Category: 2010 Fire Season

Rocky Fire near Cambria

5:30 pm – per WLF, Gabilan just sent 2 crews to the fire.

4:30 pm – reports are indicating that it is 20 acres, other outbuildings lost, and more resources being sent, specifically another water tender. However, all indicates are that it is slowing down, and well on the path to containment.

For those of you unfamiliar with the area, the Rocky Butte area is up near the top of the ridge behind Hearst Castle and there is a truck trail up there. Last year, exactly one year ago tomorrow on Day 2 of the Sam Jones, a reader sent me a photo of the Sam Jones Fire taken from Rocky Butte Truck Trail. You can see it here:

3:30 pm – tanker 78 also assigned. Scanner reveals possibly only one engine, as at least one engine was diverted to a structure fire and a separate vehicle fire in Paso.

2:45 pm – tanker 80 and chopper 345 are now on the fire as well.

2:15 pm – Chopper 406 and dozer 3441 are in the area going to the fire per scanner traffic. AA (Air Attack) ordered additional resources. Tanker 75 has also been added.

2:00 pm – A new fire near Rocky Butte. Resources sent include: Tanker 74 and one helo, I think.

I need to thank my incredible source in Paso Robles, a retired FF of 33 years. He lives near the airport and is completely tuned into to the sound of the tankers taking off! Thanks, Ray!

I have little additional info at this time. But will hope they get this one under control as fast as they did the 46 fire yesterday. Have some great photos from Rock Knocker to upload in a bit.

Fire report, 8/2/10

Saturday night there was an illegal campfire on South Coast Ridge Rd. USFS Law Enforcement was dispatched, and gave the offenders a “warning.” I wish they would have given them a ticket, instead.

Sunday afternoon, a wildfire broke out at the summit of HIghway 46 between Paso Robles and Cambria. It was only one and 1/2 acres, and resources were dispatched quickly, including hand crews and a helicopter, and it was knocked down in record time. Turns out, Rock Knocker was one of the first people to pull over after the fire started and is bringing me photos. If any came out, I’ll post them later today. He says the bombers were there before Cal Fire was!

Other areas of the state have not been so lucky, including the Kern County area both near Tehachapi and Kernville, the Palmdale area, Lassen County, and currently, east of Ukiah.

USFS Road Brushing

The USFS has begun the brush work on South Coast Ridge Rd. There were two mowers parked on the road today.

And here is a better look at the mower itself.

Here is one bank that they did, and it looks pretty good.
Then some other areas, not so good. They are mowing through everything – small pine trees and all.

More campfires

This time, it was on South Coast Ridge Rd., which is behind me, running north-south. Thank goodness someone (probably a local) reported it or it was discovered on routine patrol! Good job, everyone!

Reported on WildCAD:

07/27/2010 12:34 LPF-2295 camp fire Wildfire SO COAST RIDGE RD

Smoky Sunset Haze

9:30 pm – heard from someone who drove through Stoney Valley earlier this evening and said it was a slow burn that was putting out a LOT of smoke! Thanks for that clarification. As I expected.

8:30 pm – There is a smoky haze laying up over the fog layer on the coast, toward the north, coming in from the east. Clearly, this is smoke. There is also a smoke layer on the other side of the Santa Lucia Mountains.

I know about the control burn which FHL started about 10 am in Stoney Valley, and I know of the fast moving Bull Wildfire up in Kern County, in the Sequoia NF by Kernville and Riverkern. (That one really took off this afternoon, and is getting resources from all over the state.) As of 9:30 pm – 4500 acres and 6 homes have burned.

While Stoney Valley might explain our smoke, I doubt the Bull Fire does. If I hear of anything to explain what I am seeing, I will post later.

Citizen Fire Watch, Continues

So, on the way back up the hill on a Saturday night, I found more campers. This is what I saw:

Wait a minute, that’s firewood?

Yep, that’s what it is. There is no one in the camp, so I drive on down the road, and come across an older guy, and a younger gal. The guy is nice – to begin with, but the girl? She has a serious attitude problem. I speak with them, but she’s got a real problem, so I follow them back to their camp.

She doesn’t like to be photographed.

And she ca me toward me in my Jeep with her camera.

Oh, yeah, serious ATTITUDE. Trust me, I am doing nothing, saying nothing, other than photographing her. She does NOT like that! She keeps coming …

I have stayed in my Jeep, and yet she still keeps coming …

That’s some serious ATTITUDE, lady. Then she grabs my camera, and shoves it back in my face. Damn, that’s a battery. Now, remember, I haven’t gotten out of my Jeep, and I have said nothing to her, I’ve only photographed her.

Cute gal, with a serious problem! Then her “dad” had to step into the action, again at my driver’s window.

