Category: Fire Season

BSCWPP meeting

Got this great flyer, with photo, tried to just upload it here, but noooo. So here’s the text, anyway.

PLANNING . . is . . PREPARATION
Come find out about the Big Sur Community
Wildfire Protection Plan and make sure your
views are included in the planning process.
The program for the two-hour public meeting
will include:
 Information about the project team;
 Description of the goals and objectives of the plan
preparation process;
 Status of the technical parts of the project;
 Public comment period, and;
 Next steps.
Date: July 8, 2009
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Location: Pacific Valley School

June 21, 2008

The Gallery Fire, as it was named originally, started this date.

If you would like to see a blow-by-blow account of the first 5 days, complete with photos and maps by one who knows the back country like no other, click the link below:
xasauan

Here is a photo taken that day at 7:30 pm by Dave Egbert after he was released from the fire. Thanks, Dave for sending this and allowing me to share it with my readers.

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Here is one I took the next day from my house.
Smoke Dance
I call this “Smoke Dance.”

Happy Solstice and Happy Father’s Day! Don’t forget the rally at the State Park today, starting at 2 pm. Should be a wonderful time. Unfortunately, I have to work today, but I’ll be thinking of all of you celebrating souls, wherever you may be.

Calling For Stories — Where were you 6/21/08??!!

Many of us will never forget where we were on June 21, 2008, watching the incredible lightning that literally sparked what was originally the Gallery Fire, morphed into the devastating Basin Fire.

In commemoration of this life-changing event, I invite everyone to tell the story of that day, or a part of it, or the next day, or what you remember, or the year since it occurred, or what it has meant for you. You don’t have to live in Big Sur, but if you follow this blog, then your heart is here, and you were here in spirit when you first heard the news. You can either leave it in the comment section for this post, or send me a private email at kwnovoa@mac.com
I will keep it anonymous, use an aka, or not publish at all, whatever you choose.

All this week, until the anniversary of the fire, I will leave this post up at the top, so that we can all share what that day and this year has meant. Please join me in sharing your experience, publicly or privately.
Thank you, bigsurkate.

Still adding a few posts this week, immediately below this one, so scroll down to see Paul’s Memorial and other photos to be added.

A spate of winter-like weather

Normally, in June, I can look down on the fog. Not the last few days. Low clouds have been hanging over me as if it were winter. I want to put my comforter back on the bed, but alas, I packed it away for the summer. Of course, this will help delay fire season, so it is all good.

I have been trying to upload a photo all morning, and no luck. I give up.
New Shelf

Well, finally. Not one I would normally post, but …
This is my new storage shelf, 2 ft. deep. Soon I will have baskets, old trunks, and old suitcases to store stuff in up there. I’ll take another, once I have it organized as I want.

That’s my comforter up in the corner, out of reach, naturally. I had a tall person place it up there, and now need a ladder or another really tall person to get it down!! Any real tall volunteers? Just kidding. I’ll survive.

Now that I can post photos again, I just can’t stop.
CSC_0009
Maybe I should have replaced the lavender before I shot this? And dusted.

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Can you tell I am a knick knack collector?? It’s a addiction. I need an intervention.

Two Minor Fires — One Big Sur, one Santa Barbara

As of 8:30 pm last night, LPNF WildCAD is reporting this as 1/4 acre in heavy brush between Palo Colorado and Old Coast Rd. Nothing being reported this morning, 6/9, which is a good thing.

The second was about a mile from the Gaviota rest stop in Santa Barbara. As of 11 pm, Wildfire is reporting this one is holding at 15 acres.

I finally get around to posting new photos, and I am preempted by fires. Just look below.

June 3, 2009 – Dakota

While we wait on the fate of our State Parks, while we hope for more rain (and little lightning, please), I thought I’d bring everyone up-to-date on Dakota.

