And luck would have it, we have a view from the other side, thanks to Scott Healy, Chew’s Ridge Lookout, also from this am;
Let me start off by apologizing for being so late to post. My puppy did a rare thing and let me sleep until 8, so just catching up on where we are today. This is what it looks like this morning:
9/6 8:30 amZoom in on Cone Peak, 9/6/20, 8:30 am
That’s what it looks like from my window this am. Here is the public information map by USFS
This photo was taken by Michael Peckman, a friend of Brandie Kirby Grondin, who is driving this Cal Trans truck. Want to know why Highway One has been closed? Maybe this might help you understand…. (I have permission from both to post this.)
The fire is moving to the south and east within the Ventana Wilderness, growing by several hundred acres yesterday. Moderate fire activity continued in the Cone Peak area. Fire has progressed into the San Antonio Creek drainage and is flanking eastward along the Santa Lucia Range. Fire behavior is expected to increase with the loss of the marine layer, bringing higher temperatures and drier conditions across the fire area.
Hotshot crews continue to build line in the Ventana Wilderness and scout potential containment lines to the south of Lost Valley Trail. Fire fighters are improving containment lines along McWay Ridge and within the Lucia and Hermitage areas. Crews are completing the primary containment line north of the Nacimiento-Ferguson Road and along the road to Cone Peak. This indirect line will serve as the primary containment line, intended to keep the fire from spreading south toward nearby structures. If conditions allow, a planned burnout operation will be used in the next few days to tie containment line into the fire’s edge. Dozers, hand crews and masticators are also working on additional contingency lines farther south. Crews continue to patrol Highway 1 for rolling debris and increased fire behavior. Helicopters will be available to support ground crews throughout the day.
Structure protection all along Highway 1, in the Partington area north, and in the Lucia and Hermitage areas to the south continues. Currently in the fire there are: 6 Type 1 Hotshot crews, 6 Type 2 hand crews, 55 engines, 7 dozers, 12 helicopters, 17 water tenders, 4 masticators and a variety of other equipment to support firefighting efforts.
EVACUATION / CLOSURE ALERTS:
Evacuations / Closures: Click here for an interactive map of Monterey County evacuations. For information about state highway closures go to https://roads.dot.ca.gov/.
Evacuation Order for the area South of Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, west of South Coast Ridge to Prewitt Ridge including Alms Ridge.
Evacuation Warning for Partington Zone C (only residents allowed into the area).
A new Evacuation Warning was issued by the Sheriff’s Office yesterday afternoon for the for the South Coast Ridge Road Zone K.
Highway 1 is closed from north of Vista Point south to Pacific Valley.
WEATHER: A high pressure system is bringing very high temperatures and drier conditions over the fire. Temperatures in the 90’s along the coast and well into the 100’s inland and much lower relative humidities across the area are expected through Monday. Winds are forecast to remain mild.
PUBLIC MEETING: Our next virtual community meeting will be on Saturday August 5th, at 2:00 pm. The meeting will be live-streamed on the Los Padres National Forest Facebook page and can be viewed live or retroactively. If you have specific questions please send them to 2020.Dolan@firenet.gov.
SAFETY: Fire personnel and equipment are staging and working in the Big Sur area. Highway 1 is still closed within the fire area to ensure public safety as well as to allow for safer fire fighting operations. As Labor Day Weekend begins, anticipate increased traffic in areas accessible by the public.
Effective immediately an evacuation WARNING is in place for South Coast Ridge Road Zone K. Access is permitted only for residents due to fire equipment and emergency personnel in the area. The evacuation warning area for Zone K is as follows:
Area bounded by Hwy 1 at about Mile Marker 15, East to intersection of Prewitt Creek Ridge Road and South Coast Ridge Road, South along South Coast Ridge Road to intersection of Los Burros Road and South Coast Ridge Road, west along Los Burros Road to Hwy 1 near Mile Marker 11, to include Plasket Ridge Road, San Martin Top, and Alder Creek Road.
The Evacuation ORDER for Zone J remains in effect.
As a reminder an “Evacuation WARNING” (i.e. sometimes used interchangeably with the term “Advisory”) means those in a specific area/zone should be prepared to evacuate at any time. You do not need to leave your home at this time but please be alert and prepared to leave if an evacuation order is called.
An “Evacuation ORDER” means those in a specific area/zone should leave immediately.
If you feel that your life is in danger, do not wait for an emergency notification.
