Tonight, we bid adieu to the Chalk Fire. I do not know what the “official” stance is, but for the South Coast of Big Sur, it is over. We were very blessed in so many ways. As I have said before, we did not lose any houses, all injuries to firefighters were relatively minor, as far as I know, and the weather was our best friend. The men and women who fought this fire gave it their all, and their all was more than enough. Their family and friends should be very proud of these young men and women. We are. Neighbors and friends came together in phenomenal ways. It is our strength. The dance of this fire is the stuff of legends, and it will be told to those who can hear.

This fire was different than the Basin Fire. There is not enough bandwidth for me to recount the ways. We are a smaller community, and a tighter community. As Mary said, we have lived together for 20 years or more, and helped to raise each other’s children. As I say, we are the way Big Sur “used” to be. In Big Sur “proper” there are still pockets and enclaves, but it is not as it was. Money has moved in. Town has moved in, and with all that, the values have changed. Not so here.

Personally, I have many, many people to thank for their input, advice, geographical corrections (there were many!) and support. If I list names, I am sure to forget someone. And some, wished to remain anonymous, which I have always respected. But rest assured, I will never forget. It is because of so many of you that this site was often more accurate than the “official” information.

And now, a personal note: this blog came about as a result of the Basin Fire, so it was already in existence when it was needed here. I am blessed to live on the “Top of the World” with forever views, 24/7 cell phone reception, and 24/7 internet, unlike most of my neighbors. This position and access is what made me feel I had a responsibility to my community. I feel blessed to have had a useful role. I hope I have fulfilled my obligation. We all contributed, in ways we could, and that is what makes the South Coast of Big Sur so unique. There are so many people who contributed to this event. Most will never seek acknowlegment, but we know who you are, especially me. The midnight food, gas, supplies runs that came through my front yard were too numerous to count. They did not ASK what was needed. They knew, and they brought. There were dozens of heros in this story, in this small community. People ask me how I can practice law here; how I can live so isolated. This is why. There is a sense of community here that exists no where else I have ever lived. After 23 years in Big Sur, 19 of them here on the South Coast, I am home. I am accepted. I am loved and I love. This is community. This is home.

This is the last “official” evening summary:
Tuesday October 7, 2008, 8:00 PM

Goleta Fire Information Center: 805-961-5770 (8am-8pm)

Fire information online: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/1551/

Fire Statistics

Acres burned: 11,189

Miles of fireline to build: 13

Date started: 9/27/08 (evening)

Percent contained: 69%

Expected containment: 10/17/2008

Firefighter injuries to date: 13

Structures threatened: 9 residences; 15 outbuildings

Structures destroyed: 0

Suppression cost to date: $11.9 million

Firefighting Resources

Crews: 26

Engines: 61

Helicopters: 10

Air tankers: 2

Dozers: 7

Total personnel assigned: 1,322

Current Status: The fire activity was very low today. Crews continued to hold and improve lines in all divisions of the fire. Firefighters rappelled from helicopters on the east flank of the fire and constructed hand line where possible. Tonight crews will work along the southern section of the fire to the east of South Coast Road and Prewitt Ridge to extinguish some interior hot spots. Firefighter safety and structure protection remain top priorities.

Evacuations: There are no Evacuation Warnings. An EVACUATION WATCH is in place for residents in the following areas: the immediate fire area west of Chalk Peak and South Coast Ridge Road (Alms Ridge, Dempsey Flats and Prewitt Ridge areas), Lucia, Mill Creek, Hare Creek and Limekiln State Park. Persons issued this notice are not required to evacuate but should be prepared to evacuate should an Evacuation Warning be issued.

Highway, Road and Area Closures: Hwy 1 is open, but subject to traffic delays up to 20 minutes. Vehicles must travel slowly and watch for debris and emergency equipment and crews. Nacimiento-Fergusson Rd is closed. South Coast Ridge Rd is closed from Nacimiento-Fergusson Rd to Willow Creek Rd. Limekiln State Park is closed. Mill Creek Day Use area is closed due to emergency equipment in the area.

