Category: 2010 Fire Season

Small Fire near Juan Higuera of no concern

UPDATE ON LAST NIGHT’S FIRE: According to my sources, the base of a redwood was on fire. The flames were 25’ in the air. Not certain if it was a camper or maybe struck by lightning over the weekend. Forest Service is there now. It may need to come down.

I got news of a fire near MM 48, and called my sources. It was reported to be on the east side of the highway, near or under a redwood. As of 7 pm, it was under control and no one was concerned about it. Our guess is that it was an illegal campfire that was reported. Someone trying to stay warm. Frankly, as wet and cold as everything is, I am even surprised it was reported. But there you have it, just in case you heard something.

Rocky Fire near Atascadero?

First, if you are in Santa Cruz, there is a controlled burn between you and Pacheco Pass, it may look like its coming from Coe SP, depending on your location. It is a controlled burn.

Second, I was watching and photographing the clouds, as saw smoke drift to the south. I have been investigating and determined (so far) that there was a fire yesterday on Vandenburg AFB that may still be sending up drift. I also determined there is a fire in SLO Co, out toward Atascadero. This was what was reported about 1/2 an hour ago.

Start Aprox 12:30 Location is Rocky Canyon Truck Trail near Atascadero.
50+ acres.
Moderate rate of spread in brush. No structure threat.
40% contained

This is a photo I took about 10 mins ago, but there has since been an increase, which I will show you as soon as I post this. I will update the photo below with a new one just above it.

Rocky Fire 4 pm, 10/29

While the drift is increasing, this one can’t last the night with the storm coming in.

Antelope Fire, Highway 46 SLO Co.

Just as I was going to transition from fire watch to weather watch mode, a new fire broke out along Highway 46 in SLO Co. It is near the Kern County line. As of 4:15 pm, it was reported as 300 acres and 15% contained. The forward rate has been slowed. Containment is expected by about 1 am tomorrow. NOAA has issued a frost warning for tonight in parts of the inland valleys, so that should help.

Lesson learned. It’s not over quite yet.

Controlled burn

By now, most of you in Big Sur already know about the controlled burn at Andrew Molera, but just in case you missed it, here is the announcement:

Andrew Molera State Park Prescribed Burn 10/2010

What: California State Parks is planning to conduct a prescribed burn in Andrew Molera State Park in Big Sur.

When: Burning will occur when enough rain has fallen that the majority of the vegetation within drainages surrounding the burn plots will not carry fire, but grasslands and coyote brush will burn at a low to moderate intensity. Assuming weather conditions are favorable, this will occur sometime during the last week of October or the first week of November.

Why: We are burning for the second year in this project area in order to manage for native grasslands (Coastal Prairie) that exist within Andrew Molera State Park. This very diverse plant community is rare in California and has been largely replaced by European annual grassland, coastal scrub and chaparral. Our intent is to slow the growth of coyote brush and non-native grasses in parts of northeastern and southwestern Andrew Molera State Park (see map), where healthy stands of Coastal Prairie exist.

Who: This prescribed burn will be conducted by the California State Parks Central Coast Prescribed Burn Team. This crew has extensive prescribed burning experience in parks throughout the central and northern California Coast. Support will also be provided by at least one of the following agencies: Cal Fire, U.S. Forest Service, Big Sur Fire Brigade and North Tree Fire.

Where: The 350 acre project site is divided into 12 burn plots, which will be burned separately (see map). This year we hope to burn Plot 1 and the northern part of Plot 2 on the west side of Hwy 1. These flat plots are 23 and 8 acres respectively. Portions of Plot 1 will be re-planted/seeded with purple needle grass and California oat grass one or two winters after the burn. We tried to burn these plots last year, but were not able to get the correct meteorological, environmental and logistical conditions.

More information: A Cal Fire Burning Permit, a Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District Smoke Management Permit, and a Coastal Development Permit have been issued for this project. In addition, a Mitigated Negative Declaration, a Biological Survey Report and several plant and animal surveys have been completed. A copy of the plan, permits and maps can be found at the Big Sur Station Visitor Center. If you have questions or comments, please call Jeff Frey at 667-0148.
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Weather reports are indicating more rain on Thursday night and Sunday. I’ll be keeping an eye on that. Hopefully, I’ll be posting a couple NZ photos tomorrow for your viewing pleasure.

Strange Weather

9 pm – cell over Lake San Antonio

It has been hot and muggy all day. Even now at 8 pm, it is 80 degrees inside, with all the windows open. Lots of good strikes coming down In Paso at the moment, so be careful out there!

6 pm – I have received reports from readers in Paso Robles and in Morro Bay that they have thunder in both areas.

I have been watching the thunder clouds build all afternoon to the South and East of me. First, I will try to get a radar shot posted here, and then, I will go take a shot of the thunder heads.

Give me half an hour for the radar and the photo, and then come back. I’ve got to close everything up, just in case.

And here are a couple cloud shots, the first toward SSE and the second from ESE.