Man, these two REALLY did not want their photos taken! But “dad” when he stepped up to my window, looked in the back of my Jeep, and said, “This is your car?” Duh, I thought, and then he said, “You live up there?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Everyone knows me.”
Then “dad” said, “We will come find you.”
Oh, really, I thought. Okay, I’ve got two normal looking crazies coming up to find me. R-i-i-i-ght. Past a locked gate, 4 guard dogs, and to back it all up, a .357 S&W? I don’t think so.

Just a normal Saturday night in wild fire land. I just normally avoid these situations.

Citizen Fire Watch

I really hate that I have to “patrol” my area for yahoos, but I am beginning to realize it is part and parcel of living up here, and if I don’t want to face a fire this year, I have to keep an eye on the yahoos. I had several opportunities today.

First, I headed down the hill, and spotted this:

I was only mildly upset, because they had driven through my favorite meadow, and totally screwed up the wildflowers for next year, despite the signs.

And then I saw this – look into the center, and see the hatchet and wood for a fire.

Then I had to stop and tell them that a fire was a no-no, and what the consequences would be. I also stopped by the USFS, and showed them the photos. They promised to go up and speak with the campers, and I am sure they did. Thank you USFS!

Even though they were still camped in the meadow, they did not have any evidence of wood and hatchets, around. But that is not the end of the story of Citizen Fire Watch. More tomorrow.

Illegal Campfire #2 on Plaskett

I started to post a comment to yesterday’s post, but thought that in fact this should probably be a new post.

The current maximum fine for an illegal campfire is $5,000.00. Whether it is imposed, or how much is imposed, is quite another thing. From the order banning campfires in LPNF on June 26, 2010 until the rains: “A violation of these prohibitions is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 USC 551 and 18 USC 3559, 3571, and 3581.” In other words, it is a federal misdemeanor. A criminal act. You can read the entire order here:

Yesterday’s illegal campfire was in the exact same spot I posted at my “How not to build a campfire” which is here: it is the second fire ring, behind the grass up against the bushes.

What is distressing about these campfires is that they are below the only really populated area on Plaskett. Lots of structures. Fortunately, that portion of the road is often in the fog, and is regularly traveled by locals, and so fires there are usually caught in time to report them before they run amok.

Today, a friend found yet ANOTHER illegal campfire only a few hundred yards away from yesterday’s camp fire!! He reported it to the USFS. Now, if they actually fined these people the maximum (probably not, unless they have a history) that $10K could pay for some much needed work and/or equipment to actually prevent this sort of behavior. I would love to see tickets or arrests made for each and every illegal campfire, particularly where as here, the offenders are immediately caught. Until the current codes are enforced, regularly, the behavior will not stop.

Come on USFS. You can make some money here. Stop treating these people as lost, clueless souls, and treat them as the danger they really are.

Illegal Campfire on Plaskett Ridge Rd.

I was turning onto Plaskett Ridge Rd. from South Coast Ridge Rd. late this afternoon, when my phone announced a new voicemail. I had apparently been out-of-range, and was just receiving it.

Fortunately, there were TWO voice messages from a friend on another ridge. The first informed me of a fire on Plaskett Ridge, and asked for information. That got the adrenaline going.

The second, from the same friend, said it was an illegal campfire and it was caught and immediately put out. It included an apology for causing my heart attack with the first message.

I confirmed with my one and only neighbor the illegal campfire, but he added it had knocked two trees down, which the USFS was clearing. Whew! Going to be a hot summer for me on the ridge, in more ways than one! It makes absolutely no sense what-so-ever to have a campfire up here when the mercury is hovering around 100 for days on end.

Kinda glad I didn’t get home until all the shouting was over.

7/16/10 Fires

BTW, I changed the title of this post, as there are so many small fires starting today. Most, if not all of them, are small and are being controlled quickly.

12:30 pm – WildCAD is reporting a new wild fire in Stoney Valley on Ft. Hunter Leggitt. That is mostly grass, so probably not a problem, unless winds pick up this afternoon. Although temps over 100 degrees may be a factor.

3:00 pm – Vegetation fire at the Dairy Creek Golf Course on HWY 1 between San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay. Dairy IC reporting 5 acres, rapid rate of spread, wind driven. Ordered some aircraft. Full response to Dairy Creek Golf Course of Hwy 1 near CMC [Calif Men’s Colony, State Prison]. 3403 reporting 5 acres rapid ROS wind driven up slope. Limited access through course. Potential for 150.

3:00 pm – The Bear Fire is under control, per my reliable information. There was another one at Arroyo Seco and Carmel Valley Rd., but that one was also controlled by multiple AA and helios and ff units.

Weather was reporting lightning strikes moving north today, but so far nothing on the coast. Don’t know the cause of the 4 fires above.

As of 3 pm it is reported that: “2100+ strikes in the last 8 hours, most of them in California. Strongest cells are moving NE into NV.” Rain has been reported with these strikes, as well.