Westmont College Students NOT involved in Montecito Tea Fire!!!

Praise God fort this!! Praise God!!! Please see the official Westmont email from President Beebe:

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 thoughts and 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 at http://www.sbsheriff.org/.

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.


2) When will students and faculty be able to return to campus?

The campus will reopen Saturday, Nov. 29, at noon, and classes will restart Dec. 1. We are tirelessly working to clean up the campus and accommodate the entire campus population after the Thanksgiving holiday.


3) When will new information about the cause of the investigation be made available?
We have been informed by authorities that the investigation is still underway. It is important to resist the urge to speculate beyond what is currently known. Ultimately, the public needs to let the authorities do their job.


4) How is the college addressing rumors speculating about Westmont students?

Investigators have determined that no current Westmont students were involved in the fire. Any suggestions to the contrary are false and damaging.

Despite rumors and speculation on the Internet, our utmost priority throughout the investigation has been addressing the needs of our campus and the surrounding community. That means providing information requested by authorities, cleaning up the demolished sites on our campus in preparation for returning to the academic term, and generally being a good neighbor in a time of great need. Second, we are providing accurate information directly from investigators to our college community in as timely a manner as possible.

Ultimately, the findings of the investigation will be made public by authorities and the individuals responsible for the fire will enter the jurisdiction of the law. Until that point, I ask that each of you do your part by avoiding undue speculation and by communicating responsibly, as is reflected in our values and mission.


5) How can I help?

Along with your family and friends, I strongly encourage you to participate in our Wildfire Relief Fund. As a longtime member of the Santa Barbara community, we will be working in unison with the region toward rebuilding efforts and we will be releasing more information about those possibilities as appropriate. For now, I ask that you continue to keep all victims of this fire in your thoughts and prayers, and become involved in our community efforts.