Just got new maps from John Chesnut, shows the fire’s progression to the south. Well established in Hare Canyon.
And here is the north end. Looking pretty good.
6 pm — PIO confirmed this evening that the hard closure will be somewhere between PV Station and PV Center. He wasn’t quite sure about the exact location. Residents on Alms Ridge have been notified, signed waivers, and identified next of kin. So far, only one family has come out this way.
Fire and Evacuation Zone. The fire location is from early am, I believe? I think John said they fly over about 3 am and 3 pm, and then it takes 4-5 hours to publish the info. So too early to be this afternoon’s flight
Monday, August 31, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMONTEREY COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT ISSUES MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER Due to fire behavior and wind shift, a mandatory evacuation order has been placed for the following area: South of Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, West of South Coast Ridge to Prewitt Ridge including Alms Ridge. Stay Safe, Stay Vigilant.
For Immediate Release
August 31, 2020
New Dolan Fire Evacuation Order
Big Sur, Calif. – Due to the continued spread of the Dolan Fire to the southeast, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office in cooperation with Dolan Fire incident management team and Monterey County OES has declared an Evacuation Order effective immediately for the following area:
South of Nacimiento Fergussen Road; west of South Coast Ridge to Prewitt Ridge, including Alms Ridge
An Evacuation Order signals an immediate threat to life and safety. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access. Aninteractive map of the area can be found on the Monterey County OES website
As a result of this extension the road closure for Highway one will be relocated to the area of Sand Dollar Day Use area.
All other Dolan Evacuation Orders remain in place.
Forest Order Number 05-07-51-20-19 remains in effect.
Firefighting resources previously assigned to the north end of the fire are being shifted to the southern end as the operations in the McWay Ridge area are secured. The Dolan Fire is burning two miles northwest of Nacimiento Fergusson Road.
A!ert Monterey County: To receive emergency notifications regarding evacuations and critical events in Monterey County please sign up for A!ert Monterey County at the following website: https://member.everbridge.net/453003085611217/login.
Be prepared for emergencies; the Ready, Set, Go! program informs residents about preparing for disaster.
I did manage to get a couple early morning shots before the smoke completely blocks any view. Can’t wait to see last night’s satellite maps from John. With all the smoke, I won’t venture a guess as to where this is until I see the maps. In the first photo, one can see 3 areas of fire. The second shot gives a vague idea about flame height of the lower two spots of fire. That is Cone Peak in the background and Twin Peak is to the left, or west. Maps and morning briefing will be added when received.
Scroll down to John Chesnut’s maps to see where these flames are. Please scroll past that to see my plea to the community.
Please check back throughout the day for updates, or refresh your browser window if you are keeping it open.
DOLAN PUBLIC FIRE INFORMATION SOURCES: Public Information Phone: (831) 272-0222
Incident Information: Start / Report Date: Aug. 18, 2020 Cause: Unknown Fuels Involved: Chaparral, Brush, Timber understory Size: 29,550 Containment: 25% Location: Hwy 1(MM32.20) N of Limekiln State Park, 10 miles S of Big Sur Injuries: 0
Resources: Hand Crews: 14 Engines: 65 Dozers: 8 Helicopters: 11 Water Tenders: 25 Total Personnel: 933
Current Situation: A mandatory evacuation order went into effect this afternoon south of Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, west of South Coast Ridge to Prewitt Ridge including Alms Ridge due to increased fire behavior and winds. Highway 1 remains closed with expanded hard closure south to Pacific Valley Station. Rolling rocks are a continued safety concern throughout the Highway 1 closure.
The fire has progressed south and east towards San Antonio Creek drainage. Today the marine layer remained in place decreasing fire activity below 1500 feet with fire activity predicted to increase overnight at higher elevations.
Crews continued work along the north section of the fire, reinforcing containment lines along the McWay drainage. The line has been completed and unburned vegetation has been fired out. Firefighters have also completed clearing of vegetation and other fuels around infrastructure in the Partington area. The completion of this work will free resources up to be shifted to the southern portion of the fire which is now the highest priority.
