Category: Fire Season

White Fire, Day 2

2:30 pm – from wildlandfire:
“The White Fire appears to be taking off based upon this image from the only live streaming webcam I have found of the fire: http://levi.maaia.com/live-weather-data/#cam

This is the first time today smoke has been visible from this view… it has changed rather dramatically fast… according to various reports the fixed-wing have been pulled off the fire due to high winds.”

From this morning’s inciweb:

Incidents > California > Los Padres National Forest > White Fire
White Fire

Approximate Location

34.543 latitude, -119.801 longitude
Map data ©2013 Google – Terms of Use
Hybrid
Terrain
Incident Overview

The White Fire started Monday, May 27, 2013 at approximately 2:45 pm. Currently the fire has burned 1,800 acres and is threatening 50 residence, 5 commerical properties and 50 outbuildings and other structures. The fire is 10% contained. Paradise Road was evacuated yesterday afternoon. According to Sheriff Department officials, two to three thousand people were evacuated. A structure protection group is in place along Paradise Road. There is a hard closure of Paradise Road starting at the Forest Service kiosk. Today there will be 6 air tankers, 2 air attacks and 4 helicopters conducting aerial attack. The fire went through Sage Hill Campground but the damage is unknown at this time. The fire also went through the Forest Service compound and damaged one building and one privately owned vehicle and destroyed another.
Cooperating agencies include: US Forest Service, Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara City, Carpinteria/Summerland Fire, Montecito Fire, Lompoc Fire, Santa Maria City Fire, Chumash Fire, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue, California Highway Patrol and the American Red Cross.
Resources currently assigned to the fire include: 13 crews, 45 engines, 4 dozers, 4 water tenders, 3 patrols and 80 overhead.

Basic Information
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Under Investigation
Date of Origin Monday May 27th, 2013 approx. 02:30 PM
Location Santa Barbara
Incident Commander Mark Nunez
Current Situation
Total Personnel 563
Size 1,800 acres
Percent Contained 10%
Estimated Containment Date Monday June 03rd, 2013 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved
Chaparral, grass, brush and oak trees
Fire Behavior
Fire remains active on the north and east flanks.
Significant Events
A closure remains in effect for Paradise Road and the lower Santa Ynez recreation area involving multiple trails and campgrounds.
Outlook
Planned Actions
Continue suppression and begin mop up.
Growth Potential
Extreme
Terrain Difficulty
Extreme
Remarks
California Central Coast Incident Team 7 (Nunez) will assume command of the incident at 6:00 am today. Red Cross Evacuation Center is set up at the Wake Center, located at 300 North Turnpike, Goleta, CA. Large animal shelter is set up at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, Santa Barbara, CA. There were approximately 1,000 day use visitors and campers evacuated yesterday. The evacuation remains in effect.
Current Weather
Wind Conditions 25 mph NE
Temperature 78-84 degrees
Humidity 28%
UNIT INFORMATION

Los Padres National Forest
U.S. Forest Service
6755 Hollister Avenue
Suite 150
Goleta, CA 93117
INCIDENT CONTACTS
Andrew Madsen
Phone: 805-895-0841 ext. 759
more contacts »
INCIDENT COOPERATORS
Montecito Fire Department
San Luis Obispo County Roads Dept.
Santa Barbara City Fire Department
Santa Barbara County Fire
Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Department

White Fire

8:30 pm – @KSBY: The #WhiteFire has now burned 1,000 acres. An estimated 4,000-6,000 people evacuated in Paradise Canyon.

8:00 pm – Wind Warning overnight …

“The conditions near the “White fire” off the 154 in Santa Barbara county look challenging overnight, the area is under a wind warning:

Low temp 47-51 deg, Max RH 70-75% then falling to 50-55% after midnight, North wind gusts up to 55 mph.” Dave Hovde, Meterologist

20130527-191806.jpg

Here is a photo posted by Cal Fire PIO, unknown photographer.

7:00 pm – already up to 700 acres. Fixed wing from Santa Maria ordered grounded due to erratic winds – the most dangerous conditions, along with low humidity.

IC just ordered “four additional heavy helicopters” for tomorrow.

