5:30 pm – Southern Monterey County. Actually called the “New” Fire as it is on New Pleyto. I have no size up at this time. There is also a vehicle fire in Lockwood which had to request a response from SLU, as no Monterey units available. First day of summer, and fire season is roaring. 10-12 current fires with 3000 firefighters on the line in the state currently. H-406 on its way.
Confusing reports of Wildfires
IT showed up on SLO-CHP: Warning, it is a long one
[83] 1039 9-S1 – WILL HOLD OF UNTIL EXTENT OF INJURIES IS KNOWN – JUST KEEP ADVSD
8:13 PM 32 [82] 9-S3 INFO FOR CT – SEND A SUP OUT FOR DAMAGE TO ROADWAY SURFACE AND WILL NEED A ROUGH ROAD SIGN
8:12 PM 31 [81] 1039 ENTAC
8:09 PM 30 [79] 9-S3 HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE TIME OF CRASH
8:09 PM 29 [78] 9-S3 ADVS ENTAC ABOUT 30 MINS TIL THE RD IS OPEN
7:42 PM 28 [77] CO-A73 TRAFFIC BACKED UP TO THE NORTH FOR 2 MILES
7:24 PM 27 [74] [Notification] [CHP]-CAL FIRE AIRCRAFT CAN BE REACHED ON 122.925 – THEY MAY BE 10-6 CAL FIRE WILL 10-5 TO AIRCRAFT THAT A73 WILL BE TRYING TO RAISE THEM
7:23 PM 26 [73] B9-014B BE AWARE SOME TRAFFIC MADE UTURNS // 9-S3 CPYS
7:23 PM 25 [72] B9-014B SB LANE IS OPEN IF UNIT CAN ASSIST W/1184 // TRYING TO GET TRAFFIC MOVING // 4B
7:07 PM 24 [66] 1039 CAMBRIA LN 65
7:06 PM 23 [65] B9-014B CAMBRIA TOW USE OPPOSITE DIRECTION LANES // USE LIGHTS // EXPEDITE
7:03 PM 22 [64] B9-014B AT TC SCENE MP 68 // BRUSH FIRE ON SIDE OF HWY / 2 VEH COMPLETELY BURNED
7:01 PM 21 [63] B9-014B INJ PARTIES STANDING BY WILL BE HEADING UP TO TC
6:58 PM 20 [60] [Notification] [CHP]-SLSO ADVS 3 DIFFERENT PTYS GOT 5 PATIENTS OUT OF VEH, 3 VEHS 1023 JSO STATE PARKS, BLU SUBA, GRY NISS, AND GRY MINICOOPER 1023 W/ 5 PATIENTS
6:52 PM 19 [57] [Rotation Request Comment] 1039 CAMBRIA 805-927-4357
6:51 PM 18 [56] 1039 CAMBRIA THEY COPY TWO VEHS AND FULLY ENGULFED
6:50 PM 17 [55] B9-014B REQ CAMBRIA TOW TO RESPOND
6:49 PM 16 [54] 1039 A73
6:48 PM 15 [51] 1039 A73
6:43 PM 14 [45] [Notification] [CHP]-SLOSO CANCELED CALSTAR,NOW MERCY AIR ENRT ETA 37MINS,TWO 1141 GNRD UNITS ENRT
6:41 PM 13 [39] 1125 NB AND SB LN
6:40 PM 12 [34] 1039 SURCOM
6:39 PM 11 [31] [Notification] [CHP]-PER DUPE – SHE ASSISTED 3 PEOPLE OUT OF ONE OF THE INVLD VEHS AND PUT THEM IN A GRY FORD TO 1023 JSO OF THE TC SCENE – THEY HAS INJURIES ALSO
6:39 PM 10 [30] STATE PARKS ADV THERE IS A VEH NRBBY THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO COTNACT YET//LATE ENTRY
6:37 PM 9 [26] 1039 SLOSO LINE 24
6:34 PM 8 [23] 1039 9-S3,ENRT
6:29 PM 7 [12] CORR POSS ONE VEH ON FIRE
6:29 PM 6 [16] [Appended, 18:30:39] [2] MAZD 6 ON FIRE, PTY PULLED OUT OF VEH
6:29 PM 5 [11] RP ADVS ADDTL VEHS WERE STOPPED ALSO
6:28 PM 4 [9] SLSO HAS THE CALL AS 2 VEH TC, VEHS ON FIRE, EQUIP ENRT
6:28 PM 3 [7] VEHS ARE 1125
6:28 PM 2 [6] 1039 SLOSO
6:26 PM 1 [1] HEAD ON
7:30 pm – nothing further to clarify, but I did hear a Monterey dispatch saying a fire (no clue as to which one) was called contained at 4 and 1/2 acres by the unit on scene.
