07/16/2010 10:36 LPF-2134 Bear Wildfire Training area 27 FHL. Sam Jones Rd and Bear Trap Loop. 1/4 acre veg fire in training area 27. One source of mine says there is a CAL FIRE plane, but that report has not been verified.
I am off the mountain for a day, in Big Sur Valley meeting with a number of people for a number of things. I am hoping this one gets caught early and small!
UPDATE – As of 7 am this morning, July 13th, KSBY is reporting the fire at 450 acres and 80% contained.
This afternoon, a wildfire broke out near Cuyama on Highwy 166 near Wasioja Rd. By 4:30 pm this afternoon, it had scorched around 100 acres and it is estimated to be approximately 50% contained. While some structures, mostly outbuildings and ranch homes, are threatened, no evacuations have yet been ordered. Santa Barbara County, San Luis Obispo County, CAL FIRE, and LPNF have all sent resources to the fire.
This photo is from KSBY in San Luis Obispo.
Here is a great link for scanner for SB fire covering the Highway 166 fire, although law enforcement is also mixed in: 166 fire scanner
There is a slight smoky inversion layer in front of Cone Peak that I can see from my desk. It cannot be coming from the Highway 166 fire, and I am unaware of anything else that could be contributing to the layer, other than if it is left-over smoke from the Los Bueyes Fire four days ago.
5:30 pm – so many small fires – wildfires, illegal campfires or backyard burns, vehicle fires – on LPNF today, impossible to keep up. Anything gets beyond the small category, and I’ll follow up for you.
3:00 pm – just found a great fire predictive services podcast for Central and South California for today and next week. You can view it here: fire predictive podcast
11:00 am – IHC teams from Arroyo Grande being sent to the Chester Fire, which LPF WildCAD gives a start time of around 7:30 am. No info on the Navajo Fire. Storm moving over California Valley and into the Southern Sierras, with possible rain and lightning. One lightning strike hit in Southern Monterey County about 8 am, per NOAA.
Around 4:30 am, a series of lightning strikes were recorded in eastern SLO Co.
LPF WildCAD is reporting a fire SE of La Panza named “Chester.” WLF is reporting two fires, the other Navajo. Both are reportedly small, but with difficult access and no road access. I cannot see any smoke at this time, but do see lots of high clouds SE of me.
There WAS a fire above Ripplewood last night. About an acre and 1/2. Still under investigation. It is called the Hartman fire, after the owner, but it was earlier misidentified as the Ripple Fire on WLF. Initial indications are it might have been an illegal campfire.
So, yesterday was a busy day – the Los Bueyes started around 2:15; the Gorda Fire (south of Gorda) around 3 pm, and the Hartman around 5 pm. All picked up quickly, the Los Bueyes lasting the longest.
7:30 am – I see little smoke this am, and see no activity on the various report pages, so it appears as if this one has been picked up. If I get additional information, I will post here. (Note the spelling of the incident name has been corrected.)
11:00 pm – per WLF: “This was a control burn that escaped. There was a S/T 9340C from SLU training when it occured.
As of 2030hrs, fire was reported at 50 Acres and 40% contained.
Correct spelling for this incident is Los Bueyes.”
9:30 pm – as of this time, these are the resources assigned to this fire: LPF resources Assigned to this fire are
Divs-1
BC-11, 12
Eng: 16, 19, 31, 35, 37
Crew 3 Arroyo Grande IHC, 4 Los Padres IHC
Heli-527, 528, 530
WT-3
PT-19, 38
These are LPF resources only. Not Ft. H-L or Cal-Fire, which are both also on scene. What this tells me, and this is just intelligent guess work on my part, is that this fire is in or moving toward the LPNF. Based on the smoke drift shot I posted earlier, I would venture to speculate that the fire is moving in a westwardly direction. This one is going to bear watching over the next few days.
7:45 pm – Boillos Fire smoke drift from my front door. This is shot facing south, and Ft. Hunter-Liggett is to the left, or east in this photo.
6:45 pm – took a quick trip out back to South Coast Ridge Rd. and in the short amount of time I was gone, the visible smoke from my place markedly increased. The photo I am posting was before the increase in smoke. BTW, all of that grey dark stuff is smoke. It is clear blue skies in all the other directions.
5:30 – two more helios assigned, bring it up to 4 AA and 4 Hs.
4:45 pm – two more AA sent. This is the approximate location on base:
And here is a zoomed out version. The blue push pin is my location, about 6 miles due west of the fire.