It has been over a month that she had been confined to quarters. She is not allowed outside until her wound has closed up. She still has a gap of an inch or more which is taking a very long time to heal. She went to the vet again on Friday. Every night I must irrigate it with a betadine/saline solution — a lot of it. Neither one of us likes this process. We have to do this for 2 weeks, and then she goes back to the vet. This has been a long and difficult road for the two of us.

We’ll both be glad when she can go outside on her own again.

On another note — I had a lot of fire clearance done yesterday. Everything is looking so good!! My view, which is always great, is even more spectacular now.  Also “groomed” some Oaks, and what a difference that makes. I want them ALL groomed like that. One more day next week, and it is all done. A photo when my camera arrives. It gets shipped tomorrow. Yeah!!

That smoke you may see or smell…

… is probably coming from Ft. Hunter-Leggett, where fire training exercises are being held. I’ve been watching it since shortly after noon, and it has intensified. Later, it dissipated.  I have just become extremely sensitive. Duh, I wonder why??

The controlled burns over there have gotten out of hand  in the past, but this one does not look like it ever did.

I admit, I never got to the stories and photos from yesterday. They are coming, really. I mean it. Just not tonight.

Big Sur State Park update

As promised, Big Sur State Park opened in time for Memorial Day Weekend. On Friday, May 22nd, at approximately 1:30 pm, a ribbon cutting ceremony launched the opening of the Bailey Bridge to a crowd of dignitaries, local residents, and anxious visitors. 90 minutes after the State Park opened, all campsites were filled for the weekend, and by the end of the day, over 1000 reservations were made for this summer.

 Camping reservations began Friday and can be made through Reserve America at www.reserveamerica.com or by calling (800) 444-PARK (444 7275).

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On another note, from KION-TV, residents should not be alarmed to witness a low-flying airplane over parts of the west-central California Coast, part of the Los Padres National Forest, and an area east of Greenfield starting around May 22. 

For about two months, an airplane operated under contract to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will be making low-level flights. The survey will cover the cities of Big Sur, Soledad, Greenfield, and numerous other towns in the area with the purpose of collecting and recording geologic measurements. 

This survey is designed to remotely study geologic and hydrologic units that lie below land surface. It is part of an ongoing USGS program to identify features such as changes in rock types, ultimately providing a better understanding of the geology and hydrology of the area.

Big Sur Summer

Memorial Day Weekend marks the beginning of the summer tourist season in Big Sur. But residents are “spoiled” by the closures experienced this past year. This weekend’s significant influx of visitors, while greatly appreciated, has brought many hospitality workers back to the reality of living and working here — the crowds that keep us alive.

“After a festive ribbon-cutting ceremony, visitors poured in Friday. Every Memorial Day weekend site was sold out in 90 minutes. Another 1,000 reservations have already been booked for the rest of summer,” reported the Monterey Herald.

Several of my visitor-serving friends were on overload on Saturday, dealing with the sudden rise in population here in Big Sur. They had been inundated. Usually, our hospitality industry gets a couple of dry runs before the big opening day, and workers have the opportunity to get ready for the flood of tourists. This could not happen this year, due to closures of the Los Padres National Forest and the State Parks essentially since June of last year. Now, we are on a fast track to catch up with lost revenues and to get used to the large crowds. We got spoiled, and we got lazy, without our visitors.

Welcome back, everyone. Let’s keep this a safe and sane (by Big Sur standards) summer.

(Just flew back last night and I have a lot to catch up on. Being “unplugged” for 16 days was great — no phones, no internet, no news. Will write about my adventures on slow “news” days in the coming weeks. Also looking to post another Random Big Sur Photo for identification soon.)

Ring of Fire

Arrived in SF yesterday to hear about the horrific wildfire in Santa Barbara. News reports indicate 30,000 homes evacuated as of this morni ng, unknown (to me) number of houses destroyed. I will be boarding an airplane around noon, and will be unable to keep up with developments. Check the various links to the right, or visit your favorities to keep up with the Jesusita Fire in the Los Padres National Forest.