Willow Fire, 6/23/21, day 7

Willow Fire:  June 23, 2021 Update

Email: willowfirepio@gmail.com

Incident Information: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7549/ 

Social Media: Twitter: @LosPadresNF   Facebook: @Los Padres National Forest 

Los Padres National Forest: www.fs.usda.gov/pnf

Fire Information Phone: (831) 244-3205 Hours: 8am-9pm

INCIDENT INFORMATION

Command: Los Padres National Forest, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and CIIMT 11

Additional Cooperating and Assisting Organizations: CAL Fire, California Highway Patrol, Big Sur Fire Department Cachagua Fire Protection District, Bureau of Land Management, CalTrans, Monterey Office of Emergency Services (OES)

Start Date: 06/17/2021Location: Los Padres National Forest,Monterey County, CAResidences Threatened: 100 Residences Damaged: 0Mixed Commercial/Residential threatened: 25

Size: 2,877 acresPercent containment: 13%Cause: Under InvestigationResidences Destroyed: 0Personnel on the Incident: 526

CURRENT CONDITIONS:

Yesterday, firefighters took advantage of the continued favorable weather conditions and moderate fire behavior to prepare contingency lines along old fire control lines and adjacent roads east of the fire area. Crews also completed most of the community, residential and recreation infrastructure protection in the Tassajara and Arroyo Seco areas to the north and east of the fire area.

Forecasted weather and predicted fire behavior allowed firefighters to begin constructing direct control lines where it is safe to do so. Direct control lines are constructed along the fires edge leaving no unburned fuel between the fire and the control line. This is sometimes referred to as “one foot in the black.”

Today, crews are tasked with extending direct control lines along the fire’s edge and increasing offensive actions consistent with the moderating weather and minimal fire activity utilizing Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics (MIST). MIST employs the minimum amount of forces necessary to achieve the protection objectives consistent with the land and resource management objectives and resources at risk.

WEATHER

A low-pressure system off the coast will continue to provide favorable weather conditions over the fire area for another day or so, shifting winds to the northwest as the system moves onshore. Resulting cooler temperatures and an increase in relative humidity has significantly reduced the detectable heat within the fire area. The fire is not expected to significantly increase in size during this time. A developing high-pressure system off the Pacific Northwest coast will bring warmer and dryer conditions at the end of the week and into the weekend.

EVACUATIONS AND CLOSURES:

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office remains in Unified Command with Los Padres National Forest and California Interagency Incident Management Team 11. There are no changes to the Evacuation Warning and Order areas.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has issued an Evacuation Order for the following areas:

• Tassajara Road northwest to China Camp Campground in the Los Padres National Forest, including tributary Forest Routes and the Tassajara Zen Center.
• Upgraded the Evacuation Warning to an Order for Zone WF-3a. All areas of the Arroyo Seco Road west of Woodtick Canyon, to include the Arroyo Seco Campground, Rocky Creek Road, Camp Cawatre.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has issued an Evacuation Warning for the following area:

• Tassajara Road from China Camp Campground in the Los Padres National Forest northwest to Kincannon Canyon. The Warning stops at the Los Padres National Forest boundary. This does not include Kincannon Road or tributaries of Jamesburg or Cachagua Road.

From John Chesnut, Mapped perimeter from the 9 PM PDT overflight (6/22-23 overnight). Perimeter is unchanged for 24 hours. Overnight (6/22-6/23) IR interpreter report is very optimistic