East of Limekiln

The City of Seaside is hosting a food distribution event on Saturday October 17th, 2020 from 9:30 – 11:00 am. Recipients are encouraged to stay in their vehicles for drive thru access to food. Walk up’s are available, Please wear your mask and practice social distancing.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, October 15, 2020

USFS today has authorized the reopening of Day Use areas of Pfeiffer Beach, Willow Creek, and Mill Creek. Limekiln State Park, Kirk Creek Campground and Plaskett Creek Campground remain closed until further notice.

In yesterday’s FB Community Meeting, FDNY warned that with the hot, windy weather predicted for yesterday and today, we might see pockets burning within the perimeter. They indicated they would be monitoring it closely.

Today, we have such a pocket. Appears to be Mill Creek or Hare drainage, but informed there is lots of activity at Limekiln, so easily could be there. That darn pine is coming down this winter. Too close to house, and always in the way of my photos.

From MCOES last night:

To protect public safety, PG&E will turn off power due to gusty winds and dry conditions combined with a heightened fire risk. Once the weather subsides and it is safe to do so, PG&E crews will begin inspecting power lines, repairing damaged equipment and restoring customers. Outages (weather event plus restoration time) could last longer than 48 hours. For planning purposes, Monterey County Office of Emergency Services suggests customers prepare for outages that could last several days.

PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff Outage Alert: Due to current weather forecasts, the Carmel Highlands south to the Big Sur area is currently under a Watch for a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). Below is the estimated shutoff and restoration for this event.

ESTIMATED EVENT SHUTOFF: Starting between 1800 on 10/14/20 and 2100 on 10/14/20. We expect weather to improve beginning at 0800 on 10/15/20. After severe weather has passed, we will inspect equipment before restoring power.

ESTIMATED EVENT RESTORATION: 10/16/20 by 2200.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

             TAMC CONE ZONE REPORT

ROAD AND LANE CLOSURES SCHEDULED FOR October 11 – October 17

MONTEREY COUNTY – Here are the major scheduled road and lane closures for Monterey County from Sunday, October 11 through Saturday, October 17 – newest information is in red. Please keep in mind that construction work is weather-dependent. 

Highway 1: San Luis Obispo County Line – Lime Creek Bridge: Oct. 12 – Oct. 16   
One-way traffic controls will be in place along northbound and southbound Highway 1 from the San Luis Obispo County Line to Lime Creek Bridge for paving work from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Highway 1: Molera Park Entr/Coast Road – Torre Canyon Bridge: Oct. 12 – Oct. 16  
One-way traffic controls will be in place along northbound and southbound Highway 1 from the Molera Park Entrance/Coast Road to Torre Canyon Bridge for guardrail repair work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Highway 1: Molera Park Entr/Coast Road – Torre Canyon Bridge: Oct. 11 – Oct. 16  
One-way traffic controls will be in place along northbound and southbound Highway 1 from the Molera Park Entrance/Coast Road to Torre Canyon Bridge for striping operation work from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Highway 1: Carmel Valley Road – Molera Park Entr/Coast Road: Oct. 12 – Oct. 16   
One-way traffic controls will be in place in the along northbound and southbound Highway 1 between Carmel Valley Road and Molera Park Entrance/Coast Road for guardrail work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Highway 1: Carmel Valley Road – Molera Park Entr/Coast Road: Oct. 13 – Oct. 16  
One-way traffic controls will be in place in the evening along northbound and southbound Highway 1 between Carmel Valley Road and Molera Park Entrance/Coast Road for paving work from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Highway 1: Carpenter Street – Carmel Valley Road: Oct. 12 – Oct. 16 
One nighttime lane closure will occur along northbound and southbound Highway 1 between Carpenter Street to Carmel Valley Road for paving work from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Highway 1: Jensen Road – Santa Cruz County Line: Oct 12 – Oct 16  
Alternating lane closures and full ramp closures will occur along northbound and southbound Highway 1 between Jensen Road and the Santa Cruz County Line for gore paving work. The closures will occur from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Route 68: Piedmont Avenue – State Route 1 (West): Oct. 12 – Oct. 15
One-way traffic controls will be in place along eastbound and westbound State Route 68 between Piedmont Avenue and State Route 1 (west) for shoulder work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Route 68: Ragsdale Drive – Route 218 (Canyon Del Rey): Oct. 13 – Oct. 16
One lane closure will occur along westbound State Route 68 between Ragsdale Drive and State Route 218 (Canyon Del Rey Boulevard) for utility work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Route 68: Bit Road: October 11 – October 16
One lane closure will occur along eastbound State Route 68 at Bit Road for utility work from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Route 68: Olmsted Road – Buena Vista Lane: October 12 – October 13
One-way traffic controls will be in place along eastbound State Route 68 between Olmsted Road and Buena Vista Lane for vegetation control from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Route 68: Foster Road – Spreckles Blvd.: October 14
Lane closures will occur along eastbound and westbound State Route 68 between Foster Road and SprecklesBoulevard for utility work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Route 68: Harvest Street – John Street/Main Street: October 12 – October 16 
One lane closure will occur along eastbound and westbound State Route 68 from Harvest Street to John Street/North Main Street for traffic signal work from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Highway 101: Arroyo Seco Road – State Route 146: October 13 – October 14
One lane closure will occur along northbound Highway 101 between Arroyo Seco Road and State Route 146 for vegetation control from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Highway 101: Alta Street/Old Stage Road – Little Bear Creek Bridge, Salinas: Long-Term 
Nighttime lane closures (including median and shoulders) will occur along northbound and southbound Highway 101, between  Alta Street/Old Stage Road and Little Bear Creek Bridge in Salinas for paving work on the roadway and ramps from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.   Crews will be working in the evenings Sunday – Thursday. 

