Carmel Fire (Day 9) and RiverFire (Day 11) post. Unless things change, today’s post will be the final daily update for these fires. River Fire is at 48% containment and Carmel is at 45% so it seems we have turned the corner on these two fires. Please refer to the Office of Emergency Services response page here for updates. A big THANK YOU to all the Firefighters and Volunteers!
CalFire Incident page Carmel & River CalFire Facebook Updates here. Sheriff Facebook Updates here. Monterey County Office of Emergency Services Facebook here
River Fire: 48,424 acres burned, 48% contained, 1,183 personnel assigned, 13 residences destroyed, 17 other structures destroyed, damage assessment is ~90% complete.
Dolan Fire: 20,397 acres burned, 15% containment.
Morning Briefing 7AM:
“This is Soberanes land. Many of us spent a lifetime here.” “We need every one of you, every one of you, to finish this incident, go to the next, and get home to your families safe and sound, with stories and not scars.” “Collectively, you bring order to the chaos that was occurring here just a week ago … Thank you for all you’re doing.” -Cal Fire Chief Thom Porter
“We are in a marathon” “… the battle is not over until you’re home with your families”. – Unified Incident Commander George
7:15 AM: Carmel and River Fires Google Earth Image with VIIRS and MODIS Satellite and CDF Infrared Outline (from 08/25/20). The Latest satellite heat detection spots are from Monday at 11:25 PM. Note: the red circles inside the fire outlines are not new satellite detections. They are isolated heat sources as detected by an infrared camera mounted to an airplane.
Residents can access comfort kits, Personal Protective Equipment and bottled water at a Commodity Point of Distribution (C-POD). C-PODS have been set up at:
Carmel Valley Village near Meg’s Chevron and
Tassajara Rd and Carmel Valley starting August 25, 2020 from 5:00pm-8:30pm and will open again on Tuesday, August 26, 2020 from at 8:00am – 8:00pm.
Evacuation Map can be found here (Red is Order, Yellow is Warning, Green is Lifted) The map below is from 8:30 AM:
We are getting an IR flight tonight, so should have some much more accurate maps tomorrow, but in the mean time, I asked John Chesnut for an evening one, and he so kindly obliged me with two!
Area closure order issued for Dolan Fire GOLETA, Calif.— Los Padres National Forest officials issued a forest order closing the Dolan Fire area on the Monterey Ranger District to the public effective tomorrow, August 26. Forest Service law enforcement officers will strictly enforce the closure order, which carries a penalty of $5,000 and/or six months in jail.
The boundary of the Dolan Fire Closure Area begins near Timber Top following the North Coast Ridge Road (20S05) east to Cold Spring Camp and the Big Sur Trail. Continuing eastward, the closure boundary follows the South Fork Trail (3E09) to the Marble Peak Trail (4E07) where it intersects with the Arroyo Seco/Indians Road (19S09) and follows the road southeast to the National Forest boundary and then southwest along the boundary to Nacimiento-Fergusson Road (22S01) where it heads west along the northern edge of the road to Highway 1. The closure boundary then heads north along Highway 1 where it intersects the National Forest boundary near Limekiln State Parks and follows the boundary back to the beginning of the Closure Area, as shown on the attached map. (I tried for over 1/2 hour to upload the map, and could not. It is now almost 11 pm, so I am giving up for tonight)
The Dolan Fire started August 18 and has burned 20,213 acres and is 15 percent contained. Incident Management Team 2 is in Unified Command with the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. Closure of the fire area is intended to help ensure that members of the public are not injured within the fire perimeter, to keep the area clear for fire equipment traffic, and to allow for the scorched landscape to begin the rehabilitation and regrowth process. This order will expire when the Dolan Fire is fully contained and controlled.
·Dolan Fire Afternoon Update: There is a second spot in the south east corner of the fire, south of the big one we’ve been reporting on. This one is west of the Coast Ridge which is desirable because the ridge is where we can ultimately stop it. On the south we are going direct with dozers and hand line then they will take the line over to Cone Peak. On the north they are prepping McVay Ridge with dozers and hand line. They are also working out the slopover on the north east.
Current Situation:
Fire behavior overnight was moderated due to the marine layer. Night operations focused on monitoring fire conditions and gathering information about the fire that will assist today’s fire operations.
Today crews will continue to focus on the Northern and Southern edges of the fire by constructing and enhancing contingency lines. These control lines will provide additional protection and management options for firefighters in the event that fire progresses towards the structures. Additional dozer lines are being scouted and constructed to provide point protection for communities. Crews will also be monitoring bridges that may serve as pathways for fire to cross into unburned areas. The hazards of rolling rocks and spot fires in the field, as well as driving and traffic conditions on the road continue to be safety concerns for crews.
Low intensity backing fires are expected again today in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and crews will be in the park providing structure protection. Firefighters will monitor the Eastern perimeter near the North Coast Ridge Road at the transition of the North Coast Ridge trail where the fire was active yesterday. Fire behavior and growth in that area is driven largely by fuels with no recent fire history.
The fire is threatening the communities of Hermitage, Partington Ridge, and Lucia. Multiple businesses, communications sites, parks and recreational sites are also threatened. Among natural resources threatened are the Ventana Wilderness and coastal watershed and habitat for threatened and endangered species, including the California condor.
Fire activity in the western United States has caused a high demand for fire personnel and equipment. The nation is in Preparedness Level 5 (PL5), the highest level. In PL5 over 80% of the nation’s incident management teams and wildland firefighting personnel are committed to incidents. Currently there are 93 large uncontained fires nationwide with nearly 28,000 firefighters. To date, fires have burned 2.1 million acres with 1.84 million acres burned in California alone. Resource orders are being prioritized to fires across California and the west. Acreage reported here is an estimate and will be updated when IR images are available.
Updates and Meetings: Fire Information is producing two daily written updates. To request an update, email 2020.dolan@firenet.gov and provide your email address. A daily video update will be posted to the Los Padres National Forest Facebook page and Inciweb (See links in header).
Weather: Tomorrow’s weather is expected to be typical for late summer days with a marine layer and inversion lifting to clear skies.
Evacuations / Closures: Click here for an interactive map of Monterey County evacuations.