Additionally: When an Evacuation Order is in place for a zone(s), this means the public, including residents, are not allowed to enter the zone(s). The closures will have Law Enforcement roadblocks on northern and southern closure of Highway 1 turning cars around that are not authorized to be in the closure. This also includes no “In and out” privileges for subjects who decided to stay at their properties despite the Evacuation Order. If you leave the closed area, you will not be allowed to re-enter.
This evacuation warning is also consistent with the new forest closure order:
The marine layer and relative cooler temperatures that have kept fire activity moderate will be lowering and dissipating over the weekend. Although limited fire spread occurred the last several days, the increased heat and drier conditions throughout the fire area forecast for the weekend is expected to increase fire behavior.
The fire continues to move to the south and east within the Ventana Wilderness, increasing by several hundred acres overnight. Hotshot crews are now working in this area, building hand line along the fire’s edge. Crews are also scouting the Lost Valley area to determine the best location to tie into the southern line. Containment lines on the northern and southern perimeters are holding well and fire fighters continue to improve those lines along McWay Ridge and within the Lucia and Hermitage areas. Crews continue to work on the primary containment line north of the Nacimiento-Ferguson Road and along the road to Cone Peak. This indirect line will serve as the primary containment line, intended to keep the fire from spreading south toward nearby structures. If conditions allow, a planned burnout operation will be used to tie this line into the fire’s edge. Dozers, hand crews and masticators are also working on additional contingency lines farther south. Better visibility will allow for additional helicopter support where needed. Crews continue to patrol Highway 1 for rolling debris and increased fire behavior.
Firefighters continue with structure protection all along Highway 1, in the Partington area north, and in the Lucia and Hermitage areas to the south. Currently in the fire there are: 6 Type 1 Hotshot crews, 3 Type 2 hand crews, 62 engines, 6 dozers, 12 helicopters, 18 water tenders, 4 masticators, and a variety of other equipment to support firefighting efforts.
EVACUATION / CLOSURE ALERTS:
Evacuations / Closures: Click here for an interactive map of Monterey County evacuations. For information about state highway closures go to https://roads.dot.ca.gov/.
Evacuation Order for the area South of Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, west of South Coast Ridge to Prewitt Ridge including Alms Ridge.
Evacuation Warning for Partington Zone C (only residents allowed into the area).
Highway 1 is closed from north of Vista Point south to Pacific Valley.
Forest Order Number 05-07-51-20-20 is in effect today, superseding Forest Order Number 05-07-51-20-19.
WEATHER: The marine layer is lowering today to 1,000 feet as a high pressure system moves into the area. The east side and higher elevation areas continue to be warmer and drier. An excessive heat warning has been issued for Saturday through Monday and temperatures are expected to be in the 90’s along the coast and low hundreds inland. Winds are forecast to remain mild. Fire activity is expected to increase with this change in weather conditions.
PUBLIC MEETING: Our next virtual community meeting will be on Saturday at 2:00 pm. The meeting will be live-streamed on the Los Padres National Forest Facebook page and can be viewed live or retroactively. If you have specific questions please send them to 2020.Dolan@firenet.gov.
SAFETY: Fire personnel and equipment are staged and working from the Big Sur area. Highway 1 is still closed within the fire area to ensure public safety as well as to allow for safer fire fighting operations. As Labor Day Weekend commences, anticipate increased traffic in proximity to the fire area.
We are delighted to share the wonderful news that condor chick “Iniko” #1031 is alive and well! Our field crew was given the green light by fire authorities with the US Forest Service to go into the Dolan Fire burn scar area, yesterday, and view the Redwood nest tree of “Kingpin” #167 and “Redwood Queen” #190. Watch Video!
The fire burned just ten feet below the nest cavity, yet “Iniko” survived the fire as observed by Ventana Wildlife Society biologists, Joe Burnett and Darren Gross.
“We were not optimistic as we hiked through the fire’s devastation. To find Iniko alive and well is simply a miracle,” said Burnett.
While we are overjoyed to find “Iniko,” there is now a fifth condor chick #1033 directly impacted by the Dolan Fire.
We are happy to report that yesterday, #1033 was saved from her nest, where she was in a cliff cavity directly in the path of the advancing Dolan fire line.
Chick #1033, age 4 months, has been relying on only her father, “Puff Daddy” #219, as her mother “Wild 1” 231 disappeared last May.
Ventana Wildlife Society biologist Stephanie Herrera safely delivered chick #1033 to her new temporary home at the Los Angeles Zoo where she will spend the next year until ready to be released back into the wild and reunited with its flock.