Highway 101: Layous – First Street, King City: Long-Term Closure 
There will be one lane closure along northbound and southbound Highway 101 from Layous to First Street in King City for pavement work from 9:30 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Highway 101: Wild Horse Road – Highway 101: Long-Term 
The on and off ramps lanes of northbound and southbound Wild Horse Road onto Highway 101 will be closed for paving work. Electronic messaging and detour signs will be in place to alert motorists. 

Highway 101: Lockwood/San Lucas Road: Long-Term Closure
The on and off ramps on northbound & southbound Highway 101 at Lockwood/San Lucas Road will be closed for excavation work.

Highway 101: Lockwood/San Lucas – Paris Valley Road: Long-Term Closure 
There will be one lane closure on northbound & southbound Highway 101 at Lockwood/San Lucas Road for excavation work.

Coe Avenue: General Jim Moore Blvd. – Pacific Crest Drive:  Oct. 5 – Oct. 16 
One-way traffic controls will be in place along eastbound and westbound Coe Avenue between General Jim Moore Blvd./Seaside Middle School and Pacific Crest Drive for utility work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Motorists should anticipate delays. 

Old Stage Road: Gabilan Creek Bridge: Long-Term
Lane closures will occur along Old Stage Road for repair work on the Gabilan Creek Bridge, located approximately 1.25 miles northeast of Crazy Horse Canyon and Old Stage Road intersection from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. During construction, motorist should anticipate lane closure traffic controls and delays of no more than 15 minutes, with one lane always open.

Bardin Road: Sycamore Road – Sconberg Parkway: October 12 – October 16
Intermittent construction work will occur along Bardin Road/Alisal Road between Sycamore Avenue, E. Alisal Street and Sconberg Parkway for water utilities work from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Motorists are advised that there may be single lane traffic flow and traffic controls in place at times in either direction as needed along portions of Bardin Road/Alisal Road and adjacent roadw

Unit Information

Los Padres National Forest
U.S. Forest Service
6750 Navigator Way
Goleta, CA 93117

Incident Contact

BAER Information
Phone: 707-853-4243
Hours: 7am-7pm
 

Notification: Property Post-Fire Watershed Risk Assessments

The soils in a burn scar are highly erodible so flood waters can contain significant amounts of mud, boulders, and vegetation. The powerful force of rushing water, soil, and rock, both within the burned area and downstream, can destroy culverts, bridges, roadways, and structures, and can cause injury or death if care is not taken. Landowners who have experienced severe property damage due to natural disasters may be eligible for assistance to mitigate this risk. 

Property owners impacted by the Carmel, Dolan, and River Fires are eligible for a free assessment of post-fire debris and watershed risks on their property. The assessment is conducted by the Natural Resources Conservation Service through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program. To schedule an appointment, contact Desi Ramirez at (530) 902-2913.

