Dolan Post-Fire BAER

Unit Information

Los Padres National Forest           
U.S. Forest Service
6750 Navigator Way
Goleta, CA 93117

Incident Contact

BAER Information
Phone: 707-853-4243
Hours: 7am-7pm

Dolan Post-Fire BAER Soil Burn Severity Map Released
DOLAN POST-FIRE BAER SOIL BURN SEVERITY MAP RELEASED

Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) specialists recently completed their data gathering and verification field work of the Dolan Fire burn area.  The Soil Burn Severity map has been finalized.  Soil Burn Severity levels are Unburned/Very Low, Low, Moderate, and High.

The map shows that in the Dolan Fire area, approximately 45% of the 124,326 acres analyzed by the BAER team is either unburned/very low (9%) or low (36%) soil burn severity, while 45% sustained a moderate soil burn severity, and 10% burned at high soil burn severity.

The BAER post-fire assessment team uses soil burn severity data to identify if there are areas of concern where increased soil erosion, accelerated surface water run-off, and debris flows have the potential to impact human life/safety, property, and critical natural and cultural resources from storm events. The BAER team consists of Forest Service scientists and specialists that are considering emergency stabilization actions for those critical resources on National Forest System lands.  The BAER team shares their analysis and findings with interagency cooperators who work with private land and business owners to help them prepare for upcoming rain events.

BAER Team Leaders Kevin Cooper and Yonni Schwartz stated, The BAER team expects erosion and run-off within the Dolan Fire area to substantially increase in watersheds that experienced moderate to high soil burn severity. In these areas, there is concern for increased post-fire run-off from steep hillslopes and channels resulting in increases in post-fire soil erosion, hyper-concentrated floods and debris flows.

The Dolan Fire soil burn severity BAER map can be downloaded at the interagency Dolan Post-Fire BAER InciWeb site (https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7231) as a JPEG or PDF version under the maps tab.

A “Field Guide for Mapping Post-Fire Soil Burn Severity” can help with interpreting the map and can be found online at http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr243.pdf.

SPECIAL NOTE: Everyone near and downstream from the burned areas should remain alert and stay updated on weather conditions that may result in heavy rains over the burn scars. Flash flooding may occur quickly during heavy rain events-be prepared to take action. Current weather and emergency notifications can be found at the National Weather Service website: www.weather.gov/mtr/

There is little info yet this am. This fire has not made inciweb (not unusual). There is a lot of smoke out over the ocean, however, so I will continue to see what I can find out. As of 8 am — The Dolan fire IMT taking command of the Coleman fire. At 0700, at briefing Coleman was active most of the night 400 to 500 acres.

Here is this am’s John Chesnut map.

And tonight we are lucky to find John Chesnut up and running already with one of his super-duper maps of the fire area:

4:00 pm update: From Airtac “150 to 200 acres, too much smoke to work the head right now” Additional from Airtac “ Lots of potential for the head to run”

10/18/2020 12:24

LPF-3161 P5EK1Y21 (0507)

COLEMAN

Wildfire

Del Venturi Rd East Of AV Ranch

.

BC11LPF E18LPF E315LPF4X4 E319LPF PAT37LPF Q Scholl

SUPT1 Cook Effective 12:58

.

15

40 acres, dangerous rate of spread, potential for 200 acres, Coleman/ Bear cyn. Just off Dolan Fire north end dozer line. (This is a LPF/FHL Fire.)

Airtac up the order to 5 tankers, 2 type 2 copters, 1 type 1 copter.
Evacuations for Coleman and Pine Canyons.

Because we all need some beauty in our lives:

The new IMT PIO has shared a new public information phone line with me and asked me to pass it along. “I have updated the incident’s information phone line. This can be shared with the public. The number is (831) 244-3762.” This new IMT is Eastern (Silver) and at least some members are from Indiana.

I stumbled across an article in the Las Vegas Sun this morning, and thought it would be worth sharing.

“Every morning, wildland firefighters gather around radios to listen to the weather forecast. This summer, I was part of the team that fought a fire near Big Sur. When I heard the staticky voice announce that temperatures would exceed 105 degrees, the forecast sounded like a death sentence.

Across California, unprecedented heat has made wildfires more difficult to predict and control. During the heat wave in Big Sur, the fire, which had been 40% contained at 30,000 acres, tripled in size in a matter of days. It has now burned nearly 125,000 acres.”

The young man who wrote the above, and the rest of the article is a doctoral student at University of California, Santa Barbara. He is also a firefighter who was here on the Dolan Fire.

Here is where you can read the rest of this article: https://lasvegassun.com/news/2020/oct/17/the-new-line-of-attack-on-climate-science-in-the-a/

East of Limekiln

The City of Seaside is hosting a food distribution event on Saturday October 17th, 2020 from 9:30 – 11:00 am. Recipients are encouraged to stay in their vehicles for drive thru access to food. Walk up’s are available, Please wear your mask and practice social distancing.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, October 15, 2020

USFS today has authorized the reopening of Day Use areas of Pfeiffer Beach, Willow Creek, and Mill Creek. Limekiln State Park, Kirk Creek Campground and Plaskett Creek Campground remain closed until further notice.

In yesterday’s FB Community Meeting, FDNY warned that with the hot, windy weather predicted for yesterday and today, we might see pockets burning within the perimeter. They indicated they would be monitoring it closely.

Today, we have such a pocket. Appears to be Mill Creek or Hare drainage, but informed there is lots of activity at Limekiln, so easily could be there. That darn pine is coming down this winter. Too close to house, and always in the way of my photos.