Smoke: The Monterey Bay Air Resources District has issued a Wildfire Air Quality Advisory. When the concentration of smoke has reached UNHEALTHY levels of the AQI, residents should limit their activity by staying indoors with the doors and windows closed to avoid breathing smoke. Updates on the current air quality forecast and Air Monitoring data can be found at http://air.mbard.org/.
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.
Cooperating and Assisting Organizations: National Weather Service, California Highway Patrol, Monterey County Sheriff’s Department, Big Sur Volunteers, Cal Trans, California State Parks, OES, Ventana Wilderness Alliance
Safety Message: 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.
Incident Information
Basic Information
Current as of
8/25/2020, 7:52:02 PM
Incident Type
Wildfire
Cause
Unknown
Date of Origin
Tuesday August 18th, 2020 approx. 08:15 PM
Location
Highway 1(MM 32.20) North of Limekiln State Park, 10 miles South of Big Sur
Incident Commander
CAIIMT 2 Mike Minton ICT1 Big Sur FD Matt Harris UIC Monterey Co. SO Joseph Moses UIC
Incident Description
Wildfire
Coordinates
36.123 latitude, -121.602 longitude
Current Situation
Total Personnel
880
Size
20,397 Acres
Percent of Perimeter Contained
15%
Estimated Containment Date
Wednesday September 16th, 2020 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved
Chaparral (6 feet)Brush (2 feet)Timber (Grass and Understory)
Significant Events
Active Flanking Backing Isolated Torching
Outlook
Planned Actions
Crews in all divisions continue to construct direct/indirect control lines to prepare for burning out operations on the North and South ends of the fire. Crews will continue to evaluate need for point protection and structure defense.
Projected Incident Activity
Fire is burning on private land, the Los Padres National Forest Ventana wilderness. Fire is taking advantage of slope driven runs and dry fuel, moving up and down canyons, spotting and making runs, fire movement in all directions, ie. south, north, and east. Area tends to burn actively in the evening hours driven by mid slope thermal weather activity. Concern that the smoke inversion will lift and the fire activity will increase.
Current Weather
Weather Concerns
Typical late-August conditions prevailed once again today. In the morning, there was some low clouds and fog along the coastal side of the fire. By late morning, the clouds and fog dissipated, leaving sunny and smoky skies. Afternoon temperatures were in the 70s and 80s with humidity dropping down to the 35-55% range. Ridgetop winds were southeasterly with typical diurnal winds at lower elevations.For tonight and Wednesday, the marine layer influence will continue along the coastal side of the fire with some low clouds and fog. Otherwise, clear and smoky skies are expected. Afternoon temperatures will be a few degrees warmer with an associated decrease in relative humidity. Typical diurnal winds are expected.
I will be updating this page throughout the day, so click the title to open in a separate window, and refresh this page as you need.Please be patient with USFS, BSF, and Monterey County Sheriff as they release information about the status of the fire and the evacuation orders. (And with me as I gather it and post it). Thank you.““““““
Changes are being made to some of the fire evacuation shelters and centers due to re- entry for the Carmel and River fires. There is still help available and it is safe to go to evacuation locations, COVID-19 procedures are in place.
Here is the updated list of county evacuation shelters and centers.
Evacuation Shelters are open 24 hours for sleeping, meals, referrals for non-congregate housing assistance.
• Salinas Valley Fairgrounds, 625 Division Street, King City • Carmel Middle School, 4380 Carmel Valley Rd, Carmel
Evacuation Centers are open 8 am to 8 pm and provide, water, snacks, housing referrals, RV camping vouchers.
• Monterey Conference Center, 1 Portola Plaza, Monterey • King City Library, 402 Broadway, King City
************************************************************************John Chesnut’s daily map will go here when received. John says about this map:
“The high resolution VIIRS satellite has not updated overnight. … I am attaching the lower resolution MODIS (1km) return, with some trepidation (as it is coarsely inaccurate).”
John Chesnut put together another map showing the boundary from the first IR flight on 8/23 here. It is very close to the hand-drawn boundary John created.
************************************************************************USFS daily morning briefing will go here when it is posted.
Location: Hwy 1(MM32.20) N of Limekiln State Park, 10 miles S of Big Sur
Helicopters: 4
Fixed wing: 1
Water Tenders: 7
Containment: 15%
Injuries: 0
Total Personnel: 662
Current Situation:
Fire behavior overnight was moderated due to the marine layer. Night operations focused on monitoring fire conditions and gathering information about the fire that will assist today’s fire operations.
Today crews will continue to focus on the Northern and Southern edges of the fire by constructing and enhancing contingency lines. These control lines will provide additional protection and management options for firefighters in the event that fire progresses towards the structures. Additional dozer lines are being scouted and constructed to provide point protection for communities. Crews will also be monitoring bridges that may serve as pathways for fire to cross into unburned areas. The hazards of rolling rocks and spot fires in the field, as well as driving and traffic conditions on the road continue to be safety concerns for crews.
Low intensity backing fires are expected again today in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and crews will be in the park providing structure protection. Firefighters will monitor the Eastern perimeter near the North Coast Ridge Road at the transition of the North Coast Ridge trail where the fire was active yesterday. Fire behavior and growth in that area is driven largely by fuels with no recent fire history.
The fire is threatening the communities of Hermitage, Partington Ridge, and Lucia. Multiple businesses, communications sites, parks and recreational sites are also threatened. Among natural resources threatened are the Ventana Wilderness and coastal watershed and habitat for threatened and endangered species, including the California condor.
Fire activity in the western United States has caused a high demand for fire personnel and equipment. The nation is in Preparedness Level 5 (PL5), the highest level. In PL5 over 80% of the nation’s incident management teams and wildland firefighting personnel are committed to incidents. Currently there are 93 large uncontained fires nationwide with nearly 28,000 firefighters. To date, fires have burned 2.1 million acres with 1.84 million acres burned in California alone. Resource orders are being prioritized to fires across California and the west. Acreage reported here is an estimate and will be updated when IR images are available.