We are still missing 11 condors, including two chicks and nine adults/sub-adults. The Dolan Fire has burned over 31,000 acres and is currently 40% contained. As the Dolan Fire rages on, help us rebuild the Condor’s Big Sur Sanctuary. Our goal is to raise $500,000 to continue our work restoring this magnificent species.
We will continue to post updates on our homepage as we determine the fate of these missing condors to keep you all informed. Thank you all for your concern, support, and well-wishes.
For more information and updates on the condors during the Dolan Fire, sign up for our eNewsletter.
This will be the last Evening Update for the Dolan Fire unless fire activity changes and additional communication is needed to ensure local communities have the latest fire information.
The Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team 2 assumed command of the Dolan Fire this morning following a successful transition with California Incident Management Team 2. Thank you to Incident Commander Mike Minton and his entire team for their expert management and work to date.
The fire increased by a few hundred acres today along the eastern and southern edges within the Ventana Wilderness. Hand crews are now working in this area and completed line on the northeast side today. Crews are also scouting the Lost Valley area to determine the best location to tie into the southern line. Containment lines on the northern and southern perimeters are holding well along McWay Ridge and within the Lucia and Hermitage areas. Crews continue to work on the primary containment line north of the Naciemento-Ferguson Road and along the road to Cone Peak. This indirect line will serve as the primary containment line, intended to keep the fire from spreading south toward nearby structures. Although limited fire spread has occurred over the last few days, an excessive heat warning is forecast for this weekend and is expected to increase fire behavior. Dozers, hand crews and masticators are also working on additional contingency lines farther south. Overnight crews will continue to patrol Highway 1 for rolling debris and increased fire behavior.
Firefighters continue with structure protection all along Highway 1, in the Partington area north, and in the Lucia and Hermitage areas to the south. Currently on the fire there are: 6 Type 1 Hotshot crews, 3 Type 2 hand crews, 62 engines, 6 dozers, 12 helicopters, 18 water tenders, 4 masticators, and a variety of other equipment to support firefighting efforts.
EVACUATION / CLOSURE ALERTS:
Evacuations / Closures: Click here for an interactive map of Monterey County evacuations. For information about state highway closures go to https://roads.dot.ca.gov/.
Evacuation Order for the area South of Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, west of South Coast Ridge to Prewitt Ridge including Alms Ridge.
Evacuation Warning for Partington Zone C (only residents allowed into the area).
Highway 1 is closed from north of Vista Point south to Pacific Valley.
Forest Order Number 05-07-51-20-20 went into effect today, superseding Forest Order Number 05-07-51-20-19.
WEATHER: Today the marine layer was in place up to 1,500 feet. Fog along the coast burned off earlier in the day resulting in warmer temperatures. The east side and higher elevation areas continue to be warmer and drier. Similar conditions are expected for Friday, with the marine layer lowering to 1,000 feet. An excessive heat warning has been issued for this area from Saturday through Monday and temperatures are expected to be in the 90’s along the coast and low hundreds inland. Winds are forecast to remain mild. Fire activity is expected to increase with this change in weather conditions.
The Pacific Northwest 2 Incident Management Team assumed command of the Dolan Fire this morning following a successful transition with California Incident Management Team 2. Thank you to Incident Commander Mike Minton and his entire team for their expert management and work to date.
The marine inversion layer kept fire activity minimal overnight, active fire in the east and south ends especially around Cone Peak. Although limited fire spread has occurred over the last few days, the excessive heat watch forecast for this weekend is expected to increase fire behavior. Firefighters continue to bolster containment lines in the northern and southern perimeters, mopping up and increasing the line depth along McWay Ridge and within the Lucia and Hermitage areas. Crews continue to work on the primary containment line north of the Naciemento-Ferguson Road and along the road to Cone Peak. This indirect line will serve as the primary containment line to keep the fire from spreading to the south toward nearby structures. Dozers, hand crews and masticators are also working on additional contingency lines farther south. Overnight crews continued improving lines and patrolling Highway 1 for roll outs and increased fire behavior. Crews began building direct line in the eastern edge of the fire within the Ventana Wilderness yesterday.
Firefighters continue with structure protection all along Highway 1, in the Partington area north, and in the Lucia and Hermitage areas to the south. Currently on the fire there are: 5 Type 1 Hotshot crews, 8 Type 2 hand crews, 60 engines, 10 dozers, 10 helicopters, 8 water tenders, 2 masticators, and a variety of other equipment to support firefighting efforts.
