California Wildfires 2008 Aftermath, Part I

Westmont College a private, Christian college in Santa Barbara, was in the path of the Tea Fire. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, Brooks Institute and UC Santa Barbara are also in the area, but no information about the wildfires is posted on their websites.
According to the Westmont website, campus leaders were able to quickly activate their existing crisis response plan, safely evacuating the community to the on campus gym on November 13. Since local roads could be closed because of the fire, it is safer to keep the students on campus where they can be protected.
Although the people were protected, the college lost eight buildings on campus (three of which were scheduled for demolition) and 14 faculty homes. The institution is developing plans to assist faculty and staff with insurance claims and finding temporary housing.
Looking on the bright side, the website points out:

“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.”

Talk about a “teachable moment.”
These wildfires, as well as the floods in Iowa over the summer, are also a good opportunity to remind students to secure renters insurance for their dorm room possessions.