Weather: Temperature 70 degrees; relative humidity 13%; northeast wind 5-10 mph.

Agencies: This incident is being managed under Unified Command with the U.S. Forest Service and Fort Hunter Liggett. The Incident Command Post is at Fort Hunter Liggett. Media access to Fort Hunter Liggett is restricted. Contact the Goleta Fire Information Center for assistance.

NOTICE: This will be the last evening update for the Chalk Fire. Starting Wednesday, October 8, there will be one update per day, issued at approximately 8:00 a.m. The Information Center will be staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily; a recorded update will be available after hours. Inciweb will be updated twice daily.

Picture of Chalk Fire Perimeter – 10/07/08

Chalk Fire Perimeter – 10/07/08
Credit: USFS

view pictures || view maps
Basic Information
Incident Type Wildland Fire
Cause Under Investigation
Date of Origin Saturday September 27th, 2008 aprox 07:30 PM
Location 22 mi southwest of King City, CA
Incident Commander Jim Smith / Alan Courier
Current Situation
Total Personnel 1,322
Size 11,189 acres
Percent Contained 69%
Estimated Containment Date Friday October 17th, 2008 aprox 06:00 PM
Fuels Involved

4 Chaparral (6 Feet) Large volume of dead and down material in fire fuel bed. Oak woodland and pockets of timber.
Fire Behavior

Smoldering with some down dead and snags openly burning.
Significant Events

Crews began fire suppression rehab in addition to continued mop-up. Weather conditions transitioning back to warmer dryer conditions over the fire area.
Outlook
Planed Actions

Current efforts focus on containment of northwest and southeast corners. Continued mop-up on west and southwest flank. Crews continue the arduous task of seeking opportunities for direct line construction.
Growth Potential

Medium
Terrain Difficulty

Extreme
Remarks

Unified command of the fire will end at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 8. Good progress constructing direct fire line on large fingers, continues in extremely steep rugged terrain, making overall containment a slow process.

Tomorrow, I will switch from the Chalk Fire to the Jade Festival countdown.

LOCAL UPDATES FOR TODAY: Heavy rehab at Prewitt/Alm’s Ridge area, so getting in or out may be difficult, if not impossible today. Also, I encountered a grader between Plaskett & McKern Rd. and could not get around, so I just came home. (Remind me to tell you this story OFF line!!) Also got an email from Geri. N-F Rd is closed, EVEN to locals! She got out, says it is not bad, but they won’t let her come back through, so she has to drive all the way around through Monterey from the Salinas Valley to get home from work!!

MORNING UPDATE: Still dark. Still quiet. No more midnight or 6 am traffic, thank goodness. Sleep comes easier. I’ll be taking a run to the back to check on the road work that has been done over the past two days and the fire on the east, and will report back before I leave for town today, along with acreage and containment figures. Maybe a photo or two.

Only two days to finish preparations for the Jade Festival. I have two friends that have heeded my calls for help — to bring all the little things I am likely to forget this year. Mollie and Mary, thank you both.

Oh, yeah, Pendoodles (see comment below) such a Peaceful, Easy Feelin’

Today’s inciweb report is EXACTLY the same as last night’s. No change in acreage, personnel, containment, and planned actions, and it just posted 5 mins. ago. Let’s see if this is a mistake and a new one is issued soon.

9 am- a new summary just issued. Still no change in acreage, personnel, or containment, but for today, this is the plan: “The fire activity overnight was very limited. Today crews will continue to hold and improve lines in all divisions of the fire. Firefighters have done remarkable work in extremely steep and rugged terrain and now have the upper hand with 67% containment. There are still sections of open line and crews will concentrate on those areas building direct line where possible. Firefighters will monitor the general fire area to address hot spots. The weather is returning to a warmer and drier pattern. Firefighter safety and structure protection remain top priorities.”

I agree. Firefighters HAVE done a remarkable job. If you see a firefighter, where ever you are on this planet of ours, would you tell them, “bigsurkate says, Thank you?”