Carmel Fire Info: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/18/carmel-fire/ River Fire Info: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/16/river-fire/ Updates and Meetings: Fire Information is producing two daily written updates. To request an update, email 2020.dolan@firenet.gov and provide your email address. A daily video update will be posted to the Los Padres National Forest Facebook page and Inciweb (See links in header). Weather: Tomorrow’s weather is expected to be typical for late summer days with a marine layer and inversion lifting to clear skies. Evacuations / Closures: Click here for an interactive map of Monterey County evacuations. Smoke: The Monterey Bay Air Resources District has issued a Wildfire Air Quality Advisory. When the concentration of smoke has reached UNHEALTHY levels of the AQI, residents should limit their activity by staying indoors with the doors and windows closed to avoid breathing smoke. Updates on the current air quality forecast and Air Monitoring data can be found at http://air.mbard.org/. 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. Cooperating and Assisting Organizations: National Weather Service, California Highway Patrol, Monterey County Sheriff’s Department, Big Sur Volunteers, Cal Trans, California State Parks, OES, Ventana Wilderness Alliance Safety Message: 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
Carmel Fire (Day 8) and RiverFire (Day 10) post. Click the title to open in a separate window, and refresh this page throughout the day. Please be patient with CalFire and Monterey County Sheriff as they release information about the status of the fires and the evacuation orders. Thank you.
CalFire Incident page Carmel & River CalFire Facebook Updates here. Sheriff Facebook Updates here. Monterey County Office of Emergency Services Facebook here
The evacuation ORDER and WARNING covering Zone 19A on Esquiline Rd as it travels south, it becomes Southbank Rd which becomes Hitchcock Rd is being LIFTED.The evacuation ORDER and evacuation WARNING covering C-Zone 5 all areas south/west including Tassajara Road from Miller Canyon to East Carmel Valley Road to include Chew’s Ridge, Kincannon Road, Lambert Flat, Parrot Ranch Road and tributaries. Tassajara Road west to Miller Canyon, including Miller Canyon is being LIFTED at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, August 25th, 2020
River Fire
The evacuation ORDER and WARNING covering R-Zone 7 West of River Road from Limekiln Road to Gonzales River Road AND R-Zone 13 A all areas and roads west of River Road to Palo Escrito Peak and extending south from Gonzales River Road to Puma Road is being LIFTED at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, August 25th, 2020. The EVACUATION ORDER for R-Zone 13 to include all areas and roads east of Carmel Valley Roadto Palo Escrito Peak from south of Tassajara Road to Finch Creeknot to include Carmel Valley Road REMAINS IN PLACE.
Residents can access comfort kits, Personal Protective Equipment, and bottled water at a Commodity Point of Distribution (C-POD). C-PODS have been set up at 1) Carmel Valley Village and 2) Tassajara Rd and Carmel Valley starting August 25, 2020 from 5:00pm-8:30pm and will open again on Tuesday, August 26, 2020 from at 8:00am – 8:00pm.
Some homes may still be without water and water systems may have lost pressure or was disconnected from electrical power for a period of time, it is advisable to make sure it is not contaminated with coliform bacteria. To see if your well and piping system maintained positive pressure during the fire, turn on a faucet in the household to see if water comes out. You should not hear any air being released from the faucet. The flow of water should be steady and uninterrupted. If you do hear air escaping from the faucet with water intermittently spurting out when it is turned on, that is an indication that the well and household plumbing had a loss of pressure and should be checked to make sure it is bacteriologically safe. More at https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/health/environmental-health/general/recovering-after-a-wildfire
The Evacuation Order for Zone 1a and 2a have been lifted as of 3:00 PM on Tuesday, August 25th, 2020. These areas include Pine Canyon Rd. west of Mesa and Berry Dr. west of Enos Dr.
Evacuation Notificationshere (note: select the DASHBOARD tab from a desktop computer for a detailed map with hot spots plus evacuation zones)
Evacuation Map can be found here (Red is Order, Yellow is Warning, Green is Lifted) The map below is from 5:30 PM:
River Fire 48,424 acres 33% contained, Carmel Fire 6,695 acres 30% contained, Dolan Fire 20,091 acres 10% contained.
1:15 PM: Carmel and River Fires Google Earth Image with VIIRS and MODIS Satellite and CDF Infrared Outline (white line from 08/20/20). The Latest satellite heat detection spots are from Monday at 1:54 PM: Carmel_River_Fire2_082520
7:00 AM: Carmel and River Fires Google Earth Image with VIIRS and MODIS Satellite and CDF Infrared Outline (white line from 08/20/20). The Latest satellite heat detection spots are from Monday at 2:48 PM: Carmel_River_Fire_082520
Connie lives within walking distance of McWay Falls, within the closure area, and captured what might be the best photo of the Dolan Fire, but certainly the best photo taken today. Thanks Connie for letting me share it.
New photos taken at 1:30 pm — show more fire cumulus clouds.
These are 45 minutes later. It has been making a run to the east for over two hours this afternoon.
12:30 pm — Not a cloud in the sky except for these shots over the Dolan Fire. The photos below were taken around 12:30 pm from my house at 3200’ on top of Plaskett Ridge. I sent them to the Dolan PIO who confirmed there was a slop over on the North Coast Road and it is now 200-300 acres and established. It is 1 mile east of Hot Springs Canyon. No structures are threatened. I will add more throughout the day if warranted. I have put these through HDR to bring out the contrasts which makes them easier to see.
Prewitt Ridge if front ridge middle ridge runs up to Cone Peak, far ridge is Partington.
Incident Information:Start / Report Date: Aug. 18, 2020 Cause: Unknown
Fuels Involved: Chaparral, Brush, Timber understoryResources:Hand Crews: 11Engines: 46Dozers: 7 Size: 20,091 Location: Hwy 1(MM32.20) N of Limekiln State Park, 10 miles S of Big Sur Helicopters: 4Fixed wing: 1Water Tenders: 7 Containment: 15%Injuries: 0Total Personnel: 662
Current Situation:Fire activity continued to be steady, with low intensity backing fire through the redwoods of Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. The fire was also active within the existing perimeter, reburning in areas the fire had previously passed through. The fire spotted over on the Eastern perimeter near the North Coast Ridge Road at the transition of the North Coast Ridge trail, with fire behavior and growth driven largely by fuels in an area with no recent fire history. Firefighters are monitoring fire growth in this area.
Crews continued to focus on the Northern and Southern edges of the fire by constructing and enhancing contingency lines. These handlines will provide additional protection and management options for firefighters in the event that fire progresses towards the structures. More dozer line was constructed to provide point protection for communities.
