 140 prospective students arrived on campus Thursday for Preview
Days to visit Westmont, attend classes and stay overnight in the
residence halls. These guests joined the Westmont students in evacuating
to the gym and witnessed first-hand how Westmont handles a crisis.



Clark Halls, built in 1965, includes 17 separate structures. It houses
mostly first-year and transfer students. One of the buildings that
burned is the home of the resident director and his family. About 40 or
50 students are affected by the fire and will need to be relocated.



Originally Bauder Hall was the carriage house for an estate the college
purchased in the 1940s. The main house, which was used as a residence
hall for men, burned during the 1964 Coyote Fire. Bauder was noted for
its Tudor style and whimsical weather vane. It housed the psychology
faculty and a classroom.



The physics building dates back to the Dwight Murphy estate Westmont
acquired in 1945. Old photos of the college document its use as a garage
for the Murphy family.



The old math building also belonged to the Murphy estate and has housed
a variety of departments over the years, including math and biology. It
was empty at the time of the fire awaiting demolition.



After World War II, Westmont bought a number of Quonset huts to use as
temporary student housing. Two of them remained on campus and were
burned; they too were scheduled for demolition.



Westmont will continue posting updates to its Web site, especially
regarding the date classes will resume. All faculty, staff and students
have been asked to stay away from campus until they are notified that it
is safe to return.



Scott Craig
Manager of Media Relations
(805)284-7687 (cell)