So Cal Lightning Reports

Lots of downstrikes all morning long in SD County out to Joshua Tree and other areas. For our area, NOAA has this to say:

AS OF 9:30 AM PDT THURSDAY…FORECAST HIGHLIGHT FOR THE DAY WILL BE A NOTED COOLING TREND FOR MOST LOCATIONS. WEATHER ITEM OF INTEREST THAT WE WILL BE WATCHING CLOSELY IS ONGOING CONVECTION OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA…AND TRACKING THE OUTSIDE CHANCE THAT CELLS MOVE TOWARDS MONTEREY/SAN BENITO COUNTY.

San Diego NOAA published this: The national weather service in san diego has issued a red flagwarning…which is in effect until 11 pm pdt this evening.
* frequent dry lightning likely to accompany thunderstorms
* thunderstorms: Widespread from the coasts to the deserts moving
towards the northwest
* outflow winds: Between 35 and 45 mph
* timing: Until late evening hours

Wildfire in Big Sur – 1 and Old Coast Rd.

Incident contained to less than 5 acres on Andrew Molera State Park at 2243 hours. This is as it is being reported. I have not, nor will I at this late hour, confirm if it is on AMSP, El Sur Ranch, or Old Coast Rd. I am too hot and too tired to care. it is contained, and that is all I care about.

Incident is being called “Coast Fire” as with the earlier one. Should be Coast 2, based on prior namings. Per a reliable source, Kimball, CalFire will duplicate USFS will not.

Trey is right, it is called Old Coast Rd. I merely repeated what LPF and CALFIRE were saying without thinking. I am tired, still working, and hot as hell. 88 degrees at 11 pm.

WildCAD reported:
09/28/2010 21:03 LPF-3072 (New) Wildfire Hwy 1 and Coast Ridge Road.

LPF also has units onscene at Hwy 1 and Coast Ridge Rd.

Incident: 0647 Type: Report of Fire Location: SR1 AT ANDREW MOLERA ThomasBrothers: 1262 7B info as of: 9/28/2010 10:05:31 PM
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
10:05PM ANOTHER RP REPORTING FIRE N/W OF VENTANA RIDGE RD ** ATT TO XFER TO CDF AND CALL DISC (NA ON CB) ** PER CDF WILL BE THE SAME FIRE
9:34PM 27-S7 L/L ROLL 1ST DBLD UP GRAVEYARD UNIT
9:25PM NO TRAFF EXCEPT FIRE EQUIP
9:25PM FIRE COMM REQ CHP TO SHUTDOWN COAST RIDGE RD @ SR1
9:06PM ANOTHER RP REPORTING THE FIRE // XFER TO CDF // SED THEY HAVE MULT CALLS // RP DISC
8:59PM XFER TO CDF-MONT

False Alarm at Garrapatta

Reports of fire at Garrapatta (excuse me, but I can never remember which consonants are doubled in this word) brought a full response, but initial AA could find nothing from Carmel all the way down to Big Sur, so response was cancelled. I am reporting this to help avoid confusion if you heard the sirens about 1/2 hour ago.

Heat Wave Continues

5:00 pm – It is 100 degrees here at the moment. Have no idea what the hottest temps were. I drove down to Cambria to escape the heat, or so I thought. There was no escaping. But I did notice an interesting phenomena. In the areas of Highway One that are pretty much at ocean level (ok, maybe 100 ft. or so) like Villa Creek, Shale Point, Willow Creek. It was relatively cool – you know like in the high 80s. But areas at higher elevation, and particularly if the road is weaving inland, such as at Salmon Creek and Redwood Gulch, it was a furnace. I mean a furnace.

Today is the hottest day on record in Los Angeles, where records go back to 1877. weather news

here are some temps and relative humidity for Monterey County inland areas:
Bradley T 107 RH 10 Arroyo Seco 109 RH 8 Pinnacles 111 RH 5

But look at some of these SoCal temps! Calienté!!
Malibu Canyon at 114:
Downey at 110: f
Corona at 114:
Oceanside north at 115:
Long Beach north at 109:
Hottest location? Monrovia, CA at 121.

But look at the Central Coast!! 121 in Hollister, and 127 back behind Salmon Creek somewhere. My heavens!

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Earlier predictions were that this would be the hottest day of the heat wave. Friends on the Coast and in the Valley have been noting the exceptional heat, also, and last night’s weather report said it was 107 in both LA and Paso Robles, so it is hot throughout most of the state. One report extends this out until Thursday. It is making up for the summer we never had.

For the last several mornings I have awakened to quite a bit of wind. So fire danger is significant.

Stay cool (cold showers help) and take care. It is an iced cappuccino for me this morning. Too hot for coffee.

Bodega Wildfire

6:45 pm – Shaky containment. S/T forming up for this evening, but bigsurkate is taking the evening off. If you have something to report that is local, please call rather than email. Check in on all in the morning.

Highway One closed this afternoon at Bay Hill Rd. due to a wildfire. The winds have shifted, and the fire is being pushed toward Bodega Bay. Law Enforcement has been asked to prepare for a possible evacuation. Per IC fire is around 75 acres with 0% containment will go extended. Highway One is closed from the Bodega Highway to Harbour Way.

Everyone, PLEASE be very careful and very aware. RH is getting into the single digits with little recovery overnight. Fuels are already exceedingly dry, and this weather event is affecting most of the State of California.