Fire behavior this evening is expected to be similar to previous nights, with activity picking up along the coast ridges during a five-hour window starting around midnight. Night operations will be focused on monitoring fire conditions, gathering critical intel that will assist the fire operations in the morning. Crews will also be monitoring bridges that may serve as pathways for fire to cross into unburned areas. The hazards of rolling rocks and spot fires in the field, as well as driving and traffic conditions on the road continue to be safety concerns for crews.
fAcreage reported here is an estimate and will be updated when IR images are available.
Weather: Tomorrow’s weather is expected to be typical for late summer days with a marine layer and inversion lifting to clear skies. Evacuations / Closures: Click here for an interactive map of Monterey County evacuations.
Smoke: The Monterey Bay Air Resources District has issued a Wildfire Air Quality Advisory. When the concentration of smoke has reached UNHEALTHY levels of the AQI, residents should limit their activity by staying indoors with the doors and windows closed to avoid breathing smoke. Updates on the current air quality forecast and Air Monitoring data can be found at http://air.mbard.org/.
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.
Cooperating and Assisting Organizations: National Weather Service, California Highway Patrol, Monterey County Sheriff’s Department, Big Sur Volunteers, Cal Trans, California State Parks, OES, Ventana Wilderness Alliance
Safety Message: 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.
As of last night: Dolan Fire – Acres: 19,287; Containment: 10%
8 am — I will be updating this page throughout the day, so click the title to open in a separate window, and refresh this page as you need.Please be patient with USFS, BSF, and Monterey County Sheriff as they release information about the status of the fire and the evacuation orders. (And with me as I gather it and post it). Thank you.
**Cancelled** Red Flag Warnings is still in effect through 5:00 p.m. Monday for dry lightning with gusty and erratic winds. Potential gusts as high as 65 mph can be expected with thunderstorms(North State Red Flag Warning still in effect).
DOLAN PUBLIC FIRE INFORMATION SOURCES: Public Information Phone: (831) 272-0222
6:30 pm — John Chesnut send me a map of the “slop-over” on Coast Ridge Rd. That makes it clear. He thought it was an error until I told him what I had been watching it all day, and then what the PIO found out when I sent him a photo. This slop over is on Coast Ridge Road (aka North Coast Ridge Road and being erroneously referred to as “Mid-Coast Road” by the IMT members. I have notified the PIO, and they are changing how they refer to it. Here is the modis map done by that wonderful man I have never met. I have posted a lot of photos of what I watched today here: https://bigsurkate.blog/2020/08/24/dolan-fire-photos-fire-making-weather/
Additionally, there has been a lot of chatter re the Soberanes Footprint, so that wonderful man made me a map showing that Dolan is basically “skirting” Soberanes.
Beautiful blue skies and no smoke except by Lucia and Hermitage, the southern and south eastern section of the Dolan Fire.
Current Situation:The Red Flag Warning has been cancelled for today. The fire actively burned throughout the night. Fire activity moderated in the early morning hours as humidity increased. An Infrared flight was flown last night which contributed to the stated increase in acres, with an estimated growth of 500 acres.
Overnight crews were able to complete indirect handline around the communities of Lucia, Morning Glory, and Partington. These handlines will provide additional protection and management options for firefighters in the event that fire progresses towards the structures. Today, crews will continue to focus on point protection on the North, West, and South ends of the fire. Crews will also be constructing indirect lines to support future containment operations. The hazard of rolling rocks and spot fires continue to be safety concerns for crews in all divisions, especially along Hwy 1.
Aerial resources will look to take advantage of clear skies when possible to assist ground resources with retardant and bucket drops. As air quality and visibility improve, aviation assets will support crews on the ground. Yesterday, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department entered into unified command with California Incident Management Team 2 and Big Sur Fire. The incident management team completed the move into a new incident command post at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
Dolan Fire Update August 24, 2020 8:00 AM Public Information Phone: (831) 272-0222 Media Information Phone: (831) 272-0221 Incident E-mail: 2020.Dolan@firenet.gov Incident Website: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7018 Los Padres National Forest: http://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf Facebook: facebook.com/lospadresnationalforest Twitter: twitter.com/LosPadresNF Big Sur FD: https://bigsurfire.org/ Incident Information: Start / Report Date: Aug. 18, 2020 Cause: Unknown Fuels Involved: Chaparral, Brush, Timber understory Resources: Hand Crews: 9 Engines: 42 Dozers: 6 Current Situation: Size: 20,091 Location: Hwy 1(MM32.20) N of Limekiln State Park, 10 miles S of Big Sur Helicopters: 4 Fixed wing: 1 Water Tenders: 6 Containment: 10% Injuries: 0 Total Personnel: 579 The Red Flag Warning has been cancelled for today. The fire actively burned throughout the night. Fire activity moderated in the early morning hours as humidity increased. An Infrared flight was flown last night which contributed to the stated increase in acres, with an estimated growth of 500 acres.
Overnight crews were able to complete indirect handline around the communities of Lucia, Morning Glory, and Partington. These handlines will provide additional protection and management options for firefighters in the event that fire progresses towards the structures. Today, crews will continue to focus on point protection on the North, West, and South ends of the fire. Crews will also be constructing indirect lines to support future containment operations. The hazard of rolling rocks and spot fires continue to be safety concerns for crews in all divisions, especially along Hwy 1.
Aerial resources will look to take advantage of clear skies when possible to assist ground resources with retardant and bucket drops. As air quality and visibility improve, aviation assets will support crews on the ground. Yesterday, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department entered into unified command with California Incident Management Team 2 and Big Sur Fire. The incident management team completed the move into a new incident command post at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
The fire is threatening the communities of Hermitage, Partington Ridge, and Lucia. Multiple businesses, communications sites, parks and recreational sites are also threatened. Among natural resources threatened are the Ventana Wilderness and coastal watershed and habitat for threatened and endangered species,
including the California condor. Fire activity in the western United States has caused a high demand for fire personnel and equipment. The nation is in Preparedness Level 5 (PL5), the highest level. In PL5 over 80% of the nation’s incident management teams and wildland firefighting personnel are committed to incidents. Resource orders are being prioritized to fires across California and the west. Acreage reported here is an estimate and will be updated when IR images are available.