Around 6:30 pm this was reported on WildCAD:
Date Inc # Name Type Location WebComment Resources IC Fuels Acres Lat/Lon
06/19/2016 18:35 LPF-1753
Arroyo Wildfire 2 miles north of Piedras Blancas Light house . DIV1LPF E16LPF 4X4 E17LPF PAT17LPF Q . . . 35.754 x 121.311
06/19/2016 18:20 LPF-1752
Around the same time this was on the scanner:
arroyo seco at 101…..engs. 3466, 5191, 3483, 1 eng. from Monterey, WT21, D3440, Questa 2 crews
I have no clue which is accurate or if this is two separate incidents. Time will tell, and I will report what I learn as the evening progresses.
Brush Fire West of Greenfield
Today has been a busy day on the other side of the Santa Lucia Mountains. This afternoon there was a brush fire in Arroyo Seco, one at 101 and Bradley, kept to 1/4 acre, and a couple others I’ve forgotten the exact locations of, and now this one.
CPOA, Budget, and Overuse
From CPOA (Coast Property Owners Association):
“Hello everyone,
There have been ongoing discussions about the overuse of resources in Big Sur resulting from unprecedented visitation to the coast. CPOA is participating in these discussions and recently sent a letter to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors concerning an upcoming budget hearing and the possibility of allocating more financial resources to address some immediate and future health and safety concerns. The budget hearing is scheduled for June 23rd in the Government Center in Salinas. If you are concerned about these or other issues, you are encouraged to attend the hearing and voice your concerns. The agenda is not yet posted, but please check the County web site for details Here. You may download a copy of the CPOA letter Here (PDF, 2 pages, 929KB).”
While I could not attend the BSMAAC meeting on Friday due to an out-of-town prior engagement, I look forward to continued participation with the cooperating agencies and stakeholders. Personally, I am witnessing unprecedented cooperation with the USFS and MCSO, in particular on the issues which concern the Big Sur community. I am extremely grateful for their willingness to work with the Big Sur community to help us protect it. State Parks has yet to get involved, but hoping that changes in the near future.
Finally, I have been watching and following the Sherpa Fire in the SPNF in Santa Barbara. It is up to almost 5,000 acres as of this writing, with winds and temps of 100 expected this weekend. This is harbinger of the summer to come. Be safe, and report any and all campfires or we will watch our beloved coast go up in fire. If you are a lover of Big Sur, it is up to all of us to help protect it.
Kudos & Thanks to our USFS personnel
I just went on WildCAD to check on things and saw that our local people were patrolling after dark last night and managed to find SEVENTEEN illegal campfires – four on Plaskett, and the rest on Nacimiento RD., South Coast Ridge RD. And Prewitt camp. Since campfires are now banned, if they gave out 17 tickets at $5000/each, that is $85,000 worth. It would probably fund two firefighters for a year, if we could keep the money. Regardless, that is 17 potential wildfires that were caught before they became an inferno, and this even with the Sherpa raging in the southern portion of the LPNF. Bob Baird, Forest Supervisor, Tim Short, District Ranger, Chip Laugharn, Asst Dist Fire Management, and our pals at PV and Nacimiento Stations, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I look forward to reading tonight’s statistics. I tried to copy and paste the data, but no go. Go to WildCAD-LPNF to view for yourself.