EVACUATION / CLOSURE ALERTS:
Evacuations / Closures: Click here for an interactive map of Monterey County evacuations. For information about state highway closures go to https://roads.dot.ca.gov/.
Evacuation Order for the area South of Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, west of South Coast Ridge to Prewitt Ridge including Alms Ridge.
Evacuation Warning for Partington Zone C (only residents allowed into the area).
Highway 1 is closed from north of Vista Point south to Pacific Valley.
Forest Order Number 05-07-51-20-19 remains in effect.
WEATHER: On Thursday the marine layer should remain in place up to 1,500 feet through the early afternoon, with warmer and drier conditions to the east at the higher elevations of the fire. Wednesday, the marine layer was in place, winds remained calm and temperatures moderate over the fire area. Conditions are expected to remain the same through Friday. An excessive heat watch has been issued for this area from Saturday through Monday and temperatures are expected to be in the 90’s along the coast and low hundreds inland. Winds are forecast to remain mild. Fire activity is expected to increase with this change in weather conditions.
SAFETY: This will be a long duration event. Residents in the affected area are encouraged to continue to prepare for the possibility of fire in their area in advance. Go to https://www.ready.gov/wildfires to learn how to prepare.
Dolan Fire
Pacific Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team 2
I am very slow getting going this am, but let’s start with John Chesnut’s maps, and I’ll catch up with the rest after coffee, when the updates start coming in.
Start / Report Date: Aug. 18, 2020 Size: 31,409 Containment: 40% Cause: Unknown Location: Hwy 1(MM32.20) N of Limekiln State Park, 10 miles S of Big Sur Injuries: 3 Structures Destroyed: 8 Fuels Involved: Chaparral, Brush, Timber understory
Resources:
Hand Crews: 13
Engines: 60
Dozers: 8 Helicopters: 10
Water Tenders: 22
Total Personnel: 896
Current Situation:
The inversion lifted earlier today allowing for more active fire behavior, primarily consuming unburned fuel within the fire perimeter. Rolling material (burning logs and vegetation) continued to create most of the fire spread.
The east side of the fire continues to burn further into the Ventana Wilderness. The fire is primarily backing in this area. A Hot Shot crew was able to access the Lost Valley area today and began building hand line along the fire perimeter, going direct, to minimize the fire size and expansion. The crews will remain out near the fire’s edge (spiking out), staying in this area for several consecutive days before returning to base camp.
Crews continued work along the north section of the fire, improving and widening the line. With the north and northeastern containment lines holding well, residents were allowed back into the Partington Ridge area today. The Partington area remains under an Evacuation Warning.
Containment lines near Lucia and the Hermitage are also holding well. Active fire today in this area produced more smoke, but the fire is within containment lines and helping to eliminate the unburned fuel which can pose a threat to the lines if winds increase or shift direction. Crews continued to work on the primary containment line north of the Naciemento-Ferguson Road and along the road to Cone Peak. Additional contingency lines farther south are also being scouted to ensure the fire can be kept within as small a footprint as possible if weather and fuel conditions change. Both dozers and hand crews are being used to build lines in this area.
California Interagency Incident Command Team 2 would like to thank Fire Chief Matt Harris for his hard work and cooperation as a Unified Incident Commander.
An excessive heat watch has been issued for this area and temperatures are expected to be in the 90’s along the coast and low hundreds inland from Saturday morning through Monday afternoon. Winds are forecast to remain mild. Fire activity is expected to increase with this change in weather conditions and firefighting operations are being adjusted as necessary to ensure continued and increased containment throughout the weekend. Dolan Fire
10 am — Another truck just came through, this guy says dozers are ON THEIR WAY UP PLASKETT, but quite a ways back from him — a white truck, no logos, who came speeding up here. Now there are 3 trucks up here scouting, trying to figure out they are going to get through here and up Chalk Peak. Told him we are concerned about them tearing up Chalk Peak. This will be a war zone at some point. Can’t use N-F because it is packed, among other things.
UPDATE: Reduction of Evacuation Order to Warning – Partington Zone C
Partington Ridge, CA. – Effective immediately the evacuation order in place for Partington Zone C has been downgraded to an evacuation warning. Access is permitted only for residents due to fire equipment and emergency personnel in the area. The evacuation warning area for Zone C is as follows:
Highway 1 at Anderson Canyon. (Post mile 35)
North to: Highway 1 at Torre Canyon. (Post Mile 39)
West of Highway 1 to the Pacific Ocean.