I’ll post more this evening. No mid-day report. Have a good day, everyone, and while we are 99% certain the Jade Festival will be happening, the USFS is expected to give us the formal go-ahead by noon, saying, “No news is good news.” I know this is going to seem obvious to most of you, but those coming, there are NO campfires, EVEN in the campground! Propane stoves, ONLY. No charcoal stoves!!

Scroll to the bottom of this post for the evening update.

7:30 am -This morning’s inciweb report indicates no gain in acreage, still sitting at 12,168, as I suspected after yesterday’s drive-about. Containment has doubled and is listed at 67%. “Current efforts focus on containment of northwest and southeast corners. Continued mop-up on west and southwest flank. Structure protection remains a priority.” Two injuries were reported from last night, one burn on the lower leg, and one from a falling tree branch. Both ff were treated and released from the hospital. The South Coast sends its wishes for a speedy recovery for both of you!

Please be safe, everyone. The ex and I experienced a “roll-out” on N-F Rd. yesterday. A flaming log had rolled onto the road. There are areas back in the black which are a little spooky, particularly along JP’s driverway, where burned trees could easily drop limbs, and smoldering stumps are quite evident throughout the black areas.

I will only be posting twice a day. This am as I collect any available information, and then again this evening. I will be getting back to my “real” job, starting today, day 10. I need a little crazy normalcy.

See a few photographs I posted on Chalk Fire, Night 9: a trip through the black zone.

PM UPDATE: Oops, sorry, I got distracted. Tonight’s report will be relatively short, as I am working with others, including those in the “black zone” on other projects. One, involves CPOA and another is more personal. I am preparing a DVD slide show set to music, of 75 of my fire photos, which I hope to have available at the Jade Festival on Friday. While the high winds could bring some challenges, we feel the USFS is supporting us in our efforts to go ahead with this festival. In 1996, we had to cancel the Jade Festival due to the “Wild” Fire.

Inciweb just updated, and the acreage is slightly reduced, at 11,189 and containment at 67%. The report also indicates: “Reduction in “fire line to build”, reflects a change in fire suppression tactics. Earlier in the fire, crews had to construct indirect line because of active burning conditions. As a result of the rain on Saturday, and its affect on fuel conditions, firefighters are now able to construct more direct line, closure to the fire’s actual perimeter. Reduction in “acres burned”, is the result of more accurate mapping by crews on the fires perimeter in the deeper drainages.”

Also, a grader came through today, after yesterday’s “brush out” to grade Plaskett, back to McKern, I am guessing. I could not go out to check, as he was working, and I CERTAINLY did NOT want to get in his way on this project! He only graded to the start of the dozer line down Home Ridge, so the lower portion of Plaskett Ridge Rd. is still the mess that it has been since the USFS last graded it in 2000 after the Plaskett II fire.

Life demands my attention, so I will probably do a short report tomorrow morning, then I have to run to town to take care of lawyer-like business. Then, I’ll be shifting into high gear to finish all my responsibilities regarding the 17th Annual Jade Festival!!

Hope to see and meet many of you then!
bigsurkate, signing off for the evening, early, for a change!!

bigsurkate, signing off for the evening.

Ah, today was a good day. I made the rounds. Saw much. Talked to many. Feel really good, while tired.

Tonight, I offer you some of the photos I took today. This first is iconoclastic. It is the sign for the Nacimiento USFS Fire Station, just before one reaches the summit. You will note that the sign is completely burnt through on the right side. There is a burnt tree behind it. This is on the south side of N-F Rd. The part that is burned off, used to say: “1/4 mile.” It is gone, now.

Here, we have a firefighter making his way up Alms/Prewitt Ridge Rd. He is swinging his shovel in front of him to maintain the rhythm of his pace. Most of the faces we saw in trucks, on hand crews, in equipment, were very tired. These guys and gals work so very hard, for long hours, to sleep in tents, eat MREs, and stay dirty for days and weeks on end. Not a job I would want! God bless you!!

