Category: Fire Season

New & Improved Inciweb

Getting ready for the 2018 fire season? Beside weed whacking and brush clearance, you might want to bookmark this site – of course, it is on my blog in the right column, also. It is really cool. Go check it out BEFORE you need it. There is a wildfire in Shasta/Trinity called the Grape. Only a couple hundred acres and 30% contained, but this will show you what the site is like!

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

Use the map or search bar to locate wildland fire and other natural resource incidents. Click a marker on the map and use the “Go to Incident” button for detailed information. From the incident page you can access announcements, closures, news, maps, and photographs from the menu below the map (on mobile phones tap the menu button).

The redesigned site has a modern layout and can be viewed from your phone, computer, or tablet.

Map options:
Cog Icon for map settingsChange map properties
Location IconFind your current location
Back arrow icon for resetting mapReset map position

Fire Season in MoCo is off and running, 4/26/18

CAL FIRE NEWS RELEASE
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
San Benito-Monterey Unit
CONTACT: John Spooner RELEASE
Duty Information Officer DATE: April 26, 2018
Vegetation Fire near Parkfield (Monterey County)
Parkfield, CA – At approximately 2:00 p.m. this afternoon CAL FIRE responded to a vegetation fire near the intersection of Slacks Canyon Road and Vineyard Canyon Road, about 5 miles northwest of Parkfield (Monterey County). CAL FIRE responded with a Battalion Chief, a helicopter, four fire engines, a hand crew and a fire investigator.
On arrival, firefighters found a burn pile that had escaped into surrounding vegetation. The fire was contained at 2:42 p.m. at 2 acres, but due to heavy mop- up of the fire, it was not controlled until 6:21 p.m.
CAL FIRE wants to remind the public that as we approach the end of the authorized burning period, wildland fire fuels become more receptive to ignition. Greater care and judgement must be exercised when conducting controlled burns. An escaped control burn could result in criminal charges and/or suppression cost recovery.
Who: What: When:
CAL FIRE
Vegetation Fire, 2 acres
April 26, 2018; Dispatched: 2:00 p.m.; Contained: 2:42 p.m.; Controlled: 6:21 p.m.
Slacks Canyon Road and Vineyard Road (Monterey County)
Where:

Arroyo Seco Duck Race

I could use a bit of help promoting the Duck Race… (Please check out the link for further information:
This benefits our local firehouse and will help pay for training staff and other such things. This is our main fundraiser. As you can see it’s locals getting together. Mad Otter Ale is supplying the beer, it’s chicken beans and corn on the cob, for $10.00 and a $5.00 donation for a “craft” beer. So for $20.00. you get fed, and two beers, which these days, is a good deal. Other non-alcoholic drinks will be available for purchase. There is a far better chance of winning the Duck Race than the California lottery.
If you could help spread the word…. it would be appreciated…
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Fire Season

The 2017 fire season was the nation’s costliest, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which houses the Forest Service. That agency’s annual budget is increasingly dedicated to suppressing and fighting wildland fires, as longer seasons and more destructive blazes require more resources. Millions of acres have burned in the West this year, mostly in California, Montana and Oregon. Some of the West’s biggest fires began in September, at a time when the fire season is typically waning. But by mid-September, California had declared the first of several states of emergency, when blazes threatened giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park. Nowhere were fires more intense than in Montana, where more than 1.2 million acres burned. In Oregon, the Eagle Creek Fire tore through the Columbia River Gorge. With long-term climate trends portending more frequent droughts, this kind of severe and expensive fire season is more likely to become the norm. According to the National Interagency Fire Center’s most recent wildfire potential outlook report, it’s not over, either: Southern California should see higher than normal wildfire activity well into 2018.

For the rest of this article, and to see the statistics go to:

https://www.hcn.org/issues/49.21/infographic-why-western-wildfires-are-getting-more-expensive

Getting ready to make the switchover from winter weather watching to summer fire season. I will be leaving my weather links up for a bit, yet, but wildfires are happening in So Cal and in Colorado and other states a bit early this year, so will be adding in a few of those links as well.

 

Gilroy Brush Fire, Hecker Pass & Burchell

First fire of the season that *I* have reported on. Had to add a new category: 2018 Fire Season. Sigh…

Incident: 00232 Type: Provide Traffic Control Location: 2280 Sr152 Loc Desc: Hecker Pass Hwy Lat/Lon: 37.011838 -121.615660
Detail Information
3:52 PM 10 [30] B23-056 WITH FIRE AT 152/BURCHELL
3:44 PM 9 [28] [Notification] [CHP]-GPD ADVSD FIRE REQ CHP MOVE TO HECKER X BURCHELL
3:37 PM 8 [26] GPD REQ CHP AT WB 152 AT BURCHELL TO DIVERT TRAFFIC ONTO BURCHELL
3:31 PM 7 [24] 56B ON WB SIDE DOESNT SEE GPD UNITS // 2280 SR 152 IFO CIENEGA FLOWERS
2:54 PM 6 [1] TREE DOWN / LINES DOWN / ONE ACRE ON FIRE
2:47 PM 5 [14] [Appended, 14:58:26] [11] [Notification] [CHP]-PER ANOTHER CALLER/ FIRE 1097 JUST NOW
2:46 PM 4 [12] [Appended, 14:58:26] [9] GILROY FIRE AND CDF ENRT
2:46 PM 3 [11] [Appended, 14:58:26] [8] FIRE STARTED
2:42 PM 2 [5] [Appended, 14:58:26] [2] 1039 GFD
2:41 PM 1 [4] [Appended, 14:58:26] [1] FIRE STARTING

LPNF releases cause of Whittier Fire, 2/5/18

Los Padres releases cause of the Whittier Fire

GOLETA, Calif. — Los Padres National Forest officials today announced the investigation into the cause of the Whittier Fire has been completed. The investigation determined that a passenger vehicle driving through tall grass on the hillside above Camp Whittier ignited the fire.

No criminal charges have been filed. Due to the age of the driver, no additional details of the investigation will be made public at this time.

The Whittier Fire broke out July 8 on Bureau of Reclamation land and quickly spread onto National Forest System lands on the Santa Barbara Ranger District. The fire burned 18,430 acres before being fully contained on October 5, although the fire did not increase in size after July 20.

Fire on Willow Creek?

I have gotten several calls, but I cannot see anything from here. Matt Harris called and I spoke with him moments after the Cal-Fire spotter plane made a pass right over me. It is still in the area making passes. It is very windy. This was on Wild-CAD:

01/03/2018 15:44 LPF-42
WILLOW Smoke Check Hwy 1 and Willow Creek . BC12LPF DOZ4LPF E16LPF 4X4 E18LPF E31LPF 4X4 E335LPF E65MDF HEL530LPF . . 0.1 35.8966, -121.4307

I will post more if I get any additional information.

Per scanner, the Cal Fire spotter plane was UTL, so Big Sur Fire cancelled its response.

 

Thomas Fire Progression Maps, 12/5/17-12/18/17

This really tells the story in such graphic format. The next two quiet days are crucial to getting a handle on this monster before the winds return on Weds. Stay safe out there, all.

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Injured firefighter flown out of Thomas Fire, 12/17/17

From KSBTY:

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Flown out of Rose Valley. Tried to link to story, but couldn’t. Go to KSBY.com