East Highway 1 to North Coast Ridge Road to include Partington Ridge Road.
All other Evacuation Orders are still in place for Dolan Ridge Zone A, Lucia Zone B and Prewitt Ridge Zone J.
As a reminder an “Evacuation WARNING” (i.e. sometimes used interchangeably with the term “Advisory”) means those in a specific area/zone should be prepared to evacuate at any time. You do not need to leave your home at this time but please be alert and prepared to leave if an Evacuation Order is called.
An “Evacuation ORDER” means those in a specific area/zone should leave immediately.
If you feel that your life is in danger, do not wait for an emergency notification.
Additionally: When an Evacuation Order is in place for a zone(s), this means the public, including residents, are not allowed to enter the zone(s). The closures will have Law Enforcement roadblocks on northern and southern closure of Highway 1 turning cars around that are not authorized to be in the closure. This also includes no “In and out” privileges for subjects who decided to stay at their properties despite the Evacuation Order. If you leave the closed area, you will not be allowed to re-enter.
An Evacuation Order signals an immediate threat to life and safety. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access. An interactive map of the area can be found on the Monterey County OES website.
As a result of this extension the road closure for Highway One will be relocated to the area of Sand Dollar Day Use area.
All other Dolan Evacuation Orders remain in place.
Forest Order Number 05-07-51-20-19 remains in effect.
Firefighting resources previously assigned to the north end of the fire are being shifted to the southern end as the operations in the McWay Ridge area are secured. The Dolan Fire is burning two miles northwest of Nacimiento – Ferguson Road.
A!ert Monterey County: To receive emergency notifications regarding evacuations and critical events in Monterey County please sign up for A!ert Monterey County at the following website: https://member.everbridge.net/453003085611217/login.
Be prepared for emergencies; the Ready, Set, Go! program informs residents about preparing for disaster.
Start / Report Date: Aug. 18, 2020 Size: 31,005 acres Containment: 35% Cause: Unknown Location: Hwy 1(MM32.20) N of Limekiln State Park, 10 miles S of Big Sur Injuries: 3 Structures Destroyed: 8 Fuels Involved: Chaparral, Brush, Timber understory
Resources:
Hand Crews: 11
Engines: 66
Dozers: 8 Helicopters: 10
Water Tenders: 22
Total Personnel: 904
Current Situation:
Overnight saw calm conditions and fire activity was minimal. Crews were able to continue to enhance containment lines and hold previous work. Today’s weather forecasts a marine layer up to 2,000 feet which could linger through most of the day, suppressing fire activity in the fire’s lower elevations. Above 2,000 feet weather is expected to continue to be warmer and drier with light winds throughout the day. An infrared flight was completed last night showing fire growth of a few hundred acres.
Last night crews in the north end of the fire continued reinforcing containment lines along McWay Ridge and “mopping up” (ensuring areas where fire has moved through had little potential to burn again). In the Partington area crews finished clearing around infrastructure and constructing indirect line. Crews also patrolled along Highway 1 and continued to keep fire out of Lucia and the Hermitage and worked on the southern contingency lines.
Today’s deeper inversion is expected to hold smoke over the fire area which may inhibit helicopter support into some areas during much of the day. The inversion will help to keep fire activity lower and potential spotting to fifty feet or less. Much of the fire is currently backing down slopes, burning vegetation at a much lower intensity. Rolling material (burning logs and vegetation) moving off the extremely steep slopes and igniting unburned fuels below continues to be the primary cause of fire growth.
Most of the fire growth is occurring in the Ventana Wilderness and the area around Cone Peak. Today’s plan is to insert several Hot Shot crews into the wilderness to begin direct line construction in that area. Crews will also continue work on the contingency line south of Prewitt Ridge between South Coast Ridge Road and Highway 1 and a half mile south of Alms Ridge. Both dozers and hand crews are being used to build the primary line on “No Name Ridge” which runs west to Highway 1 from the Cone Peak Road. This line is north of Nacimiento Fergusson Road.
An excessive heat watch has been issued for this area and temperatures are expected to be in the 90’s along the coast and low hundreds inland from Friday through Monday afternoon. Winds are forecast to remain mild. Fire activity is expected to increase with this change in weather conditions. Firefighting operations are being adjusted as necessary to ensure continued and increased containment throughout the weekend.
