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SYHS grad, wife burned in Tea Fire

By Sam Womack/Staff Writer

A couple who were severe-ly burned in the Tea Fire while escaping their home in the Montecito hills are in stable condition after mak- ing it through the critical 48-hour period for burn victims, according to one victim’s mother.

All that’s left is to wait and pray for Lance Hoffman, a Santa Ynez High School graduate, and his wife, Carla, who graduated from Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, according to Linda Hoffman, Lance’s mother.

Lance and Carla Hoffman are being treated at UC Irvine Regional Burn Center for third-degree burns on their hands and arms and several areas of second-degree burns, Linda Hoffman said.

The fire erupted Thursday night near Mountain Drive and Cold Springs Road, then spread quickly and indiscriminately as it destroyed more than 200 homes in the hilly, heavily wooded residential area.

Because her son and daughter-in-law are unconscious from heavy sedation and unable to talk about their experience, Hoffman said, family members are guessing that they were caught by the flames when running from their home to their vehicle in the 200 block of East Mountain Drive.

They were probably trying to reach their car, which was parked at the end of a long, winding dirt path lined by brush, when they were caught by flames, said Hoffman, who lives in Lompoc.

Both were wearing pants and short-sleeved shirts, Hoffman said, which is what most likely kept the third-degree burns focused on their hands and arms.

Carla Hoffman, 29, also suffered second-degree burns to the front and back of her legs, and her husband, also 29, has second-degree burns to most of his face and head, according to Hoffman, who visited the couple over the weekend.

Even though they were so badly burned, the couple drove themselves to a nearby fire station and were then transferred to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and later flown to Irvine, according to Geri Ventura, a spokeswoman for the Montecito Fire Department.

Lance Hoffman, who played water polo at Santa Ynez High School, worked as a security guard at Paseo Nuevo Shopping Center in Santa Barbara. His wife of one year worked as a manager at Metro Entertainment in Santa Barbara.

The outgoing couple met in their freshman year at Whittier College, where they were both involved in drama; they have continued to enjoy attending and participating in Renaissance fairs, Hoffman said.

She said she is optimistic about the couple’s recovery and expressed her thanks for the many messages of support she has received.

Lance’s father, David Hoffman, lives in Las Vegas and formerly coached basketball and baseball at Santa Ynez and Cabrillo high schools.

A fund, called the Lance and Carla Burn Fund, has been set up for the couple at Santa Barbara Bank and Trust at 1483 East Valley Road in Montecito.

The Montecito Firefighters Association donated $1,000 Monday and encouraged other people and agencies to participate.

By Monday morning, the Tea Fire was 95 percent contained but had burned 1,940 acres, destroyed 210 homes and cost nearly $5 million to fight, according to the joint agency information center that is coordinating the firefighting efforts.

Firefighters were hoping for full containment by Monday night.

Besides Lance and Carla Hoffman, only one other person has been reported burned. That was a firefighter who suffered only minor burns to his hand and, after treatment, returned to fighting the fire.

There have also been 22 reported cases of smoke inhalation.

swomack@syvnews.com