Carmel Fire Info: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/18/carmel-fire/ River Fire Info: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/16/river-fire/ Updates and Meetings: Fire Information is producing two daily written updates. To request an update, email 2020.dolan@firenet.gov and provide your email address. A daily video update will be posted to the Los Padres National Forest Facebook page and Inciweb (See links in header). Weather: The Red Flag Warning has been cancelled for today. The weather is expected to be partly to mostly cloudy, with winds of 5-12 miles per hour with gusts of 20 miles per hour on the ridgetops. Evacuations / Closures: Click here for an interactive map of Monterey County evacuations.
Smoke: The Monterey Bay Air Resources District has issued a Wildfire Air Quality Advisory. When the concentration of smoke has reached UNHEALTHY levels of the AQI, residents should limit their activity by staying indoors with the doors and windows closed to avoid breathing smoke. Updates on the current air quality forecast and Air Monitoring data can be found at http://air.mbard.org/.
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. Cooperating and Assisting Organizations: National Weather Service, California Highway Patrol, Monterey County Sheriff’s Department, Big Sur Volunteers, Cal Trans, California State Parks, OES, Ventana Wilderness Alliance
Safety Message: 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.
Carmel Fire (Day 7) and RiverFire (Day 9) post. Click the title to open in a separate window, and refresh this page throughout the day. Please be patient with CalFire and Monterey County Sheriff as they release information about the status of the fires and the evacuation orders. Thank you. CAL FIRE NEWS RELEASE California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Media Line: 831-647-6257 Release Date: August 24, 2020 Public Information: 925-532-5455 Time: 1:00 P.M. RIVER AND CARMEL FIRES REPOPULATION WHAT: Evacuation Orders and Evacuation Warnings Lifted on the River and Carmel Fires DATE/TIME: August 24, 2020 at 1:00 P.M. WHERE: Areas of repopulation in the following zones EVACUATION ORDERS LIFTED: • Zone 1: Pine Canyon Rd, Parker Rd, Laurel Ln, and Trimble Hill Ln. EXCEPTION: Pine Canyon Rd west of Mesa REMAIN UNDER EVACUATION ORDER • Zone 2: South of River Rd from Tara Dr to Pine Canyon Rd to include all roads off Las Palmas Pkwy, Ranchito Dr, Indian Springs Rd, Redding Dr, and Belmont Circle. EXCEPTION: Berry Dr west of Enos Dr REMAIN UNDER EVACUATION ORDER. • Zone 4: Southwest of Parker Rd, northwest of Corral De Cielo Rd, and Rana Creek. Southeast of the intersection of Chualar River Rd and River Rd, northwest of Limekiln. • Zone 5: Harper Canyon area, all areas within north of San Benancio Rd, west of Troy Ln, southeast of Harper Canyon Rd, to include Harper Canyon Road, Weather Rock Way, and Rimrock Canyon Rd. • Zone 6: West of River Rd from Parker Rd, South to Limekiln Rd to include Limekiln Rd. • Zone 8: All areas south of Highway 68, east of San Benancio Rd to include San Benancio Rd south to Harper Canyon Rd
• Zone 10: All areas south within the intersection of Hwy 68 and River Road to Tara Drive and Hwy 68 south to San Benancio Road, including the Los Palmas 1 and 117 Drive Communities. This order does not include the Toro Regional Main Park area. EVACUATION WARNINGS LIFTED: • Zone 3: Indian Canyon, Mt. Toto Access Rd and San Benancio Rd from Troy Ln to Corral de Tierra, including Corral del Cielo Rd, Lucie Ln, and Covie Ln. • Zone 9,11: Areas North of Highway 68 from Portola Drive and Veronica Drive/Estoque Place east, to include all roads off Portola Drive to Creekside Court. THERE WILL BE ROAD CLOSURES AT: • Pine Canyon Rd at Mesa Rd • Berry Dr at Enos Dr To view the River and Carmel Fires Evacuation Map please visit: https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/administrative-office/office-of- emergency-services/situational-awareness/public-alert-warning SAFETY MESSAGE: The public is reminded to stay vigilant on current fire conditions. Please continue to adhere to road closures and evacuation orders or warnings. If you see electrical wires on the ground, stay clear and contact PG&E immediately. For those who may be utilizing backup generators, please review the generator use safety information at https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/electrical-safety/electric-generator-safety/electric-generator- safety.page?WT.pgeac=PSPS_FAQ-GeneratorSafety. Trees and poles with deep charring, particularly if still smoldering, should be considered hazardous. Please drive slowly and yield to emergency personnel in the area. Please visit http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/health for public health or https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/health/behavioral-health for behavioral health concerns. For additional information on the River and Carmel Fires, Monterey County residents should contact River and Carmel Fires Information Line at (831) 647-6257or 211. To sign up for emergency alert notifications visit: http://www.alertmontereycounty.org For more information on wildfire, visit CAL FIRE online at http://www.readyforwildfire.org ###
The Evacuation Orders and Warnings covering the areas of Carmel Valley, Corral de Tierra, and San Benancio are being lifted effective at 9:00am on Monday, August 24, 2020. This covers the entirety of evacuation order Zones 17, and 18 and the northern portion of Zone 19. The Evacuation Warnings in Zone 20 and 21 are also being lifted. The southern portion of Zone 19 from the intersection of Esquiline Rd. at Carmel Valley Rd remains under an Evacuation Order. As Esquiline Rd travels south, it becomes Southbank Rd. which becomes Hitchcock Rd and will form the northern boundary of the current evacuation order. (click image to open map, please see additional Warnings/Orders below)
**Cancelled** Red Flag Warnings is still in effect through 5:00 p.m. Monday for dry lightning with gusty and erratic winds. Potential gusts as high as 65 mph can be expected with thunderstorms(North State Red Flag Warning still in effect). Still, a threat of pop-up thunderstorms, and somewhat of a lighting threat. Big terrain-driven “swirly” winds on the River Fire. Westerly influenced winds on the Carmel Fire. Temperatures are the same as yesterday, humidity is up.