Also, SB Fire Department reporting one USFS outbuilding and two vehicles – one USFS, one private – destroyed.
Also 6 AT’s to be over the fire at 0800

6:30 pm – There is a 500 acre fire down on Paradise Rd in Rural Santa Barbara and the Los Padres National Forest that I have been following this afternoon, and it looks like it is taking off. Reports are three structures burned, two vehicles, one private, one USFS. 50 structures threatened. White Rock Campground has been evacuated.

Controlled Burn at Fort Hunter Liggett

From one of my contacts

“…just got off the horn with the fire sta. …..the boys have got a control burn going on today…..so sounds like they started they’re control burn season….its out by san migieleto loop area….so expect to start seeing some smoke from the ligg for the next couple of weeks…..”

Oh, joy. FHL has a way of letting these things get away from them. Considering the fire restrictions imposed by LPNF, I am surprised they are doing it now, but I do know they will try to be careful. Anyway, heads up, South Coasters.

Cal Fire SLO responds to fire E of Cayucos

5:30update – up to 30 acres, but expect containment in 30 minutes. Lots of retardant being dropped, and looks like it is doing the job!

@CALFIRE_SLO: Responding to a wildland fire east of Cayucos off Cottontail Rd. 2 acres reported by CHP aircraft.

A source for bigsurkate reports two tankers out of Paso sent, and heard on scanner of one dozer. No additional at this time.

Fire spotting, early

Drove by the strangest sight, so turned around for photos. When I got in cell phone range, I reported it. Just as I was pulling into River Inn for Mother’s Day music on the river, I saw the CHP going south with lights.

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I can’t tell what they were burning, but it ain’t wood. Looked like a backpack, luggage, or some weird thing. Very odd. They didn’t even look up from the fire when I pulled in, either.

Thunder & Lightning in Nor Cal

report from Nor Cal – “[W]e are right in the middle of it at the Butte Co/Yuba Co. line, near Pike Co. Lookout. (Lat 39.4747; Long 121.2023) only a few drops of rain with the first round here, but lots of lightning and thunder.”

This same storm brings the possibility of thunder and lightning tomorrow to our area.

Also, first fire of season in LPNF, down by Highway 166. It is only 10 acres, contained on three sides, by pre-positioned USFS FF. Nice!

New Fires at Monterey/SLO Co line?

UPDATE: both local incidents contained. Tres Pinos final acreage was 400. On another note, Springs was up to 28,000 acres, PCH still closed, and a VLAT, the DC-10 is on tap for Saturday.

1:15 pm – Tres Pinos has jumped the road, now 100 acres and making a run.

1:00 pm – BEU is requesting diversion of aircraft from the Bradley incident to the Tres Pinos incident at Highway 25 where a 5 acres brushfire with a rapid ROS is threatening homes. BEU is the call sign for Monterey/San Benito Cal Fire.

12:30 pm – KION just tweeted of spot fires at the SLO/Monterey county line, and Cal Fire tweeted of diversion of resources from Springs Fire to SLO. Monterey Strike Team and a unit from Ft Hunter Leggett have responded to 20 small fires along Highway 101. Speculation is that it was probably someone pulling a trailer, dragging a chain.

Springs Wildfire

7:00 am – this Springs fire has now grown to 10,000 acres. There is another fire of similar size, the Panther fire up in Northern California. It started on May 1, but is not threatening any homes, so is getting a lot less media attention.

5:00 am – Overnight, this fire exploded to over 8,000 acres. PCH is closed at the LA/Ventura Co. Line. It has reached the great blue fire break and is traveling laterally. Over 1000 personnel are fighting this fire, and mandatory evacuations are in place in several areas. The wall of fire video taken during the night and shown on CBS’s National News was astounding. As XT asks, has a fire of this magnitude ever happened this early in the season before? Very spooky.

Fires in North, South, and Central CA

1 pm – Ventura Fire Captain on CBS 2 puts the acreage above 6500 and rapidly growing.

10 am – update Springs fire up to 2000 acres. Mandatory evacuations in place for a number of areas.

The Panther Fire started yesterday in Butte County up north and has grown to 1600 acres with 0% containment; the Summit Fire near Banning has burned 3,000 acres and is 35% contained. This morning, a fire started in Camarillo near the Ventura Freeway. It is at 100 acres now at 9 am, with a rapid rate of spread. So Cal is said to be in fire conditions normally found in August. Fire season is definitely upon us. Heads up, everyone!

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This is the Springs fire in Camarillo.