More information about debris flow and watershed risk can be found here: https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/administrative-office/office-of-emergency-services/recovery/watershed

Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Report – Dolan Fire

BAER stands for Burned Area Emergency Response. Wildfires can cause complex problems, from severe loss of vegetation and soil erosion, to a decrease in water quality and possible flash flooding. The Burned Area Emergency

Response Program addresses post-fire emergency stabilization of these and other post wildfire problems, in order to protect public safety and prevent further degradation of the landscape and to mitigate post-fire damages to cultural resources.

A BAER Report is currently in progress for the Dolan Fire.  Coming Soon.  The report should be available at the link above when released.

“Rancho Salsipuedes is a rare place. About 12 miles inland in Big Sur, it is one of the LAST standing California Homesteads that is not owned by the government or by a corporation. It has been in the hands of The Bottoms family since 1975. It has been untouched by overdevelopment, remaining in all of its glory. It has been looked after with true, pure, authentic love for the natural world. 

This beautiful place was ravaged by the recent fires that have spread over our precious state of California. This is one of the worst fire seasons we have ever seen. There is no doubt that this is directly related to the swifty worsening climate change and Rancho Salsipuedes is amongst one of the countless casualties of this global crisis. The damage the Bottoms’ face at the ranch, they face financially alone as they cannot insure the property due to its remote location and being surrounded by Los Padres forest. Humbly, I am turning to my community (near and far) to ask for any help you might be able to spare. 

I grew up with The Bottoms (whose daughter Bridget has been like a sister to me for almost 20 years) and visited Rancho Salsipuedes numerous times. It is untouched land the likes of which I have so rarely experienced in my life. The standing adobe house is 250 years old and one of the few structures there as their family’s intention was to be stewards for the land and creatures. The entire Bottoms family has always been dedicated to caring for the environment, on both a global and personal scale. They believe in solar power, permaculture and using renewable natural resources to create a safe haven for friends and family to connect to the Earth and mother nature. They were hoping to open the homestead up to campers (especially children/teenagers who may not be given the chance to experience nature in this way) this past spring, before the Covid 19 Pandemic hit. They are a family who honor the connection between humans and the planet; they know that we cannot separate the two, which makes the devastation they have endured during this fire season all the more painful.” (Continued on gofundme page)

Timothy Bottoms wrote to me of watching the blow-up from his side of the Santa Lucias that took out the Nacimiento Station and injured three firefighters; of watering the roof of the home for 10 days to save it; of the battle he, his two sons, and one Chumash firefighter to save the 250 year-old adobe on the ranch. It is a sacred place and is treated as such.

I was so moved by the stories that I wanted to share with all of you the gofundme a friend of his daughter’s organized for the ranch. Included on the gofundme page are some heartbreaking photos as well as the story. This is so very unusual for me, but I felt called to do so. Go here:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-rancho-salsipuedes?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet

THREE PHASES OF WILDFIRE RECOVERY 

There are three phases of recovery following wildfires on federal lands: 

• Fire Suppression Repair 
• Emergency Stabilization-Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) 
• Long-Term Recovery and Restoration 

• Fire Suppression Repair is a series of immediate post-fire actions taken to repair damages and minimize potential soil erosion and impacts resulting from fire suppression activities and usually begins before the fire is contained, and before the demobilization of an Incident Management Team. This work repairs the hand and dozer fire lines, roads, trails, staging areas, safety zones, and drop points used during fire suppression efforts. 
• Emergency Stabilization-Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) is a rapid assessment of burned watersheds by a BAER team to identify imminent post-wildfire threats to human life and safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources on National Forest System lands and take immediate actions to implement emergency stabilization measures before the first post-fire damaging events. Fires result in loss of vegetation, exposure of soil to erosion, and increased water runoff that may lead to flooding, increased sediment, debris flows, and damage to critical natural and cultural resources. BAER actions such as: mulching, seeding, installation of erosion and water run-off control structures, temporary barriers to protect recovering areas, and installation of warning signs may be implemented. BAER work may also replace safety related facilities; remove safety hazards; prevent permanent loss of habitat for threatened and endangered species; prevent the spread of noxious weeds, and protect critical cultural resources. 
• Long-Term Recovery and Restoration utilizes non-emergency actions to improve fire-damaged lands that are unlikely to recover naturally and to repair or replace facilities damaged by the fire that are not critical to life and safety. This phase may include restoring burned habitat, reforestation, other planting or seeding, monitoring fire effects, replacing burned fences, interpreting cultural sites, treating noxious weed infestations, and installing interpretive signs. (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/57610)