Category: Fire Season

Wildfire in Santa Barbara County – Mesa Fire

3:30 pm – 200 acres being reported from several sources. Local KSBY weatherman reporting winds of 20 mph in fire area.

  
3:00 pm – Firefighters in Santa Barbara County are battling a 50-acre vegetation fire off of Burton Mesa Boulevard near La Purisima Mission just north of Lompoc.

Fire officials say the fire is spreading toward Cebada Canyon. Evacuations are in progress for people there. The mission has also been evacuated. 

It was reported at 50 acres with the potential to get much larger. I am gathering additional information and will post as it becomes available.

  

  

Be ever Vigilant

And …

06/27/2015 10:42 LPF-1774

ILLEGAL CAMPFIRE Wildfire 2 MI EAST NACIMENTO RD . . . . . 35.991 x 121.494

Yet another abandoned campfire. PLEASE people! This is an example of why some of us lose our patience with some tourists.

06/26/2015 17:07 LPF-1762

New Wildfire PREWITT RDG & CG M . . . . . 35.971 x 121.451

Upcoming and July 4th weekend weather

  From my SLO Weatherperson, “Asthe ridge remains entrenched, subtropical moisture will be  transported northward over most of California on Sunday into  Tuesday with increasing mid to high-level clouds and a potential for rain showers and thunderstorms. It will feel muggy in the inland areas, however, increasing northwesterly winds on Sunday  afternoon into Tuesday will keep the beaches and coastal valleys cooler. 

 The ridge will move off to the northwest late next week for gradually cooler temperatures over the 4th of July weekend.   

Parkhill Fire, SLO Co.

10:00 pm update:

I get a local SLO station (actually several) and they are giving breaking news update throughout the evening, and I expect a full-blown report on the 11 o’clock news. Last report was as below. 3 homes have burned, 300-400 evacuations in place, a large air resource request is in for tomorrow, beginning at 7 am. My girlfriends are coming in from other states for a reunion of Big Sur ladies tomorrow, so other than a quick check-in tomorrow am, I will be off duty until early evening, unless something actually breaks in Big Sur. For additional info on the Parkhill Fire, a great source is SLOStringer’s FB page. If you like him, you will get updates on FB.  He has some great photos and video. He’s the “bigsurkate” of SLO Co. 😉

7:30 pm – 

From wildlandfire:

“In-between 1,000-1,200 acres 0% containment, forward spread has slowed as weather changes. Evacs still in place. Has not crossed Park Hill. Hoping to get it tied in tonight.”

A report from someone in the area …

“Not sure what to say… this fire is serious. Approaching or over 1000 acres as of 6:00. I’m leaving the fire now and will post more information picture and videos soon. Mandatory evacuations are in place in the area and a lot of people are refusing tieing up precious resources. Help the FFs help you. Tons more equipment incoming. Should have more info up by 7:30PM then heading back out. Multiple structures have been lost, I watched 2 or 3 burn to the ground myself. Animals everywhere. Shelter at Margarita Elementary. Large animal rescue on scene.

I will not be replying to messages or comments for the next foreseeable future.”

7:30 pm, 1000 acres. Another photo from Twitter, this one taken in Oceano

  
photo taken from Twitter, taken in Templeton

  
7:00 pm – So far today, first a structure fire in Atascadero (California Manor), now controlled,  then a vegetation fire in Parkhill, east of Santa Margarita,  currently underway, and a structure fire in Paso Robles just broke out. Structure fully involved and quite a column being put up, visible from the airport. Keep an eye out.

The Parkhill fire is currently at 500 acres and 10% contained. It has 6 tankers and a heavy helio working it, as well as numerous ground crews. I’m just gathering all the details. It started this afternoon, but I was busy painting.

Oh, and as reported by the Herald, a car over the edge yesterday at Soberanes. 67 year-old woman was conscience when they got to her.

Plaskett Final Update … And a million

final count was 3.1 acres. FHL responded as well as LPF, and who knows who else. A WT came up around 10 pm to get 1500 gallons of water from my neighbors well. There was a transition to another IC at 7:45 am, but all indications are it was just a watchful eye needed for a bit. Was told we lucked out on this one. There was NO wind last night.