3:45 pm – Controlled burn on Ft. Hunter-Liggett started at 10 am this morning appears to have escaped around 2:15 pm, per LPF WildCAD. I have been hearing and seeing planes overhead about an hour or two ago, about the time that LPF WildCAD reports the incident as Los Boillos Wildfire. Trying to get more information as to size and direction. I can see a lot of smoke from here, but no column. I may have to go out back to look. wildlandfire is reporting: “Aircraft in route from Paso.
75 acres in heavy brush.
Eratic fire behavior”
There are two AA tankers on scene and a helo. Neither LPNF office in King City nor the Ft. H-L PIO know anything at this time. Ft. H-L PIO is investigating and getting back to me with direction and ROS.
PIO for Ft. H-L called back and informed me it is still quite a ways away from me, but had no size or ROS or direction of spread to share. It is in training area 19.
So far, this year, these fires are being attacked early and agressively, and it may be out before I go to bed. Hoping, anyway.
I just investigated a wildfire a couple miles south of Gorda, but that one has been controlled.
On June 26, 2010, the Goleta office of the Los Padres National Forest issued its 2010 Fire Restrictions order. NO OPEN CAMPFIRES ALLOWED in the National Forest, outside designated, developed campsites, like Plaskett and Kirk Creek. YAY!!
Here is the order issued:
ORDER NO. 10-3-5100-3
FIRE USE RESTRICTIONS
LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST
Pursuant to 16 USC 551 and 36 CFR 261.50(a), and to provide for public safety and protect natural resources, the following acts are prohibited within the Los Padres National Forest. This Order is effective from June 26, 2010, through the end of the official 2010 fire season.
1. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire, except in the designated Campfire Use Sites listed in Exhibit A. 36 CFR 261.52(a).
2. Smoking, except in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material. 36 CFR 261.52(d).
3. Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order. 36 CFR 261.52(j).
Pursuant to 36 CFR 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order.
1. Persons with a permit from the Forest Service specifically authorizing the otherwise prohibited act or omission.
2. Persons with a valid California Campfire Permit are not exempt from the prohibitions listed above. However, persons with a valid California Campfire Permit may use portable lanterns or stoves using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel outside of a designated Campfire Use Site.
3. Any Federal, State or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of an official duty.
These prohibitions are in addition to the general prohibitions in 36 CFR Part 261, Subpart A.
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.
Done at Goleta, California this 25th day of June, 2010.
/s/ Peggy Hernandez
Peggy Hernandez
Forest Supervisor
Los Padres National Forest
Happened upon this a week ago, and it is a great example of what NOT to do when building a campfire. Note the nearby tall, dry, grasses? At least it is not under a tree or in the bushes. I have examples of those, too, which I will add when possible.
Here’s another one, in the grasses, too close to the bushes.
And just to give my readers an idea about the fuel load and fuel ladders here, here are some photos I took 2 days before the Plaskett Fire:
And a closer look:
Finally,
This morning, I received a phone call from Sherry Tune, District Ranger of the Monterey District of the Los Padres National Forest. She informed me that the District Office of the LPNF has decided to make stimulus monies available to the Monterey District under the American Recovery and Rehabilitation Act for road repair and maintenance. There are a number of roads which will become more accessible for fire fighting in the near future.
A full report of the roads and work to be performed will be released next week, with schedules specific to the various areas to follow as it becomes available. But included (this list is preliminary, not exhaustive) on the list of roads are: Arroyo Seco, Alm’s Ridge, Plaskett Ridge, and Botcher’s Gap.
I will keep my readers informed, as additional information becomes available.
So, today, Wednesday, June 23, 2010, I reached the highway, and around 2:30 pm, I see two USFS trucks heading south with lights flashing. Okay, they passed Plaskett, so it is not near my house. I head north for a meeting with the Big Sur Ladies (more tomorrow). A few miles south of Esalen, I see another USFS headed south. Okay. I’ve got my laptop with me, and heading for Fernwood, I’ll get online then, and find out what is happening.
I log in. There is a vehicle fire, 2 miles north of the County LIne. Okay. No reason to turn around and head home. Around 3:30, I find out it has turned into a vegetation fire at Salmon Creek. Okay, still no reason to turn around and go home. By 4:00 pm, the fire is reported under control. Okay, now I can relax and enjoy my afternoon and evening with the Ladies of the Sur. Whew.
From now until first rains, all my plans are subject to cancellation due to fire conditions. That is the life I lead during fire season.
Two years ago I was offered an official press pass. I did not think it was necessary. This year, I am going to obtain one. I don’t want to have a hassle if I need to cover a fire in my area. I do my damnedest to stay out of the way, and will continue to do so, but sometimes, citizen reporters, like bigsurkate, are the ones most available and accessible to local breaking news, particularly fires.
