There WAS a fire above Ripplewood last night. About an acre and 1/2. Still under investigation. It is called the Hartman fire, after the owner, but it was earlier misidentified as the Ripple Fire on WLF. Initial indications are it might have been an illegal campfire.
So, yesterday was a busy day – the Los Bueyes started around 2:15; the Gorda Fire (south of Gorda) around 3 pm, and the Hartman around 5 pm. All picked up quickly, the Los Bueyes lasting the longest.
7:30 am – I see little smoke this am, and see no activity on the various report pages, so it appears as if this one has been picked up. If I get additional information, I will post here. (Note the spelling of the incident name has been corrected.)
11:00 pm – per WLF: “This was a control burn that escaped. There was a S/T 9340C from SLU training when it occured.
As of 2030hrs, fire was reported at 50 Acres and 40% contained.
Correct spelling for this incident is Los Bueyes.”
9:30 pm – as of this time, these are the resources assigned to this fire: LPF resources Assigned to this fire are
Divs-1
BC-11, 12
Eng: 16, 19, 31, 35, 37
Crew 3 Arroyo Grande IHC, 4 Los Padres IHC
Heli-527, 528, 530
WT-3
PT-19, 38
These are LPF resources only. Not Ft. H-L or Cal-Fire, which are both also on scene. What this tells me, and this is just intelligent guess work on my part, is that this fire is in or moving toward the LPNF. Based on the smoke drift shot I posted earlier, I would venture to speculate that the fire is moving in a westwardly direction. This one is going to bear watching over the next few days.
7:45 pm – Boillos Fire smoke drift from my front door. This is shot facing south, and Ft. Hunter-Liggett is to the left, or east in this photo.
6:45 pm – took a quick trip out back to South Coast Ridge Rd. and in the short amount of time I was gone, the visible smoke from my place markedly increased. The photo I am posting was before the increase in smoke. BTW, all of that grey dark stuff is smoke. It is clear blue skies in all the other directions.
5:30 – two more helios assigned, bring it up to 4 AA and 4 Hs.
4:45 pm – two more AA sent. This is the approximate location on base:
And here is a zoomed out version. The blue push pin is my location, about 6 miles due west of the fire.
3:45 pm – Controlled burn on Ft. Hunter-Liggett started at 10 am this morning appears to have escaped around 2:15 pm, per LPF WildCAD. I have been hearing and seeing planes overhead about an hour or two ago, about the time that LPF WildCAD reports the incident as Los Boillos Wildfire. Trying to get more information as to size and direction. I can see a lot of smoke from here, but no column. I may have to go out back to look. wildlandfire is reporting: “Aircraft in route from Paso.
75 acres in heavy brush.
Eratic fire behavior”
There are two AA tankers on scene and a helo. Neither LPNF office in King City nor the Ft. H-L PIO know anything at this time. Ft. H-L PIO is investigating and getting back to me with direction and ROS.
PIO for Ft. H-L called back and informed me it is still quite a ways away from me, but had no size or ROS or direction of spread to share. It is in training area 19.
So far, this year, these fires are being attacked early and agressively, and it may be out before I go to bed. Hoping, anyway.
I just investigated a wildfire a couple miles south of Gorda, but that one has been controlled.
On June 26, 2010, the Goleta office of the Los Padres National Forest issued its 2010 Fire Restrictions order. NO OPEN CAMPFIRES ALLOWED in the National Forest, outside designated, developed campsites, like Plaskett and Kirk Creek. YAY!!
Here is the order issued:
ORDER NO. 10-3-5100-3
FIRE USE RESTRICTIONS
LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST
Pursuant to 16 USC 551 and 36 CFR 261.50(a), and to provide for public safety and protect natural resources, the following acts are prohibited within the Los Padres National Forest. This Order is effective from June 26, 2010, through the end of the official 2010 fire season.
1. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire, except in the designated Campfire Use Sites listed in Exhibit A. 36 CFR 261.52(a).
