They didn’t start the fire …

That’s the message from officials at Westmont College in Montecido, Calif., where rumors had spread like wildfire (sorry, couldn’t help myself) that some students from the evangelical university may have accidentally started the wildfires that have scarred much of Santa Barbara County. From Westmont College President Gayle Beebe: “1. Were any Westmont students involved in […]

That’s the message from officials at Westmont College in Montecido, Calif., where rumors had spread like wildfire (sorry, couldn’t help myself) that some students from the evangelical university may have accidentally started the wildfires that have scarred much of Santa Barbara County.

From Westmont College President Gayle Beebe:

“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.”

Westmont officials say “the campus lost eight structures, four buildings in Clark halls (F,G,M,S), the physics building, the old math building and the two quonset huts. The later three structures were scheduled for demolition soon. Fourteen faculty homes in Las Barrancas have burned; there is damage to trees, and wooded areas on campus, but much of the formal gardens remains intact.”

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