Sometime during the Plaskett Fire, bigsurkate reached the milestone of one million views. Appropriate on so many levels that it happened last night/this morning on this fire. Synchronicity. Thanks to all my loyal readers. I think it is going to be a long season for all of us. I’m calling this week to arrange for satellite internet. Can’t deal with the slowness and iffyness of this Verizon system of mine. I want photos, mine and others, to be involve ease of down and uploading. Still no plans for video as I am already paying enough for media storage on my blog.

Plaskett Fire

7:00 am-  Sun, 6/14, all quiet on Plaskett.

10:30 pm – no action thru here since 9. The IC is a man who was born here, and whom I’ve known since he was in … Well, elementary school. He is 3rd or 4th generation local. I can rest easy tonight. Oh, and his twin came thru on the Cal Fire truck. Doesn’t get any better. Thanks, You two! (I’d mention your names, but we all know who you are.) g’nite, all!

9:01- USFS Crew truck just came through.

8:27 Bombers on. Direct path overhead. Where’s my camera?

8:15 – Cal Fire just came through. They said a few acres. Bombers hitting it hard.

7:55 pm – sounds like the air show is starting! Yeah! Hope they can knock it down before dark!

7:45 pm – see last blog entry for beginning of this story.  I went down a bit to take a look, and got some photos. It’s going good, but it’s funny, as I knew it would happen as I saw a camp fire smoking at 10:30 am on my way to the muster. I told Ryan Webster of the PV Station about it at the muster, and described the campsite, the 7 or so trucks, 1/2 dozen dirt bikes, etc. AAND the photos I took! So when they got the report, he knew EXACTLY where it was. I took some photos and will try to post, but I’ve not been having much luck today.

06/13/2015 18:34 LPF-1609

P5 JSH4 (0507)

Plaskett Wildfire Plaskett Ridge Rd 3 miles up from Hwy 1 . 7EDW1 BC12LPF D450 E15LPF 4X4 E19LPF PAT17LPF Q . . . 35.927 x 121.432

Wildfire

6:45 pm – about an 1/2 hour ago, I first noticed drift smoke between Prewitt Ridge and Cone Peak … Couldn’t tell where it was coming from. I now see drift between me and Willow Creek. More drift between Prewitt and Cone Peak. If I had to guess, I’d say from FHL. It is past my fur kids dinner time, so I did a quick search and found this … 

06/13/2015 18:34 LPF-1609

New Wildfire . . . . . . 35.927 x 121.432

Not to helpful, cuz every time I try to fit cordinates to a location, I end up in China! but it confirms what I can see. Let me deal with the dogs, and then I will make some calls, look at few sites, and let you know what I find.

Peanut Wildfire update

As of 9:00 am, Per FHL FD, the Peanut Fire is OUT. The young man had no information about whether the N-F Rd was open or closed at this time.

Reporter comment – there is still residual smoke in the area, but very foggy on the coast, so most people won’t notice.

Stoney Valley Wildfire (Peanut Wildfire)

Yesterday, I was busy, but I kept noticing what I thought might be smoke, and then last night, I thought I smelled it. I convinced myself it was really just clouds and fog, and the smell was my imagination. Then, this morning, at 2:30 am, I found myself awake, and listening to several very low flying planes, and so began to check my usual internet sites. Bingo. From yesterday: (don’t know that planes are connected, but at least they got me looking.)

“06/11/2015 12:16 FHL-1570

PF (1502)

P5ENOG 0507 Mutual Aid

PFJR83 1502 Additional Forest Resources. PEANUT Wildfire Naciemento Ferguson Road at Stony Valley . BC11LPF CRW4LPF CRW528LPF E15LPF 4X4 E17LPF E18LPF E319LPF E335LPF PAT17LPF Q (IC) SEXTON, BRIAN Effective 06/11/2015 Grass 700 (acres)”

And then a bit later, on wildlandfire: “Sounds like they’re going to do a large burn show to tie it in. 3000 acres is AFTER they burn.”

Chance of Thunderstorms?

  From my SLO Meterologist:

 “For today, an upper-level low-pressure system is drawing plenty of tropical moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Blanca northward  into the Central Coast. Widely scattered sprinkles or rain showers  will move into the Central Coast later this morning into tonight.

  There is also a chance of thunderstorms throughout the region  this afternoon. Thunderstorms with lightning activity are expected  to develop in the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi Mountains and perhaps in far Eastern San Luis Obispo County today. As the upper-level  low crosses the Central Coast during the overnight hours, there is potential for thunderstorms activity to continue through Wednesday morning.”

And from NWS, Monterey: