Category: 2013 Fire Season

Vegetation Fire at Garapatta Creek on east side of highway

From CHP:

29] 1039 CAL FIRE LINES 26-27 [Shared]
1:58 PM 12 [26] [Appended, 13:58:46] [1] PER OTHER JSO GARRAPATA BRIDGE / ON THE EAST SIDE [Shared]
1:57 PM 11 [20] [Appended, 13:58:21] [3] ON THE RHS [Shared]
1:57 PM 10 [19] [Appended, 13:58:21] [2] BRUSH FIRE [Shared]
1:57 PM 9 [17] [Notification] [CHP]-JSO GARRAPATA ON EAST SIDE OF HWY / SMALL FLAMES NEXT TO TELEPHONE POLE [Shared]
1:56 PM 8 [24] [Appended, 13:58:33] [2] FIRE / [Shared]
1:55 PM 7 [16] [Notification] [CHP]-35800 HWY PER RP DALTON [Shared]
1:53 PM 6 [6] [Notification] [CHP]-Problem changed from CFIRE-Car Fire to FIRE-Report of Fire by CHP
1:53 PM 5 [13] [Appended, 13:54:36] [7] TOT CALFIRE
1:52 PM 4 [4] 1039 MONTYCOM FOR EQUIP
1:52 PM 3 [10] [Appended, 13:54:36] [4] RP SAW IT ON THE RHS
1:52 PM 2 [3] NOW BRUSH FIRE \
1:51 PM 1 [7] [Appended, 13:54:36] [1] VEG FIRE STARTING

Also, this is a Good time to note NWS is keeping a close eye on a cut-off low off the Central Coast that could being the possibility of thunderstorms Sunday night through Weds. Looking outside here, it looks like it could start tonight! I am hoping this does not manifest. It is a very, very bad time anywhere in CA for lightning.

Fire FHL

image

This started yesterday around 2-3 pm, I’ve been watching it, but up until this am, I didn’t see any smoke. This morning, I saw white drift smoke in the canyon

Hey Kate ….the guy I talked to said its at 45 acres……they called some of the guys in on OT….it sounds like may be up by Milpitas airfield…that’s about 4 miles or so up from delventuri pond, its a big grass flat that the army copters use…..he said the dozers are working it but they can’t get into some of the steep stuff…..he said they do have a hose lay in on the steep stuff….so guess the fs hand crew punched a line in on the steep stuff…..also copter 406 out of beaver dam is working it to…..he said the winds are squirrelly an they have had a couple of spots but picked them up.

I have a photo of the drift, which I’ll tried to upload, but you know how that goes!

Smoke this morning

This morning, the fog is high and thick. I am above it which gives me the view. There is smoke on the north side of Cone Peak. I have called PV Station and notified them. I also called FHL to make sure they do not have a controlled burn going on. Nothing is reporting anywhere, yet, as I might be the reporting party. I cant tell exactly where it is, could be Arroyo Seco, could be any of those little campsites back there. Or maybe it is drifting down from another fire? FHL Fire thought it could be from Lake Havasu? i dont know. Funny, my son just sent me a bunch of maps of the area, as he was planning to hike it over the next few days. Will be keeping an eye on it this morning.

Could it be this? Smoke from an OR wildfire hit San Bruno last night. Are we seeing drift from that?

07/29/2013 09:33 LPF-2334 (New) Smoke Check CONE PK LO M . E16LPF 4X4 PAT17ALPF . . .

I have a couple of photos I’ll try to upload.

20130729-143952.jpg

Wild Fire, Santa Cruz

A small brush fire is being fought up behind the Scott’s Valley Sportsmen’s Club. Cal Fire helicoptered in a crew to the Santa Cruz Sentinel parking lot. Less than an acre at this point.

LPNF ELEVATES FIRE RESTRICTIONS

Los Padres National Forest Elevates Fire Restrictions

GOLETA, CA…Due to extremely dry vegetation and an increasing fire danger, Los Padres National Forest officials today announced that Level IV fire restrictions will go into effect beginning today, July 23, 2013. The following restrictions will be rigorously enforced until the end of the declared fire season:

Wood and charcoal fires are prohibited in all areas of Los Padres National Forest including designated Campfire Use sites; however persons with a valid California Campfire Permit are allowed to use portable stoves and lanterns using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel within the designated Campfire Use Sites only. California Campfire Permits are available for free download from the Los Padres National Forest website (http://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf). You must clear all flammable material for a distance of five feet in all directions from your camp stove, have a shovel available, and ensure that a responsible person attends the stove at all times when it is in use.

