Four weeks after the Tea Fire nearly claimed their lives, Lance and Carla Hoffman are both conscious and breathing without a respirator.

The two Montecito residents were seriously burned while escaping the wind-driven blaze in mid-November, and have undergone numerous skin-graft surgeries at UC Irvine Regional Burn Center, where they have been treated since the incident.

In an e-mail Wednesday, Lance’s mother, Linda Hoffman, wrote that this was the first time he was able to “focus, smile, sit up and breathe without a respirator.”

“We’re walking on air,” said Solvang resident Jim Mills, Lance’s grandfather. “When I first saw Lance, I thought we’d lost him, but now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Linda wrote that Carla and Lance on Wednesday were able to see each other for the first time since they were injured.

“(They could) wave their heavily wrapped arms, and exchange ‘I love yous,’” Linda wrote.

Lance and Carla, both 29, are scheduled for what family members hope will be their final grafting surgeries this week.

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Both were downgraded from “critical condition” early last week, to “fair” in Carla’s case and “serious” in Lance’s case.

Carla suffered second- and third-degree burns on her legs and second-degree burns on her hands and arms, and is scheduled for her third skin-graft surgery later this week, Murray said.

Lance, a Santa Ynez High School graduate, received third-degree burns to his hands and arms and second-degree burns on his face.

The Tea Fire began in the 700 block of East Mountain Drive the evening of Nov. 13, and quickly spread down the road to the Hoffman’s rental home in the 200 block. Even though they had been badly burned before reaching their car, the couple drove to the nearby fire station, where they were transported to the hospital.

The fire was caused by a group of Santa Barbara City College students who did not fully put out a bonfire the night before. There has been no information released on whether criminal charges will be filed.

Lance works as a security guard at Paseo Nuevo Shopping Center in Santa Barbara, and Carla, his wife of one year, works at Metro Entertainment, a comic-book store in Santa Barbara, and blogs at newsarama.com.

Because of their connection to downtown Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization, Metropolitan Theatres Corporation and Paseo Nuevo shopping center are jointly sponsoring a movie benefit at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 to raise money for the couple.

Tickets for the benefit film, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” at the Arlington Theatre are available through Ticketmaster.com, the Arlington Theatre Box Office, Paseo Nuevo Management Offices and Metro Entertainment.

Donations can also be made directly to the Lance and Carla Burn Fund at any Santa Barbara Bank and Trust branch.

December 12, 2008