CalFire Incident page Carmel & River CalFire Facebook Updates here. Sheriff Facebook Updates here. Monterey County Office of Emergency Services Facebook here
7AM CalFire Incident Briefing (video starts at 4:40, see detailed Day Operations Plan at 12:00, please note thedate is incorrect on the title):
River: 48,424 acres, 23% contained, 1,274 personnel assigned, 8 residences damaged, 8 residences destroyed, 1 minor structure damaged, and 13 minor structures destroyed, damage inspection is 50% complete, delivered 305,000 gallons of water and over 281,000 gallons of fire retardant.
Carmel: 6,695 acres 15% contained, 909 personnel assigned, 5 residences damaged, 35 residences destroyed, 16 minor structures damaged, 2 minor structures destroyed, damage inspection 54% complete, delivered over 197,000 gallons of water and over 9,000 gallons of fire retardant.
Dolan: as of 8PM, 19,287 acres, 10% contained, 579 personnel.
“Facts to know: In 2019 we only had 13,000 acres burned in all of California. As of 2020, we’ve had over 500,000 acres burned, so these are unprecedented times.” -Unified Incident Commander
“…these fires are in very sensitive archaeology rich area, in particular, the Carmel Fire … we’ve already have a few sites that have gotten hit … if you see this (special zone flagging) if at all possible, keep the equipment out of there.” -CalFire Archaeologist
9:45 AM: Carmel and River Fires Google Earth Image with VIIRS and MODIS Satellite and CDF Infrared Outline (white line from 08/20/20). The Latest satellite heat detection spots are from 3:24 AM PM. (please see Important Caveat note at the bottom of this post)
Evacuation Map can be found here (Red is Order, Yellow is Warning)
Resources for Evacuees
Monterey County is expanding its evacuation shelters to south Monterey County. Due to additional evacuations from the River Fire, an evacuation shelter is being opened at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds, 625 Division Street in King City.
The shelter will open Sunday morning, August 23rd at 8 am and will provide sleeping and meal accommodations. Evacuees who wish to shelter using their RVs can bring them to the fairground and check in at the shelter. This shelter will be able to accommodate evacuees with pets.
The shelter will be able to accommodate approximately 40 residents and will follow COVID-19 protocols. Evacuees should have face coverings when entering the shelter and be prepared to social distance. Shelter sleeping arrangements are being set up with COVID-19 health protocols. Temperature checks will be taken for everyone’s safety.
Here is a list of all county evacuation shelters:
Here is a list of all county evacuation shelters:
Salinas Valley Fairgrounds, 625 Division Street, King City
Carmel Middle School, 4380 Carmel Valley Rd, Carmel
Sherwood Hall, 940 North Main Street, Salinas
Monterey Conference Center, 1 Portola Plaza, Monterey
The County also has an evacuation center at the King City Library, 402 Broadway, which provides information and support, snacks, water and charging for devices for evacuee. It is open 8 am to 8 pm.
For donations visit https://montereyco.recovers.org/ or go to the Seaside High School (2200 Noche Buena St, Seaside, CA 93955) between noon and 5pm Today August 23rd. You can also pick up supplies such as food, water, clothing, pet food, and diapers at the Seaside High School Location
From SPCA: The SPCA is currently under an evacuation warning. We are safe, and we are here for you and your pets. We have been prepared for this for years. We are currently moving supplies and animals to the Monterey County Fairgrounds and Hitchcock Road Animal Services. We are doing this now so that we can continue our promise to always be here for you. (831) 373-2631
Important caveats: Please note that the squares on the heat detection maps represent the expected margin of error, not the size of the area burned. In other words, the detection could have come from anywhere within the square. Also be aware that false detections do sometimes occur. An outlying or “over the line” heat detection is not, by itself, a confirmation that there is fire in the area indicated. In addition, the satellites do not detect heat everywhere that fire exists. Creeping, backing or smoldering fire is often not detected. Finally, the detections are only snapshots of moments in time. Flare ups that occur before or after a satellite pass may be entirely missed.
Also be aware that yellow squares disappear from the map after 6 days. These are not maps of the area burned since the fire began, just maps of where heat has been detected during the past week.
I will be updating photos throughout the day as they come in so be sure to check back or refresh your browser.
Sikorsky at the Hermitage, 8/23 by Brendon ShaveThe Hermitage, 8/23 by Brendon ShaveHermitage, 8/23 by Brendon ShaveSikorsky at the Hermitage, 8/23 by Brendon ShaveHermitage-Lucia area. 1820 hours, 8/23Lucia/Hermitage area, 1820 hours, 8/23Lucia/Hermitage area 1820 hours, 8/23
I increased the HDR and tonal contrast so that the smoke columns would be more visible on these renderings.
Darn, I have been forgetting to note the times. Will check my metadata. These are from 2:45 pm —
And what I can see that Rich can’t — where it is in the wilderness. USFS has been trying to “steer” Dolan away from Hermitage, Lucia, and Gamboa, and at least on the Hermitage side it is working.
Morning Glory Ranch by Michael Handy
By the way, Michael says all buildings are fine, the fire looks closer than it is in this photo.
Hermitage 8/23 am by Brendon Shave
Brendon says: “At the rate this side is burning it won’t be here until December.”
A note from Matt Harris, chief of Big Sur Fire: Closures on Highway 1 are hard closures. Note that if you leave beyond closure at #DolanFire, you will not be able to come back.
Please check back throughout the day for update, or refresh your browser window if you are keeping it open.
10 pm, and the Dolan Fire daily briefing finally came through. This is my last point of the day/night. May the rest of the night and tomorrow be uneventful, weather-wise.