From John Chesnut’s Maps, it looks as if there wasn’t much activity last night, which is a good thing, considering the heat wave knocking on our door. Here they are, south and north.
Today saw minimal forward movement in most of the fire area. Much of the fire is currently backing down slopes, burning vegetation at a much lower intensity. The primary cause of the fire expansion was rolling material (burning logs and vegetation) moving off the extremely steep slopes and igniting unburned fuels below. Crews continued to build contingency lines both by hand and with dozers in the south area of the fire. Much of the northern line is now contained and helicopters were able to do some water drops on the eastern most flank of the fire in the Ventana Wilderness. Suppression repair work also began today in the Lucia area.
Crews continued work along the north section of the fire, patrolling and putting out hot spots near the containment lines along McWay Ridge at North Coast Ridge Road. The line has been completed and unburned vegetation has been fired out. Firefighters have also completed clearing of vegetation and other fuels around infrastructure in the Partington area. Much of this area is now contained and crews are moving to other priorities.
The southern containment lines near Lucia are holding well and suppression repair work has begun in this area. A contingency line south of Prewitt Ridge between South Coast Ridge Road and Highway 1 and a half mile south of Alms Ridge was started. Crews continued to work on the primary indirect containment line north of Naciemento Ferguson Road and along the road to Cone Peak. Both dozers and hand crews are being used to build this line on “No Name Ridge” which runs east and west to Highway 1 from the Cone Peak Road.
The east side of the fire continues to burn further into the Ventana Wilderness. Helicopters were able to do some water drops in the Lost Valley area today once the smoke cleared in the late afternoon. The fire is primarily backing in this area and crews hope to build hand line along the fire perimeter, going direct, to minimize the fire size and expansion. The crews will remain out near the fire’s edge (spiking out) and staying in this area for several days at a time. The heavy smoke and haze prevented hand crews from being dropped into this area today, but the plan is to get crews into the wilderness as soon as possible now that the northern perimeter is contained and excellent progress is being made on the southern edge of the fire.
An excessive heat watch has been issued for this area and temperatures are expected to be in the 90’s along the coast and low hundreds inland from Friday through Monday afternoon. Winds are forecast to remain mild. Fire activity is expected to increase with this change in weather conditions and firefighting operations are being adjusted as necessary to ensure continued and increased containment throughout the weekend.
Here is the evening John Chesnut map. Is looking pretty good for those of us on the South Coast. High fog, no or light winds…. a sigh of temporary relief because a serious heatwave is on the way.
Fire truck just came through here, then a truck (gray?) full of firefighters and warned me three dozers and 1 road grader coming through here. One and 1/2 hours later, they came back through going down with an SUV between them (maybe an evacuee? I didn’t recognize the vehicle).
Cannot see anything this morning due to the smoke, so relying on John Chesnut’s maps. And our weather report for this next week is not good. From John Lindsey: “A ridge of high pressure will take its place over California starting on Wednesday. This condition will allow for temperatures to rise throughout our region and the afternoon northwesterly winds along the coastline to increase to strong to gale-force (25 to 38 mph) levels on Thursday through Monday.”
Start / Report Date: Aug. 18, 2020 Size: 29,550 Containment: 25% Location: Hwy 1(MM32.20) N of Limekiln State Park, 10 miles S of Big Sur Injuries: 0 Cause: Unknown
Overnight fire activity was minimal. Today’s weather forecasts a low lying marine inversion, suppressing fire activity below 1200 feet in elevation. Above 1200 feet weather is expected to be warmer and drier with light east, southeast winds in the morning and winds out of the northwest in the afternoon.
Crews reinforced containment lines on the north side of the fire overnight and completed indirect line construction and infrastructure clearing in the Partington area. The line has been completed and unburned vegetation has been fired out. The completion of this work has allowed resources to be shifted east working towards Lost Valley.
The fire has been growing approximately 1,000 acres each day. Most of this growth has been into the Ventana Wilderness. Several Hot Shot crews will be flown into the wilderness area today. They will be hiking to the fire from the landing zone and begin the construction of line on the fire’s edge. The plan is for additional crews to begin work to the northeast from North Coast Ridge Road.
Firefighters will also be hard at work securing the southern edge of the fire south of Hermitage. This line will be tied into Highway 1 and is the final phase of line construction around the Hermitage.
A ridge of high pressure will be building over California during the next few days bringing much warmer temperatures, lower humidity and dissipation of the marine layer.
