7:30 am – I see little smoke this am, and see no activity on the various report pages, so it appears as if this one has been picked up. If I get additional information, I will post here. (Note the spelling of the incident name has been corrected.)
Controlled burn on Ft. H-L escapes
11:00 pm – per WLF: “This was a control burn that escaped. There was a S/T 9340C from SLU training when it occured.
As of 2030hrs, fire was reported at 50 Acres and 40% contained.
Correct spelling for this incident is Los Bueyes.”
9:30 pm – as of this time, these are the resources assigned to this fire: LPF resources Assigned to this fire are
Divs-1
BC-11, 12
Eng: 16, 19, 31, 35, 37
Crew 3 Arroyo Grande IHC, 4 Los Padres IHC
Heli-527, 528, 530
WT-3
PT-19, 38
These are LPF resources only. Not Ft. H-L or Cal-Fire, which are both also on scene. What this tells me, and this is just intelligent guess work on my part, is that this fire is in or moving toward the LPNF. Based on the smoke drift shot I posted earlier, I would venture to speculate that the fire is moving in a westwardly direction. This one is going to bear watching over the next few days.
7:45 pm – Boillos Fire smoke drift from my front door. This is shot facing south, and Ft. Hunter-Liggett is to the left, or east in this photo.
6:45 pm – took a quick trip out back to South Coast Ridge Rd. and in the short amount of time I was gone, the visible smoke from my place markedly increased. The photo I am posting was before the increase in smoke. BTW, all of that grey dark stuff is smoke. It is clear blue skies in all the other directions.
5:30 – two more helios assigned, bring it up to 4 AA and 4 Hs.
4:45 pm – two more AA sent. This is the approximate location on base:
And here is a zoomed out version. The blue push pin is my location, about 6 miles due west of the fire.
3:45 pm – Controlled burn on Ft. Hunter-Liggett started at 10 am this morning appears to have escaped around 2:15 pm, per LPF WildCAD. I have been hearing and seeing planes overhead about an hour or two ago, about the time that LPF WildCAD reports the incident as Los Boillos Wildfire. Trying to get more information as to size and direction. I can see a lot of smoke from here, but no column. I may have to go out back to look. wildlandfire is reporting: “Aircraft in route from Paso.
75 acres in heavy brush.
Eratic fire behavior”
There are two AA tankers on scene and a helo. Neither LPNF office in King City nor the Ft. H-L PIO know anything at this time. Ft. H-L PIO is investigating and getting back to me with direction and ROS.
PIO for Ft. H-L called back and informed me it is still quite a ways away from me, but had no size or ROS or direction of spread to share. It is in training area 19.
So far, this year, these fires are being attacked early and agressively, and it may be out before I go to bed. Hoping, anyway.
I just investigated a wildfire a couple miles south of Gorda, but that one has been controlled.
Just because …
This is just one aspect of the magic that is Big Sur. This lonely little columbine is one of the few remaining.
When I saw this, I had to stop and capture it. The dark, the contrast between the one bright spot and the shadowy green called me. I shot it dark in the camera, and unlike most shots, I only took one, and was happy with what I saw in the LCD. I was even happier when I saw it larger on my computer. This is straight out of the camera, exactly what I witnessed. Mother Nature’s gift. And interestingly, I violated all the cannons of composition by placing the subject dead center, and still, it works.
Just because … Mother Nature’s beauty cannot be enhanced.
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On a completely different note, Gideon has been sick since Saturday, and was at the vet’s Tuesday, and again today, when he was admitted to the hospital. News tonight is that he is improving. His fever is going down, and his pain has been lessened by an inflammatory drug. We are hoping he will come home Friday. Dr. will call again tomorrow morning. I am a tad distracted from my blog, but had this one prepared to go up. I’ll be back when Gideon is home again.
Limekiln State Park
As I indicated earlier, Limekiln State Park officially opened in time for the July 4th weekend. Dan Danbom, a photographer who has been featured on this blog in the past, and who tied with Ken Harlan for this quarter’s header photograph, came down the coast last week to enjoy his prize. Ken Harlan provides lunch for two at Lucia Lodge, or an SD card to the quarterly winner. (I can’t thank you enough for your generosity, Ken!)
Since Dan rarely gets this far South, he used the opportunity to check out Limekiln State Park, and sent me a report and some photos for your enjoyment.
From Dan: ” We also had wanted to see first hand the major construction of the highway, and also see how Limekiln had fared after the fire. When we drove by not long after the fire, it looked like it would be terrible, and it was closed. We usually do not have time to get that far south often.
Limekiln is different, but as we started up through the campground you could see the fire effects around, but a lot of the sorrel had come back nicely. Really we were very surprised how much the same it looked. We took our time up the Hare trail, and there were some big changes, and we could see where a lot of effort was put in to make the trail over, and improved. There are a lot of scarred and charred tree trunks and some left over fallen trees, branches that you could see would be hard to dispose of manually. But it really is still very pretty and a lot of the same character is still there.
It was a sunny day, and really contrasty, so not optimum for photos. (That is the one time I really wish for high thin clouds or some fog overcast, to give that open almost shadowless light for the forest.) But, I found a few selected vignettes of the creek, that still are pretty gorgeous in the shadows. And I think the redwood sorrel seems better than ever and really lush. So, it was a fun time taking some photos and enjoying a gorgeous piece of the coast. If you can stand a couple of more photos from me, I am attaching a couple of Limekiln for your review.”
Thanks Dan for the report, and the photos!