The east side continues to burn further into the Ventana Wilderness. As the northern and southern perimeters are secured, the firefighting effort will shift to address the fire’s movement into the Ventana Wilderness. The work on Nacimiento Fergusson Road and the forest trail and road system is the beginning of this effort with more clearing completed today. If successful, these actions will help to check the southeasterly spread of the fire.
Today three years ago, Los Padres National Forest Battalion Chief Gary Helming tragically lost his life while returning home from a fire assignment. Gary was killed when a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction blew a tire and swerved head-on into his vehicle. We can honor battalion chief Helming’s life by being extra cautious when traveling on roadways and ask the public to do the same. This is a reminder that driving safety is critical at all times.
Start / Report Date: Aug. 18, 2020 Size: 29,434 Containment: 25% Cause: Unknown Location: Hwy 1(MM32.20) N of Limekiln State Park, 10 miles S of Big Sur Injuries: 0 Fuels Involved: Chaparral, Brush, Timber understory
Resources:
Hand Crews: 16
Engines: 77
Dozers: 9
Helicopters: 10
Water Tenders: 25
Total Personnel: 1,025
Current Situation:
Last night’s marine layer helped decrease fire activity. Crews conducted a tactical firing option along the north section, to reinforce the containment line along the McWay drainage. Firefighters cleared vegetation and other fuels around infrastructure in the Partington area.
Fire activity is increasing along the southeast section. Firefighters are working on containment lines around the Twin Peak area, including along the Nacimiento Fergusson Road which will potentially be used to stop the spread of the fire as it burns south. Residence in the area may see or smell an increase in smoke as fire activity increases. Fire crews are constructing lines on the southeast corner of the fire to protect local communities and other values at risk.
The east side continues to burn further into the Ventana Wilderness. As the north and south perimeters are secured, the firefighting effort will shift to address the fire’s movement into the Ventana Wilderness. The work on Nacimiento Fergusson Road and the forest trail and road system is the beginning of this effort.
Today three years ago, Los Padres National Forest Battalion Chief Gary Helming tragically lost his life while returning home from a fire assignment. Gary was killed when a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction blew a tire and swerved head-on into his vehicle. We can honor battalion chief Helming’s life by being extra cautious when traveling on roadways and ask the public to do the same. This is a reminder that driving safety is critical at all times.
Highway 1 remains closed. Firefighters and cooperating agencies are working diligently to open the road as soon as is safely possible. Rolling rocks are a continued safety concern throughout the highway closure. The public’s support is appreciated.
The fire poses a risk to multiple businesses, parks, recreational sites, and communication infrastructure as well as the communities of Hermitage and Lucia in the south, and Partington Ridge in the north. Among natural resources threatened are the Ventana Wilderness, coastal watershed, and habitat for threatened and endangered species, including the California condor.
Later this week California Interagency Incident Command Team 2 will transition command of the Dolan Fire to Pacific Northwest Team 2 (PNW2). PNW2 will shadow CIIMT2 on Wednesday and assume command of the incident Thursday morning.
What I am going to say will be controversial, but I will say it anyway and lose some friends/followers. I never thought I would hear so much whining and complaining about the road being closed, and how inconvenient it is, from hearty Big Sur folks. Don’t you want to make it as easy as we can for these men and women who are risking their lives for US and our homes & businesses in unforgiving terrain? Big Sur people are going to be unforgiving as well? Let them do what they need to do to keep it safe for these heroic people. We’ve worked it out before, and there are options for resupplying thankfully. Contact CERT if you need help. Put on your big girl/boy pants and buckle in for as long as it takes. Like Lu reminds us in the comments below. We made it through the Basin Fire and the Soberanes Fire, and many, many others. We will make it through this one.
Also, a reminder from USFS, the number one killer of wildland firefighters is vehicle accidents. Today is the 3rd anniversary of Santa Lucia Ranger District Battalion Chief Gary Helming death.