AUGUST 23, 2020 8:00 PM Public Information Phone: (831) 272-0222
Big Sur FD: https://bigsurfire.org/ Incident Information:Start / Report Date: Aug. 18, 2020 Cause: UnknownFuels Involved: Chaparral, Brush, Timber understoryResources:Hand Crews: 9Engines: 42Dozers: 6 Size: 19,287Location: Hwy 1(MM32.20) N of Limekiln State Park, 10 miles S of Big SurHelicopters: 4 Fixed wing: 1Water Tenders: 6 Current Situation: A Red Flag Warning remains in effect and will be in place until Monday evening, August 24, at 5:00 p.m. Thunderstorms with little to no precipitation are possible, particularly this evening and into the early morning, and will be accompanied by erratic and gusty outflow winds. The fire is primarily backing, and the fire footprint has not significantly changed. Crews have made considerable progress creating dozer line to the North towards Partington Ridge. Crews began direct attack along the fire’s Southeast edge and continued point protection operations around Hermitage and Lucia. Today, firefighters secured more of the western perimeter of the fire along Hwy 1. Falling rocks and the potential of spot fires across the road remain as concerns on Hwy 1. Aerial resources took advantage of clear skies to assist ground resources with retardant and bucket drops. However, smoke impacted air operations. As air quality and visibility improve, aviation assets will support crews on the ground. Today, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department entered into unified command with California Incident Management Team 2 and Big Sur Fire. The incident management team completed the move into a new incident command post at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The fire is threatening the communities of Hermitage, Partington Ridge, and Lucia. Multiple businesses, communications sites, parks and recreational sites are also threatened. Among natural resources threatened are the Ventana Wilderness and coastal watershed and habitat for threatened and endangered species, including the California condor.
Highway 1(MM 32.20) North of Limekiln State Park, 10 miles South of Big Sur
Incident Commander
USFS Mike Minton, ICT1 Big Sur FD Matt Harris, UIC
Incident Description
Wildfire
Coordinates
36.123 latitude, -121.602 longitude
Current Situation
Total Personnel
579
Size
19,287 Acres
Percent of Perimeter Contained
10%
Estimated Containment Date
Wednesday September 02nd, 2020 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved
Chaparral (6 feet)Brush (2 feet)Timber (Grass and Understory)
Significant Events
Active Flanking Short Crown Runs Backing
Outlook
Planned Actions
Crews in all divisions will continue to verify location, scout for opportunities to construct direct/indirect control lines, and evaluate need for point protection and structure defense.
Projected Incident Activity
Fire is burning on private land, the Los Padres National Forest Ventana wilderness. Fire is taking advantage of slope driven runs and dry fuel, moving up and down canyons, spotting and making erratic runs, fire movement in all directions, ie. west, south, north, and east. Area tends to burn actively in the evening hours driven by mid slope thermal weather activity. Concern that the smoke inversion will lift and the fire activity will increase. Predicted thunderstorms with high potential for extreme fire behavior due to outflow winds.
Current Weather
Weather Concerns
Mostly cloudy conditions prevailed across the incident as moisture from former Hurricane Genevieve streamed over the area. There were no thunderstorms or rain reported this afternoon. With the cloud cover, temperatures were a bit cooler and relative humidity was higher. A RED FLAG WARNING remained in effect due to the potential for dry thunderstorms. For tonight and Monday, the threat of dry thunderstorms will continue. So, the RED FLAG WARNING remains in effect until 500 PM Monday. At this time, the best chances for any thunderstorm development will be tonight and Monday morning.
Dolan Fire Update AUGUST 23, 2020 8:00 AM Public Information Phone: (831) 272-0222 Media Information Phone: (831) 272-0221 Incident E-mail: 2020.Dolan@firenet.gov Incident Website: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7018 Incident Information: Start / Report Date: Aug. 18, 2020 Cause: Unknown Fuels Involved: Chaparral, Brush, Timber understory Resources: Hand Crews: 8 Engines: 31 Dozers: 6 Current Situation: Los Padres National Forest: http://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf Facebook: facebook.com/lospadresnationalforest Twitter: twitter.com/LosPadresNF Big Sur FD: bigsurfire.org/ Size: 19,287 Location: Hwy 1(MM32.20) N of Limekiln State Park, 10 miles S of Big Sur Helicopters: 4 Fixed wing: 1 Water Tenders: 6 Containment: 10% Injuries: 0 Total Personnel: 488 A Red Flag Warning is in effect today till 5:00 p.m. due to the combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures that will contribute to extreme fire behavior. Thunderstorms with little to no precipitation are possible and will be accompanied by erratic and gusty outflow winds between 30 and 65 mph across the fire area. The fire remained active overnight, primarily with backing fire. Fire activity moderated in the early morning hours as humidity increased. Crews continued to focus on point protection operations around Hermitage and Lucia to the South and Partington Ridge and Anderson Peak communications infrastructure to the North. The community of South Coast was secured. An infrared equipped aircraft flew a mapping flight over the fire yesterday afternoon. This data was used to revise the perimeter and was the primary reason for the increase in acreage. Today, operations will continue to focus on point protection as well as scouting for locations to build direct and indirect fire line using both heavy equipment and hand crews. Crews will also be checking the North Coast Ridge Road and working out any hotspots near the road. As the fire continues to burn along the eastern side of Highway 1, engines and crews continue will patrol and extinguish spot fires that are occurring across the highway. Winds are predicted to shift from predominantly north northwest to south southeast. This change in wind direction will shift the area of highest fire activity from the south end to the north end of the Dolan Fire. Smoke will continue to impact air operations around the fire, limiting aircraft availability and effectiveness. When air quality and visibility improve, aviation assets including helicopters, will support crews on the ground.
The incident management team will be moving into a new incident command post today at Big Sur Pfeiffer State Park. The move is expected to take most of the day so there will not be a Facebook Live meeting. Information for the next Facebook Live meeting will be posted on Inciweb and shared through our daily update. The fire is threatening the communities of Hermitage, Partington Ridge, and Lucia. Multiple businesses, communications sites, parks and recreational sites are also threatened. Among natural resources threatened are the Ventana Wilderness and coastal watershed and habitat for threatened and endangered species, including the California condor. Fire activity in the western United States has caused a high demand for fire personnel and equipment. The nation is in Preparedness Level 5 (PL5), the highest level. In PL5 over 80% of the nation’s incident management teams and wildland firefighting personnel are committed to incidents. Resource orders are being prioritized to fires across California and the west. Acreage reported here is an estimate and will be updated when IR images are available. Carmel Fire Info: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/18/carmel-fire/ River Fire Info: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/16/river-fire/ Updates and Meetings: Fire Information is producing two daily written updates. To request an update, email 2020.dolan@firenet.gov and provide your email address. A daily video update will be posted to the Los Padres National Forest Facebook page and Inciweb (See links in header). Weather: A Red Flag Warning is in effect over the fire area for thunderstorms, dry lightning and gusty outflow winds. Evacuations / Closures: Click here for an interactive map of Monterey County evacuations. The closure of Highway 1 has changed. The highway is now closed near mile marker 38/Troy Canyon on the north and Hermitage on the south. Smoke: The Monterey Bay Air Resources District has issued a Wildfire Air Quality Advisory. http://air.mbard.org/. Alert 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 Cooperating and Assisting Organizations: National Weather Service, California Highway Patrol, Monterey County Sheriff’s Department, Big Sur Volunteers, Cal Trans, California State Parks, OES, Ventana Wilderness Alliance Safety Message: 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. concentration of smoke has reached UNHEALTHY levels of the AQI, residents should limit their activity by When the stayingindoorswiththedoorsandwindowsclosedtoavoidbreathingsmoke. Updatesonthecurrentair quality forecast and Air Monitoring data can be found at
The greatest threat for elevated thunderstorms will be from Sunday night into Monday morning. Lightning and gusty winds have the potential to produce new fire starts. Now is the time to prepare if a fire starts near you. Visit http://readyforwildfire.org for more info. #CaWx
Central Coast Smoke Outlook
Chance of incoming thunderstorms may increase fire behavior and produce more smoke but expect greater movement and dispersion of smoke with increase wind speeds. Areas south of the fires may see some improved air quality due predicted south winds.
