Soberanes Fire, Day 25, 8/15/16 – Local Report

Midnight –

7:45 pm dipping from Rancho Grande for the firing operation, by Marcus Foster:

7:15 pm – I went back and looked at some of the operational maps from the Basin Fire and found an interesting one – interesting to those of us on the South Coast. With all the parks closed, the National Forest closed ONLY north of Nacimiento Road, the result is that the closures are sending all the hunters (hunting season opened Saturday) and campers up into our area. We are living on edge. This is what the USFS did a few days short of a month-long burn on the Basin Fire, which we approach on the Soberanes Fire this week. Can you understand why the South Coast is a tad on edge? We have been asking for a closure, down here, under these special circumstances, to no avail. I just sent this to GOLETA and King City, asking again.

6:00 pm – as viewed from down here, this is a helluva burn out operation. (Sorry, no photo.)

4:30 pm – Reminder – The Highway One closure has been extended until midnight.

4:20 pm – from Jen Smith on Clear Ridge, showing the burn out operation behind Partington

 

4:00 pm – Timber Top from Partington by Jeffrey Carmichael

Also, sadly CHP reports one of our Condors was killed when a vehicle hit it.
4:26 PM 4 [5] 1039 CT
4:24 PM 3 [4] PER 14, MOVED TO RHS FOR CAL TRANS OR THE VENTANA SOCIETY
3:53 PM 2 [2] OTHER CONDORS FLYING OVERHEAD TRYING TO LAND AND MAY CAUSE ANOTHER TC
3:53 PM 1 [1] CONDOR WAS HIT BY VEH AND IT IS 1125

However, apparently it was a TURKEY BUZZARD not a condor. Cambria’s Air Force is one less.

3:25 pm – from Pfeiffer Ridge looking SE by Pearl Bryan (this appears to be the firing operation behind Partington)

2:00 pm – Air support at Juan Higuera as seen from Clear Ridge, photos by Ed van Weijan

2:00 pm – just got word the burn out operation has moved down to Partington. Okay, those of you  who have been through this incredibly difficult thing to watch, talk your neighbors through it!

11:30 am – I glanced out of my window earlier to note new smoke – and old smoke – up toward Big Sur and had no reaction. Smoke out my window, in my nostrils, and on my clothing has become the new norm after 25 days. Sad and a bit depressing.

From Barbara Ray in the comments section: (I was informed by a local that at least by 11, the northern border of the closure has been moved to Glen Oaks.)
“I just walked up to Fernwood where they would not let me pass beyond the driveway to the campground. The Caltrans worker whose truck was blocking Highway 1 there said there was a group of redwoods just North of the sewer treatment plant whose center had burned out. They were afraid the trees would fall and take out the power lines. There were two PG&E trucks in the Fernwood parking lot plus fire trucks. You could hear the chain saws. It was eerie to walk along Highway 1 with no traffic.”

7:15 am – Here is John Chestnut’s MODIS map of the Soberanes Fire:

6:45 am – overslept today, and woke to find Highway One closed this am around 4 am or so and may remain closed all day. Smoke seems to be sitting on top of the inversion layer, making an eerie, unfamiliar landscape. Coffee, then check on both fires.