This is on the north side of N-F Rd. There are whole areas that are denuded, like this one. I see slide problems this winter on both N-F Rd. and So. Coast Ridge Rd, particularly on Chalk Peak. I had a slide specialist with me, who confirmed my opinion. I have given my gate combos to Betty, Rocky, and Sarah. Make sure you have it, and carry it in your vehicle this winter, in case you need it.

Mother Nature and her critters informed me that She is okay. In one of the creeks on N-F Rd., the water was still running, and the fire had burned down to the banks on both sides, but it still flowed, and the critters still came to drink. I stopped to photograph the phenomena, and was gifted with a sighting of this doe, and her 2 almost grown fawns, which I photographed separately. Look at how she looks at me. Such a blessing amid all the devastation! Thank you, Mother Nature!!

There was a lot of helicopter action on the west side, near the highway. I was very fortunate to be able to capture some great shots — helicopters so close, you could ID the pilot, dipping water out of the ocean, and dropping on top of the ridge. It was very difficult to choose one that was representative of these efforts. I used a dart board to pick these two:

That’s Kirk Creek Campground in the background, and here is the drop:

And that, my friends, is tonight’s blog and photo offerings. Enjoy.

bigsurkate

6:30 am = Day 9? Groan… Initial visual and weather. Cold, clear, and no wind. I have my window to the world back, and cannot see any plumes, at the moment. I’ll check again in an hour or so, and see what is visible and where. I’ve GOT to have a couple cups of coffee, first. Inciweb should report a pretty quiet night.

7:00 am – NO increase in acreage last night!! Still sitting at 12,168 acres. Containment is 37%, and all mandatory evacuations have been LIFTED!! YAY!! Evacuation watches still in effect. Growth potential has been downgraded from the “high” it has been listed at for 8 days, to “medium” currently. CDF crews have gone home, but engines are still here, personnel is down to 1253. All good news on the home front!

Of course, weather is heating up during the course of the week, so we are not out of the woods, but I do think the worst is behind us, and that the Jade Festival will be able to proceed as planned! Make sure you drop by the SCCLT Main/Information booth at the “front” entrance by the flag pole and say, “Hi.”

9:30 am – here is your morning visual, ladies & gentlemen. Isn’t it the most gorgeous thing you have ever seen? NO plumes!!

That is Cone Peak on the right, and Twin Peak on the left. There are still a contingency of fire trucks parked at the top of Prewitt Ridge.

10:00 am – the ex just called, and wants to be my driver, so I can go out and catch some “after” shots. Sounds like a good way to spend the day, to me. Despite rumors to the contrary (what WOULD the South Coast be without its rumors?) the ex and I are NOT involved again. He just likes to drive, get out, check things out, and right now, I am a good excuse! He misses being on the road and in the middle of the action, now that he is retired. The dozers are coming through here in the next hour or two, and will be “brushing” out Plasket.

9:00 pm – Tonight’s update:
Chalk Fire Evening Update – Oct. 5

Fire Statistics
Acres burned: 12,168
Miles of fireline to build: 21
Date started: 9/27/08 (evening)
Percent contained: 37%
Expected containment: 10/17/2008
Firefighter injuries to date: 11
Structures threatened: 9 residences; 15 outbuildings
Structures destroyed: 0
Suppression cost to date: $9.697 million

Firefighting Resources
Crews: 22
Engines: 61
Helicopters: 10
Air tankers: 2
Dozers: 9
Total personnel assigned: 1,208

I will post more, when I know more, but I am probably going to take most of today off, coming back with reports around 4 pm. It IS a beautiful, sunny, Sunday! 😎

Ah, so peaceful today, and restful. I have not left, and cannot see, so tonight, I thought I would offer some photos I took that I have not yet had a chance to post.