Carmel (Day 6) and River (Day 8) are combined into one post. Click the title to open a separate window, refresh this page throughout the day. Stay safe and smart. Please maintain situational awareness at all times. Scroll down for “unofficial” satellite imagery updated 7:05 AM. A Red Flag Warning was issued for Sunday 5AM to Monday 5PM. CalFire Incident page Carmel & River CalFire Facebook Updates here. Sheriff Facebook Updates here. Monterey County Office of Emergency Services Facebook here
4:25 PM: Carmel and River Fires Google Earth Image with VIIRS and MODIS Satellite and CDF Infrared Outline (white line from 08/20/20). The Latest satellite heat detection spots are from 3:42 AM PM. (please see Important Caveat note at the bottom of this post)
Carmel Fire at 6,695 acres, 10% contained, 47 structures destroyed. The fire continued to burn up to existing containment lines and consumed interior islands of vegetation throughout the night. The fire behavior was moderate with fair humidity recovery. The fire is currently burning in close proximity to structures. The statewide drawdown of resources has impeded the critical need to support fire suppression of the fire. Most agencies are at drawdown and unable to fill resource requests. The lack of resource availability is affecting strategy and tactics.
Damage inspection is approximately 40% complete
River Fire Morning Update
River Fire at 48,424 acres, 15% contained, 19 structures destroyed. Last night the southern portion of the fire continued to actively burn to the south with winds from the northwest. The east side continued to back down to the dozer lines and agricultural fields and interior islands continued to burn remaining fuel.
The fire is expected to continue to burn on the southern end of the fire. The wind shift will be the concern on the southern edge, allowing the fire to out grow the current lines on the southeast portion of the fire. If the fire moves too far south when the winds move to the southeast flow, it could merge into the Carmel Fire.
Damage inspection is approximately 45% complete.
EVACUATION ORDER FOR HIGHWAY 68 AREAS, CARMEL VALLEY VILLAGE, ARROYO SECO AREAS, ETC.:
Evacuation Notificationshere (note: select the DASHBOARD tab from a desktop computer for a detailed map with hot spots plus evacuation zones)
Evacuation Map can be found here (Red is Order, Yellow is Warning)
Resources for Evacuees
Monterey County is expanding its evacuation shelters to south Monterey County. Due to additional evacuations from the River Fire, an evacuation shelter is being opened at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds, 625 Division Street in King City.
The shelter will open Sunday morning, August 23rd at 8 am and will provide sleeping and meal accommodations. Evacuees who wish to shelter using their RVs can bring them to the fairground and check in at the shelter. This shelter will be able to accommodate evacuees with pets.
The shelter will be able to accommodate approximately 40 residents and will follow COVID-19 protocols. Evacuees should have face coverings when entering the shelter and be prepared to social distance. Shelter sleeping arrangements are being set up with COVID-19 health protocols. Temperature checks will be taken for everyone’s safety.
Here is a list of all county evacuation shelters:
Here is a list of all county evacuation shelters:
Salinas Valley Fairgrounds, 625 Division Street, King City
Carmel Middle School, 4380 Carmel Valley Rd, Carmel
Sherwood Hall, 940 North Main Street, Salinas
Monterey Conference Center, 1 Portola Plaza, Monterey
The County also has an evacuation center at the King City Library, 402 Broadway, which provides information and support, snacks, water and charging for devices for evacuee. It is open 8 am to 8 pm.
For donations visit https://montereyco.recovers.org/ or go to the Seaside High School (2200 Noche Buena St, Seaside, CA 93955) between noon and 5pm Today August 23rd. You can also pick up supplies such as food, water, clothing, pet food, and diapers at the Seaside High School Location
From SPCA: The SPCA is currently under an evacuation warning. We are safe, and we are here for you and your pets. We have been prepared for this for years. We are currently moving supplies and animals to the Monterey County Fairgrounds and Hitchcock Road Animal Services. We are doing this now so that we can continue our promise to always be here for you.
7:05 AM: Carmel and River Fires Google Earth Image with VIIRS and MODIS Satellite and CDF Infrared Outline (white line from 08/20/20). The Latest satellite heat detection spots are from 2:54 AM PT (please see Important Caveat note at the bottom of this post)
The greatest threat for elevated thunderstorms will be from Sunday night into Monday morning. Lightning and gusty winds have the potential to produce new fire starts. Now is the time to prepare if a fire starts near you. Visit http://readyforwildfire.org for more info. #CaWx
Important caveats: Please note that the squares on the heat detection maps represent the expected margin of error, not the size of the area burned. In other words, the detection could have come from anywhere within the square. Also be aware that false detections do sometimes occur. An outlying or “over the line” heat detection is not, by itself, a confirmation that there is fire in the area indicated. In addition, the satellites do not detect heat everywhere that fire exists. Creeping, backing or smoldering fire is often not detected. Finally, the detections are only snapshots of moments in time. Flare ups that occur before or after a satellite pass may be entirely missed.
Also be aware that yellow squares disappear from the map after 6 days. These are not maps of the area burned since the fire began, just maps of where heat has been detected during the past week.