Recreational target shooting is prohibited in all areas of the National Forest unless specifically authorized by a special use permit with the Forest; however, hunting with a valid State of California hunting license during open hunting season is exempt from this restriction.

Smoking is prohibited in all areas of the national forest except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or designated Campfire Use Site.

Fireworks are prohibited at all times and in all locations within Los Padres National Forest.

Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order on roads and trails specifically designated for such use. (This restriction is in effect year-round.)

For further information regarding current conditions and safety tips, contact your nearest Forest Service office or visit the Los Padres National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf.

Tassajara Fire & weather

As most of you know, the Tassajara Fire is pretty much over. Yesterday, it was 217 acres and 90% contained, the last 10% has been inaccessible.

We have a monsoonal flow coming in from the south. Slight chance of rain and lightning, but very slight, NWS says for our area. Any lightning anticipated here or over the Sierras is expected to be “Wet” not dry. Winds last night were strong enough to displace my sun umbrella. Guess I’ll fold it up and put it away for the day.

From my perspective up here this am, light, fluffy clouds to the north of me, and dark, almost ominous, skies to the south.

Oh, and I could not get any photos of the rock shed Saturday to post here. It was socked in with fog on the coast.

Tassajara Fire, day two

1:00 pm – posted on wildlandfire, Cal Fire is being released, must not be any structure threats.

10:00 – acreage mapped at 169. 0% containment. Crews being flown in for direct attack. The smoke I have been watching all morning is quite dark. Still less than yesterday.

6:30 am – USFS is saying the forward motion of the fire has stopped, but it is still shaky. Today will tell the tale.

From here, the smoke is much less this am than it was last night.

Fire in Tassajara?

8:00 pm – the USFS lowered their estimate to 200-250 acres, per inciweb. If you know how to use inciweb, this is incident 3522.

5:00 pm – per USFS, 500 acres and 0% containment. I have a satellite map sent to me by
Kelly O’Brien of KUSP, and a resident of Jamesburg. It is about 1/3 of the way from the Zen Center to Chews Ridge, which is where my reader’s photo was taken. For perspective, itis about 12 miles due East of Big Sur’s Ventana Inn. IF my Internet ever cooperates tonight, I will get them up.

4:00 pm – major smoke visible behind Cone Peak. I have a photo, as well as a photo from a reader who is closer, but haven’t been able to either download or upload. Having trouble with my email, for some reason, natch. Not happy!

3:15 pm – smoke visible in Salinas Valley, per one commentator below. As he says, not a good sign.

2:45 pm – it is just north of the Zen Center and only 5 acres at this point, but trying to keep out of the river bed. If it gets into the river bed greater potential to spread, per Cal Fire. Aircraft are on it.

2:30 – LPNF WildCAD posted this, then stopped working at 1:38 –

07/17/2013 13:09 LPF-2176 Tassajara Smoke Check Tassajara Hot Springs . 7EDW1 BC11LPF CRW1LPF CRW4LPF DIV1LPF E16LPF 4X4 E17LPF E19LPF E338LPF 4X E37LPF E41LPF HEL527LPF HEL528LPF PAT17LPF F PAT18LPF F WT4LPF . . .

So the helicopters I heard might have been theirs. This indicates a “smoke check.” I have inquiries out, so will see what info I can get. As we are so aware, from the Basin Complex of 2008, Tassajara is Big Sur’s backyard.

2:00 pm – scanner traffic indicating a fire in Tassajara, and fire trucks from Big Sur seen heading out. I can hear helicopters, but don’t know if it is connected. Will continue to try to find additional Information.

Two Fires in last 1/2 hour

First, about 1/2 hour ago, at the corner of Templeton and Palomar, about 12 acres and 75% contained right now.

2nd one, just started, Highway One, just across from CMC. hopefully they will pick up this one fast, too. Downed power lines here.

Wildfire in Paso and a second near Bradley

5:00 pm – units being released from Adelaide both due to forward rate stopped, and resources needed for a fire off the 101 near Bradley. No further at this time on the MoCo fire.

2:30 pm – a wildfire at Adelaide and Vineyard, on the west side of Paso, about a mile past the cemetery started a bit ago. Four air tankers have already checked in at the Paso Airport, and numerous engines are either there or on their way. Originally estimated at 5 acres, but just reported at 60. Here is a photo taken by the initial A/A. I will continue to follow this this afternoon, but I am having Internet issues. I have a great overhead shot of this fire, but unable to upload at this time. Will continue to try throughout the evening.