But before I do, let me recount the salient details of tonight’s inciweb report. Personnel is decreasing, and acreage is increasing. The current stats released at 7:30 pm are:
Acres: 12,168 Personnel: 1,319 Containment: 30%
“Current efforts focus on containment of northwest corner and holding southwest flank. Structure protection remains a priority.” Huh, oh, guess I better go check this out tomorrow – both flanks.
At 8:30 pm, Kathleen Good, PIO, USFS, reports there are 21 miles of fire line to build. Hmmm. there were only 20 miles at the beginning of this fire. Interesting.

Here are some prior photos, with dates and places taken:

Taken Sept. 29, 2008 at 1:19 pm on South Coast Ridge Rd.

This was taken on Sept. 29, 2008 at 4:00 pm in my front yard. Ron was driving this dozer. He was here in 1996 and did most of the work setting up the southern dozer line along my property in the Wild Fire of 1996. Yeah, Ron!

Sept. 30, 2008, 7:00 am – Dawn – from my back deck.

The original “Big Blow Up” occurred in 1910 in Idaho. In it, Ed Pulaski (the inventor of the now famous firefighter tool) led 45 firefighters to safety by hiding out in an old mine shaft he knew about. This is a much smaller Chalk Peak version. It happened east of South Coast Ridge Rd. on Fort Hunter Liggett on Sept. 30, 2008 at 10:45 am.

These firefighters were on South Coast Ridge Rd. on Sept. 30, 2008 at noon.

This is a couple of USFS firefighters I found near the intersection of Prewitt/Alms Ridge and Coast Ridge Rd. on Sept. 30, 2008 around 12:15 pm.

Red Hats, Blue Hats. I saw white, yellow, green, red, and blue. As I understand it, each colored hat stands for a different national forest. Please correct me if I am wrong. This shot was taken Sept. 30. 2008 at 12:30 pm at the intersection of Prewitt/Alms Ridge and South Coast Ridge Rd.

Depending on what happens tomorrow, I have some additional bomber shots I would like to post tomorrow night. Connection seems much faster at night, making uploading photos much easier. Whether it is because of my broadband, the internet traffic on my blog, or the internet fairies, I haven’t a clue.

9:00 pm, and I am signing off for the evening. More updates tomorrow.
bigsurkate

7:00 am – Good morning, everyone!
Well, the rains did come last night, there is still a VERY light drizzle. My rain gauge indicates I received only 1/4″ up here in the mtns. Good for the Valley, as THIS will certainly not trigger any debris flows. Of course, it could have been higher in the mtns. further north. This ought to slow the fire down, at least.

Low clouds and mountain fog prevent me from seeing anything today. At least it is not smoke!

Oh, and XT’s theory re the flames last night are that they were at the top of Hare Creek.

7:30 am – just got a check-in from my friend, Debbie, in Big Sur Valley. They received LESS than a 1/2 inch. There has been NO change in the Big Sur River, so this rain was just right for up there. YAY!~!

Inciweb is reporting the fire is now up to 11,968, and 22% contained. It reports: “Dempsey Flat, Biere (Baird) property, Macaruby (the Noc) and Alms property (Peter, Katie, et al) have been removed from the list of areas/residences threatened by the fire.” Also, “The main containment effort continues on the west flank to protect structures and minimize impact to Highway 1. Current weather may hamper suppression efforts for the next 12 hours.” Inciweb reports 9 injuries in the last 12 hours from 3 traffic accidents, but ALL 9 firefighters have been released from the hospital. Thank goodness. All of us on the South Coast send you wishes for a speedy recovery, and our thanks for your sacrifices. The rest of you, please be safe!!

I got my first call from someone coming to the Jade Festival next weekend regarding the status of the road which is open, and Plaskett Creek Campground, which was open for business, both, as of last night at 6:00 pm. As we know, many people come up to a week in advance to guarantee a camping spot at Plaskett. As far as we know, the Jade Festival is continuing as planned, unless the fire changes behavior between now and next Friday.

8:00 am – It is raining, again, and there are erratic winds. Seems to be a decent rain, not just drizzle. All dogs have decided to come in. They don’t like getting wet! While I don’t mind, when it is warm, I do not like a cold rain, which this is, so I’ll be staying in. Probably no photos today, friends.