2. Smoking, except in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material. 36 CFR 261.52(d).
3. Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order. 36 CFR 261.52(j).
Pursuant to 36 CFR 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order.
1. Persons with a permit from the Forest Service specifically authorizing the otherwise prohibited act or omission.
2. Persons with a valid California Campfire Permit are not exempt from the prohibitions listed above. However, persons with a valid California Campfire Permit may use portable lanterns or stoves using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel outside of a designated Campfire Use Site.
3. Any Federal, State or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of an official duty.
These prohibitions are in addition to the general prohibitions in 36 CFR Part 261, Subpart A.
A violation of these prohibitions is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 USC 551 and 18 USC 3559, 3571, and 3581.
Done at Goleta, California this 25th day of June, 2010.
/s/ Peggy Hernandez
Peggy Hernandez
Forest Supervisor
Los Padres National Forest
Happened upon this a week ago, and it is a great example of what NOT to do when building a campfire. Note the nearby tall, dry, grasses? At least it is not under a tree or in the bushes. I have examples of those, too, which I will add when possible.
Here’s another one, in the grasses, too close to the bushes.
And just to give my readers an idea about the fuel load and fuel ladders here, here are some photos I took 2 days before the Plaskett Fire:
And a closer look:
Finally,
This morning, I received a phone call from Sherry Tune, District Ranger of the Monterey District of the Los Padres National Forest. She informed me that the District Office of the LPNF has decided to make stimulus monies available to the Monterey District under the American Recovery and Rehabilitation Act for road repair and maintenance. There are a number of roads which will become more accessible for fire fighting in the near future.
A full report of the roads and work to be performed will be released next week, with schedules specific to the various areas to follow as it becomes available. But included (this list is preliminary, not exhaustive) on the list of roads are: Arroyo Seco, Alm’s Ridge, Plaskett Ridge, and Botcher’s Gap.
I will keep my readers informed, as additional information becomes available.
So, today, Wednesday, June 23, 2010, I reached the highway, and around 2:30 pm, I see two USFS trucks heading south with lights flashing. Okay, they passed Plaskett, so it is not near my house. I head north for a meeting with the Big Sur Ladies (more tomorrow). A few miles south of Esalen, I see another USFS headed south. Okay. I’ve got my laptop with me, and heading for Fernwood, I’ll get online then, and find out what is happening.
I log in. There is a vehicle fire, 2 miles north of the County LIne. Okay. No reason to turn around and head home. Around 3:30, I find out it has turned into a vegetation fire at Salmon Creek. Okay, still no reason to turn around and go home. By 4:00 pm, the fire is reported under control. Okay, now I can relax and enjoy my afternoon and evening with the Ladies of the Sur. Whew.
From now until first rains, all my plans are subject to cancellation due to fire conditions. That is the life I lead during fire season.
Two years ago I was offered an official press pass. I did not think it was necessary. This year, I am going to obtain one. I don’t want to have a hassle if I need to cover a fire in my area. I do my damnedest to stay out of the way, and will continue to do so, but sometimes, citizen reporters, like bigsurkate, are the ones most available and accessible to local breaking news, particularly fires.
Here is what it looks like now.
This looks like the same angle that Dave posted of the plume on FB.
It internet Goddess is having a hissy fit, so I will upload the other two photos when I can.
This was just a gentle reminder that fire season is upon us. May we be as lucky the entire summer.
Today is the longest day of the year, and also the anniversary of the Basin Fire of 2008, the event that launched this blog. Today, I hope to reflect back on that time, and post a couple of photographs I took that day, if the Internet Goddess allows. The first two photographs are mine, but scroll down for the stories and photographs of others. I have also provided a link where others shared their stories last year, and more are doing so this year. What an amazing gift we have in each other!
To those of you still rebuilding after losing your homes to this monster fire, you are in our hearts this day. And some of you may be interested in reading the stories some readers told about this day when I asked for stories a year ago, for others it may be still too painful. You can read them here.