BSMAAC Agenda, 6/17/16
BIG SUR MULTI-AGENCY ADVISORY COUNCIL
Congressman Sam Farr and Supervisor Dave Potter, Co-Chairs
FRIDAY, June 17, 2016 – 10:00 am
Pfeiffer Big Sur Lodge Conference Center
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Big Sur
AGENDA
10:00 a.m.I.CALL TO ORDER Supervisor Dave Potter
II.ROLL CALL AND INTRODUCTIONS
III. APPROVE MINUTES OF April 15, 2016
10:15IV.PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
10:30VI.OLD BUSINESS
1. Report from AT&T about status of telephone landlinesBettye Saxon
2. Report out from agencies on Over Use discussion
– USFS
– State Parks
– CHP
– County
11:20VII.REPORTS FROM MEMBER AGENCIES
(please bring written report)
Big Sur Resident Member
Big Sur Chamber of Commerce
Coast Property Owners’ Association
Monterey County Planning Department
Monterey County Board of Supervisors
Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District
California Coastal Commission
Caltrans
State Parks and Recreation
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
United States Forest Service
30th District, State Assembly
17th District, State Senate
United States Congress
12:45 p.m.VIII.REPORTS FROM OTHER AGENCIES
1:00 p.m. IX.NEXT MEETING: October 21, 2016
(Pfeiffer Big Sur Lodge Conference Center, 10:00 a.m.)
1:00 p.m. XI.ADJOURNMENT
“Thank you to the Big Sur Lodge for their donation of beverages,
food, and use of the Lodge meeting space.”
Reminder: People attending the BSMAAC park in the
lower parking lot in the park and walk up the road.
For minutes and agendas from 2012 forward, please visit:
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/planning/cca/BSMAAC/bsmaac_main.htm
Campfires Banned
Campfires banned outside established campgrounds – Plaskett, Kirk, Ponderosa, etc. NO CAMPFIRES ON WILLOW CREEK/ LOS BURROS RD., PLASKETT, NACIMIENTO-FERGUSSON RD.
FROM USFS, MONEREY DISTRICT OF THE LOS PADRES NATIONAL FORREST:
“On June 3, firefighters on the Monterey Ranger District responded to an unattended campfire in the Sycamore Flat area of Los Burros Road on the 23S10 road spur in the Willow Creek drainage. The previous weekend, dispersed campers started a fire in the cat face hollow of a redwood tree and failed to properly extinguish the fire before leaving the area. The fire smoldered in the dense duff layer until rising temperatures and gentle breezes “woke” the fire up. Fortunately an alert hiker noticed and glow and smelled smoke, and took steps to put out the fire until Forest Service firefighters arrived. Were it not for the swift actions of the passing hiker this abandoned campfire could easily have grown into an uncontrolled wildfire in an area where suppression and control is very challenging. His valiant efforts are greatly appreciated by the Forest Service. High fire restrictions take effect today, and all campfires outside of established campgrounds are illegal.
Please help us spread the word!”
Magnus recovers lost dog
Dog Found!
About 4.30 PM today [yesterday] get a phone call from Jim Hunolt: Zeak has been sighted! (I am at a garage in Seaside getting my truck fixed).
Jim lives very close to where Zeak was lost 16 days ago (!). Zeak is our son Stefan’s dog. Stefan left him with us because he’s gone to sea with USCG Cutter Stratton for four months!
Zeak has been in Houston, Texas all his life…a city dog! He has been in the wild for 16 days, still alive and no one has seen him? It’s hard to believe. But hope springs eternal!
– What’s the color of the dog you saw?
– Light brown.
– His build?
– Stocky, strong looking.
It all checks out. It really sounds like Zeak – OMG!
