The Timber Fire is still going well. The structure threat has been minimized along the Coast and Ridge which is a huge win for us as a community. The effort put forth by all to accomplish this has been monumental. It wasn’t just the fire engines, hand crews and helicopters that did it; it was many of you who stayed behind the lines to prep and defend your properties. The weather played a part too keeping fire behavior moderate and manageable. If any one of those factors had changed, the outcome may have been different.With the coast side seemingly out, crews are already moving into restoration mode. PG&E was first up replacing several damaged poles and the lines re-strung. It has been 13 days since power was lost so this will be another win when the lines are re-energized. Other work such as scaling the steep cliffs above Highway 1 is underway so the highway can be reopened safely and soon. The evacuation warning/orders have been evaluated every day in fact multiple times daily looking for opportunities to adjust, which we’ve seen twice in the last few days with more to follow as conditions improve. Winter runoff is also being discussed so we can be as prepared as possible for the inevitable.The work that is being done behind the scenes at the incident management level is complex. The two base camps (CSUMB and Pfeiffer State Park) are being consolidated to one as you read this. Having everyone in Big Sur moving forward will be helpful and more efficient for all involved. The USFS will be mobilizing one of their Incident Management Teams (IMT’s) as CalFire IMT 1 times out. The transition takes place over several days. The new team “shadows” the current team so nothing gets lost and the transition feels seamless. I’d like to thank CalFire IMT 1 for their professionalism and expertise as well as their consideration for both the USFS and our community’s priorities.The Timber Fire will be with us for quite a while longer. The fire is burning slowly in the back country. As it continues to consume the brush and trees, rollout occurs igniting brush and trees below. As the heat builds up, the fire makes small uphill runs producing moderate amounts of smoke which we’ve been seeing over the past few days and will continue to see for days if not weeks ahead. The Timber Fire has the potential to grow well beyond the almost 6000 acres it is today. Because of this risk, contingency lines are being considered and in some cases already placed based on strategic points the fire has already reached. An immense amount of patience will be needed by all of us. While the highway will reopen soon and things will normalize in a sense, fire crews will continue to operate in our community working to keep the Timber Fire at bay and restore our beautiful coast and ridges. Big Sur Fire’s presence on the fire will lessen over the coming days. I will remain involved at the management level working with the incident operations team. Our water tender and engine will be demobilized after 14 days of continuous work. Our hand crew will remain on the fire for a while longer too before going back into rotation for initial attack response. Thank you for the outpouring of support with food, drinks and other supplies for the firefighters who are all so grateful. Since my last message, I think it’s safe to say we found our stride on the incident as well as a community. Please join us at the River Inn (Friday at 5pm) for a hosted chili dinner, a less formal gathering for the community. Until then, please check our website bigsurfire.org or apps like Watch Duty or Wildfire Intel for more information.Thank you all for your efforts, patience and trust of Big Sur Fire.Sincerely,Matt Harris
Fire Chief |