Ken Harlan, of Lucia Lodge, just sent me this note and the following three photographs.
Here are three photos from the start of the fire. When the lighting started that day, I drove north to watch for strikes. The first photo is about 15 minutes after the strike that lit the fire. I was watching that ridge through binoculars as it was hit in the middle of the “black” knoll just below the active flame front. The grass was burning very slowly for about 5 minutes, and then the back side of the cell came through. The winds nearly knocked me down (I’d guess 50+ MPH) and the flames were in the trees 2-3 minutes later.
The next two photos (which I’ll attach to 2 emails to follow) are taken from the west side of 1 at Coast Gallery. Two guys fought to save that cabin on the rocky point to the right in the helicopter shot. Sadly, it later burned. I don’t know the guys or the owner of the cabin, but I always hope to get these photos to them (and I have some more).
It’s more than a little sad to recall that day.
Ken, thank you so much for sharing your story and images with all of us.
Avis was coming home from a town run in Monterey headed south on June 21, 2008, when she first saw the fire. She has sent the next three photos for us to enjoy, with this explanation about the photos. (her story is posted on the stories post previously mentioned):
“Okay here are 3 shots. The first one is what I saw when I rounded the corner before the gallery and first saw the knoll on fire. This was within 2 hours of the fire starting. The second one I like because of the fire tornado. It’s a little out of focus but I was using a cheap camera and the zoom was all the way in. I just like the power it represent in a fire. [ed. note: firefighters call these fire whirls, and I have posted additional info on them under the photograph.] And the last was how huge it got within the few minutes I sat there watching.”
“Fire Whirls In California…A Firefighter’s Perspective
Royal Burnett March 15, 2008
Fire whirls are one of the most visual and least understood aspects of extreme fire behavior. Many a good plan has been wrecked and lots of firefighters have been burned over as a result of these events. Fire whirls used to be considered rare occurrences, but with the advent of a multiple year drought, increased communications and digital cameras, fire whirls are reported on a more routine basis.
Fire whirls happen infrequently for a brief duration. There is no recording system. The event happens in terrain that varies from flat to very broken mountains, in conditions of no wind to moderate and perhaps high winds, in fuels that vary from light to heavy, so it is nearly impossible to define the conditions under which fire whirls can appear.
We know that fire whirls can develop from energy release or from wind shear caused by the wind interacting with topographic features. Occasionally the convection column is strong enough to form an obstacle to the prevailing wind and fire whirls will develop in the lee of the column.”
Avis, thank you so much for sharing your images and story with all of the rest of us. We are blessed in so many ways in this community.
PER ONE BSVFB MEMBER, THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY TARGET SHOOTING AT A METAL TARGET. STUPID SEASON HAS DEFINITELY OPENED!
5:00 pm – lots of traffic going out. Looks like it is all wrapped up.
THANK YOU FIRE FIGHTERS – LPNF, CAL-FIRE, AND OUR WONDERFUL LOCAL VOLUNTEERS! I am going straight to the BSVFB page and make another donation! Have you donated, lately? If not, the start of the fire season is a great time to do so, and BSVFB makes it easy, just click on their link under Big Sur links – paypal and credit cards accepted. Is this a plug? You bet it is! Even if you are from out of the area, and can only give $5, it all adds up, so please consider donating today.
12:30 pm – during the last hour a lot of USFS and Cal-Fire and apparently private pick-up trucks have come through here going down to the fire – at least 8. All the beds were jam-packed with all kinds of gear. I have been informed that this is probably rehab.
Here is a scribble map of the fire’s location.
At 11 am, Kinnick reports that the water tanker is still pumping water out of the well, and taking it down to the crews below.
USFS came through here about 8 am. Said there is still a bit of smoke and that they will have crews on it all day today, but it is definitely controlled. LPF E 18, just went home at 8:30 am, LPF E 19 just went home at 9 am. The two Gabilan Fire Crews just went home at 9:30 am.