9:00 am – Yesterday’s 3 and 8 pm inciweb reports stated: “On the south side of the fire, crews completed burning operations along *Willow Creek Rd* and McKern Rd to improve existing line.”

This is an error on inciweb’s part, as I was back there last night between 5-6 and saw no evidence of this. All burnouts were north of McKern Rd. I drove 1 miles south on SC Ridge Rd. and took photos. If there were plumes in the Willow Creek area, I would have seen them and panicked. I did neither.

Also just got a note from Geri re local rumors re Plaskett. Electric Bill came through around 8:30 am. Stopped and talked to me. He reported NO problems with the road. As always, my gates are open to LOCALS and FIREFIGHTERS only. I love all you guys, and I want to make life easier, not harder on my neighbors and friends. Of course, when the fire is contained, and all dangers cease, I’ll go back to being the bitch that I am. 😉 This applies to LOCALS only (the road part – the bitch part applies to everyone.) Tourists and Looky-Loos are definitely not welcome. Don’t make me sic my four dogs on you!

10:00 am – The morning report has been corrected to show the burnout operation successful at McKern, north to the intersection w/ Prewitt/Alm’s Ridge Rd. Willow Creek has nothing to do with anything in relation to this fire. USFS is reporting Willow Creek Day Use area closed, but again, that is yet another error. Mill Creek day use area was closed as of last evening, but Willow Creek day use area was OPEN. Sorry, but the USFS is putting out inaccurate information. The burn out being listed south to Willow Creek was a serious one, the day use camp, a minor one, in my opinion. Can’t even count on google earth, who has Gorda where Pacific Valley is!! Jeez.

Remember, above all, stay safe, everyone!!

11:00 am – This is an email I got from Mary that she allowed me to share. it is so beautiful.
“hi Kate
thank you for being there giving me the update on the fire through all of this. I’m so glad I was never stopped in my efforts to bring in food and supplies. I actually made it home that night when all hell broke loose. I had no idea that it was a back burn that I was driving through. When I got home I was all ready to fight this dragon. My boys then informed me we were riding safe. The boys said that they saw the smoke coming up the ridge and were getting ready for the battle when out of the blue comes a bulldozer cutting a line all the way over to Peter and Katie’s. Then another bulldozer follows behind doing the same thing. The planes dropped a line of retardant just on our side of the double wide bulldozer line. Then just when I was driving up from the bottom of your road, that’s when they started the back fire. We were so grateful! At first our upper water tank was empty with no water coming in. Jesse got a trickle going finally but we needed water now! When I got home I saw the weirdest collection of water collectors the boys had filled at the lower spring and brought them to the upper property around the little cabin.When the back fire happened we did have 600 gallons in our tank, but it was just the boys and I. Once again the fire brigade was called off duty, just like our 96 fire. We were told firefighters would not come to defend our property but that they would do all that they possibly could to prevent the fire from coming over the ridge. They did just that. It was GREAT! Finally we got lucky. These firefighters really knew their stuff. Kate, I was so proud of both my sons during this time. Monte’s 8 years with CDF really paid off! Ruth could not believe no homes were lost and I told her this fire was different. This community have lived here with one another for 20 years or more. We have helped raise each others children, helped with projects on each others land and we are one large family. During this fire everyone stayed to defend their property. I was able to bring in supplies and we were able to help our neighbors. We also had someone at each structure that was knowledgable with fires, like CDF, etc… We worked together, what a concept! I wish people would know how amazing this fire was. Everyone on the Mill Creek side live in a heavily wooded area and they made it, with a little help from their friends. Thank goodness we have Alms Ridge above us. Once again Kate, I want to thank you for your part in helping inform friends and family of what was going on. You were an asset!
much love, Mary”

At some point, I would like to start a separate page for the Chalk Fire stories. Please, EVERYONE who lived and is living through this, please be thinking about your story, and what you would like to share, photos, to, if you have them. Not just the residents, but the firefighters, the pilots, the dozer operators, the volunteers, the supply runners, all of us. Write them up and email them to me, marked “Chalk Fire Stories” and I’ll begin the compilation of all the stories of the fires. When you send your story, I will assume it is for publication on the Chalk Fire Stories page, unless you tell me otherwise. Also, please indicate if you want me to edit it. I would like the stories to remain true to the teller, so I anticipate providing only minimal editing to the process.