I call Mary Lu, no answer. I suspect she’s probably just left for dog training with Bridget*, our other dog, and won’t be back until later tonight so…I am stuck waiting for my car to be finished until one of us can get there. The possibility of Zeak being alive is very exciting so it is frustrating to not be able to just go…my fingers are tapping on the formica table for over an hour! The truck is finally done and on my way I stop by Safeway to get a good piece of meat to lure Zeak out of his hiding place. I ask the meat cutter and he says “Get a piece of the ‘on-sale meat’ at the end of the counter, it’s older and will smell more (!).”
I get to Jim’s place as fast as I can. Walk north and south along the hillside by his house, calling, calling, no response. I go up behind the house, up the hill three hundred feet along the narrow trails leading to the upper water storage. As I get up behind the uppermost of the tanks I suddenly see a dog’s head sticking up out of the sagebrush! It looks like Zeak…almost. No collar, much thinner head…can it be another dog? No? Of course not. I see then that the collar is on him, it is just completely dirty and blending in with his coat. His head is looking different because he’s lost so much weight. I call him and he just sits there. Call him gently again. Then he disappears! Oh no! I can’t let him disappear again. I climb further up, calling him gently…good boy…Zeak…good boy…soon you’ll be home in your bed…stay!…maybe we’ll serve you pancakes tonight…good boy…come on Zeak…and so on…
I climb all the way up to him and ten feet away from him he finally responds. His rear end starts to wiggle. His tail is slapping the dry hillside creating little clouds of dust. I am able to reach him and tie a rope into his collar. He’s back.
Climbing down the hill there is Mary Lu for a happy reunion, she had received my phone message and come over from Partington.
At the time of writing this we’re all at home. Zeak has received a small piece of the meat I bought mixed with some of his favorite kibble – we’ve decided to serve him small portions to start with. Who knows what he ate during his two weeks in the wild! His stomach seems fine, he’s now curled up in a ball and sleeping calmly.
Thanks to all who kept a look-out for Zeak during this time and very special thanks to Jim Hunolt. Jim you’re a Good Neighbor!
Magnus and Mary Lu
*I know…
Sorry about the picture – the only camera we have access to is the Photo Booth in the computer!
Fire Restrictions
NEWS RELEASE
Los Padres National Forest
For Immediate Release
Contact: Andrew Madsen (805) 961-5759
Twitter: @LosPadresNF
Fire Restrictions Take Effect in Los Padres National Forest
GOLETA, CA, June 13, 2016…Due to extremely dry vegetation and an increasing fire danger, Los Padres National Forest officials announced that Level III fire restrictions will go into effect beginning tomorrow, June 14, 2016. The following restrictions will be rigorously enforced until this Forest Order expires:
Wood and charcoal fires are prohibited in all areas of Los Padres National Forest except for designated Campfire Use sites; however persons with a valid California Campfire Permit are allowed to use portable stoves and lanterns using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel outside of designated Campfire Use Sites. California Campfire Permits are available for free download from the Los Padres National Forest website (http://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf). You must clear all flammable material for a distance of 10 feet in all directions from your camp stove, have a shovel available, and ensure that a responsible person attends the stove at all times when it is in use.
Recreational target shooting is prohibited in all areas of the National Forest unless specifically authorized by a special use permit with the Forest.
Hunting with a valid State of California hunting license during open hunting season is exempt from this restriction.
Smoking is prohibited in all areas of the national forest except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or designated Campfire Use Site.
Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order on roads and trails specifically designated for such use. (This restriction is in effect year-round.)
A list of designated Campfire Use Sites is attached. For further information regarding current conditions and safety tips, contact your nearest Forest Service office or visit the Los Padres National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf.
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Prepare for Wildfire
There is a great article on how to prepare for wildfire. It begins with:
HARDENING YOUR HOME
Flying embers can destroy homes up to a mile from a wildfire. “Harden” your home now before a fire starts by using ember-resistant building materials.
Here are some things you can do to harden your home and make it more fire resistant.
For the rest of this article go to: Cal Fire’s Prepare for Wildfire