5:30 pm – It has been blissfully quiet today, very little traffic through here, no bombers or helicopters, and I managed a nap, on top of a good night’s sleep last night. I can report little, as I cannot see through the clouds, and have really not felt up to driving to the back or down to the coast today. Tomorrow is another day, and hopefully, I will have my window to the coast back. Have a good, safe, and peaceful evening, everyone.

I’ll post more, when I know more, but I intend to slow it down a bit in the next few days, and reclaim my life outside this blog. 😉

7:20 pm – I don’t know where this is, other than out if front of Cone Peak. I’ve lightened the shadows, so you can see it is out in front of Cone Peak, south and east. I do not recognize the ridge in front of the fire, and it is not visible in the daytime version posted below.

Now, compare that to this daytime shot I took a couple days ago from almost the same perspective. You can see the same pine tree on the right hand side, and you can match up the “notch” on top of Prewitt.

Anyone out there able to help me identify EXACTLY where this fire is?

Inciweb is reporting only a small gain in acreage today, up to 10,659 acres. It also reports: “Majority of containment effort continues on the west flank to protect structures and to minimize impact to Hwy 1. Forecasted weather may hamper suppression efforts for next 12 hours.”

I just heard from the parent of the injured firefighter. I was told that he is home and doing fine, other than bruised and sore. They wish to thank all fire personnel for their quick response and assistance to their son. He posted his comment on Night 5, if you’d like to read it. So glad to hear it!!

That’s it, folks. Movie night.

4:30 am – I cringed when I typed Day 7. A week … a week that has been longer than any other. Sleep is hard to come by, not just to me, but to everyone I have seen or talked to. Sleep came to me at 11:30 pm, but the smell of smoke woke me at 2 am. Strangely, despite seeing all the smoke, I haven’t smelled it much up here. But early this morning, it was strong enough to wake me. Then, the cold woke me up, and I had to get my silk long-johns on. That’s a good thing. I love silk long-johns! I dreamed of rain this morning, too much rain. A blessing for us, but a nightmare for our neighbors to the north. Let’s hope it was just my anxieties working themselves out during the dream state. It is so quiet and peaceful at this time – no traffic, no bombers, no helicopters. I am tempted to stay awake and enjoy it. I think I will resist that temptation.

6:30 am – This morning’s visual is gray — completely gray. I cannot see across the canyon – either one. No Prewitt Ridge visible, no Willow Creek top visible. I cannot see anything. No wonder I woke to the smell of smoke at 2 am. It is everywhere. I’m in a gray-out, so have little to report, EXCEPT, officially, the fire is now at 10,073 acres, creeping south to containment lines. (WHICH southern containment line, I would like to know, there are at least three!!) We are still sitting at 20% containment. 32 homes threatened, and 45 outbuildings.

7:00 am – We do have cool temps in the upper 50’s and no wind of any sort, and reports are still indicating a storm this evening. One concern, of course, is erratic winds. Oh, and K.C., if you are reading this, E.Z. has been calling every morning at 7 am to check on things.

Inciweb actually issued an update at 7 am. I’m impressed! In addition to what I reported at 6:30 am, I would add this from inciweb: “Continue to construct and improve line, contingency line construction, structure protection. Continue to engage in direct attack where it can be done safely. The majority of work will be concentrated on the west and south flanks.” Expected containment, October 17th, a week later than originally reported.

Won’t be any air show today, unless the smoke blows out of here.

9:00 am – Just to bring some levity, here is this morning’s visual:

Can’t say I don’t call ’em like I see ’em. I TOLD you there is no visibility up here!!

9:30 am -Additional offical information re weather: “A Pacific storm will approach the area late this afternoon. As the cold front nears, winds will increase, shift to the west and southwest and become erratic in the canyons. Fire activity is expected to increase. Some rain is expected after midnight. Winds will shift back to the northwest as the front passes. NOTE: a rereading of the report indicates *19* miles of fireline to build. Yesterday, it was down to *9* What happened?

Also a note for visitors, the Pheiffer State Park is closing its campgrounds Monday morning, October 6, 2008, for the entire winter in anticipation of the winter storms. They are taking out two bridges to prevent debris flow damage. It is expected to re-open again for the Memorial Day weekend, if not before. The Lodge will remain open during this time.

10:20 am – BSVFB just came racing through here like a bat out of hell. Usually, they are respectful about raising huge dust clouds. I do not like the implication. Can’t see anything, so don’t know why they were in such a gawdawful hurry!

I can hear bombers, but I can’t see anything. How can they?

Here is an interesting operations map released by the USFS at 6:00 am. Note the detail of the dozer lines.

From the CHP page: 11:57AM 1039 27-S2
11:53AM TO SET UP FOR THE FLAMES GETTING CLOSE TO RDWAY
11:53AM BUT WILL BE CLOSING TRAFFIC TO ALLOW FIRE
11:53AM ALLOWING TRAFFIC TO GO THRU
11:52AM **CHALK FIRE**
11:52AM GETTING CLOSE TO HWY 1
11:51AM 1097 W/CALTRANS
11:51AM FOR FIRE
11:50AM CLOSING RDWAY INTERMITTENTLY 10 MINS AT A TIME
RESPONDING OFFICERS STATUS
11:50AM CHP Unit On Scene

Sorry, I am late getting this up. I am really beat. Was trying to rest. Note, there have been no updates on the CHP page since 11:57 am which says: 1039 27-S2 (It is code to me!)

5:00 pm – Just got back from a field trip to Highway One, and then back toward McKern Rd. with photos. Basically, it looks pretty good to me. The winds have picked up, and up here, at least, they seem to be coming out of the north.

This is pretty typical behavior of the fire I saw on Highway One, between Kirk Creek on the south and Limekiln on the north. There was a strong marine layer, cool and moist, and the fire was for the most part, creeping along the ground. It is right up to the pavement, in a few areas, but lots of crews, engines, water tenders, Cal-Trans, and CHP around. The next one, is a little less typical.

There were several instances of this type of fire behavior. All were at the top of the cliff face.

Back by McKern, things looked well under control. If anything, it may not have been burning as well as they would have liked. A caveat: I could not see the summit of McKern, up by South Coast Ridge Rd., however, I did not see any ominous plumes from that general direction.

6:00 pm – NOTICE; MODIS IS SHOWING A MYSTERY SPOT ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF PREWITT. I went and took visuals from two separate locations, and can see nothing, and no suspicious plumes. I also got ahold of PV Station, and they had seen the same MODIS spot, had checked it out, also nothing. One of MODIS’s infamous hallucinations, it looks like

Also, while out, I noticed that Plaskett Creek Campground was filing up for the weekend, and that Plaskett Ridge Rd. was still open to the public, so I called John Bradford, District Ranger. I actually reached him at the District Office. I said, “John, we have a problem.” “Oh?” “Yes, the campground is filling up for the weekend, and Plaskett Ridge Rd. is open. I will have to close my gates, if the public is allowed up here, and I’d really like to keep it open for the firefighters. So, if you agree that you want it open to firefighters, I suggest you close it to the public. You have a burn out going on in the back, and don’t want the public back there, anyway.” He agreed, and was to make some phone calls and pull last month’s barricade out of storage, or wherever it was. Thank you, John. I have to wonder, though, why did I have to be the one to think of this?

6:00 pm – Rich Phelphs, PIO, USFS just called, the sandwich boards are up, Plaskett is closed to the public.

I will post more when I know more.