And as to his lunch at Lucia Lodge? This is what Dan had to say: “We read your comment that Limekiln was open or sort of, so since my schedule had changed unexpectedly, we decided to try to get an early start south, and take advantage of my Lunch (for Two) certificate for winning your header contest. Avis, mailed me a cert for lunch for two, at Lucia Lodge. So, despite the slow traffic at times, and the road stops, which really were not bad at all, we made it there for lunch. Very nice! It was a little hazy as the coast can be, but the view was stunning. We sat along the view table rail looking down the coast. Lovely lunch, be sure to thank Ken, (I will send Avis an email thanks too.) What a nice treat!”
Two years ago today …
July 5, 2008, bigsurkate was born. Since that time, almost 220,000 “hits” have been received on this blog. I have uploaded 865 different posts; the blog has received over 2,000 comments; and my busiest day was September 30, 2008, when I started reporting twice a day on the Chalk Fire. This was my first entry:
“I began this blog, after 2 weeks of inundating everyone’s mailbox with news, links, editorials, and photos of the massive Big Sur Fire of 2008. [ed. note – I was talking about what became the Basin Complex Fire, which started as The Gallery Fire.] I decided a blog might be a better venue for us all to stay connected, share information, and remain informed. PLUS, I got totally frustrated when my email send function became so erratic. I can receive, but sending is completely hit and miss. I am hoping the email fairy visits me soon!
I will be posting some of my photographs, also, as and when I can.
Welcome! Once the fire is past, I will convert this to random musings, I suppose, or it will evolve into something else.”
Little did I know that I’d given birth to a new baby that needed so much attention! I have been lucky to connect with people from all over the world on these cyberpages, and have enjoyed every minute of those connections and this blog.
I report on road closures, road construction, floods, events, and many, many other happenings here on the coast during the last two years, but never deaths. Information like that is too personal to be received in this way. It happened to me, and I will never forget it.
I so look forward to the next two years, and to continuing forging relationships with people who love Big Sur as I do, wherever they may live.
Happy 4th of July
Let’s make this one a safe one, and may all our fires be safe backyard BBQs. Enjoy!
The Yellow HIlls of Big Sur
Many people, local and out-of-towners, have been commenting on our yellow hills. Dan Danbom sent me this photo of the phenomena today. It depicts the event beautifully.
I noted this “event” on my way home the other night, and slowed enough to identify four flowers that are contributing to this spectacular show, but there might be others. Currently in bloom are native sticky monkey flower, a native tansy, the padre-introduced mustard, and a amaranth-type flower that I have seen, but don’t know if it is native or not. Whatever the flowers, the show is outstanding right now. Enjoy!
Fire Restrictions in effect
On June 26, 2010, the Goleta office of the Los Padres National Forest issued its 2010 Fire Restrictions order. NO OPEN CAMPFIRES ALLOWED in the National Forest, outside designated, developed campsites, like Plaskett and Kirk Creek. YAY!!
Here is the order issued:
ORDER NO. 10-3-5100-3
FIRE USE RESTRICTIONS
LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST
Pursuant to 16 USC 551 and 36 CFR 261.50(a), and to provide for public safety and protect natural resources, the following acts are prohibited within the Los Padres National Forest. This Order is effective from June 26, 2010, through the end of the official 2010 fire season.
1. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire, except in the designated Campfire Use Sites listed in Exhibit A. 36 CFR 261.52(a).
2. Smoking, except in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material. 36 CFR 261.52(d).
3. Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order. 36 CFR 261.52(j).
Pursuant to 36 CFR 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order.
1. Persons with a permit from the Forest Service specifically authorizing the otherwise prohibited act or omission.
2. Persons with a valid California Campfire Permit are not exempt from the prohibitions listed above. However, persons with a valid California Campfire Permit may use portable lanterns or stoves using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel outside of a designated Campfire Use Site.
3. Any Federal, State or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of an official duty.
These prohibitions are in addition to the general prohibitions in 36 CFR Part 261, Subpart A.
A violation of these prohibitions is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 USC 551 and 18 USC 3559, 3571, and 3581.
Done at Goleta, California this 25th day of June, 2010.
/s/ Peggy Hernandez
Peggy Hernandez
Forest Supervisor
Los Padres National Forest
Fourth of July Weekend has begun
Yes, I know, it is only Tuesday. Yes, I know, we have a 3-day weekend coming up, but based on what I witnessed today, it looks as if the weekend began a bit early.
As of this evening, around 7 pm, Kirk Creek Campground is full. Plaskett was almost full, and I suspect it will be by tomorrow. Frankly, I did not notice the Big Sur State Park. I did not even think to look, it being so early in the week. The other thing I noticed both yesterday and today, is that the gates to Limekiln State Park were open. it will “officially” open on Friday, July 2nd, but I imagine it will be full by then. No camping on the beach, as the bridge is still out, but the campground and redwood trails are open.
Also, the idiots are on the highway. Sorry, but there is no other word for them. The shoulder/pull-out at Rocky Creek was full, so, this car, an obvious idiot, just stopped on the highway. Never mind that there were four cars behind it speeding along at 55 mph. Sudden stops in the middle of the road are just plain idiotic. No one would even THINK of doing that on the freeways, but here? Oh, I know, the view is breath taking. But think about taking that next breath through a tube, or with a respirator, or other medical contraption to keep you alive. Just think. Please. The life you save might be MINE!
I have it on good authority that local patrols in the LPNF, at least here on the South Coast, will be stepped up in anticipation of this crazy weekend. I cannot tell you how grateful I am. I, too, will be out and about, probably several times. With my camera. Do something stupid, and you, too, could end up on my blog – memorialized for an eternity in cyberspace.
Oh, and the other great news? The two fire “rings” I featured in my “How NOT to build a campfire” article, are gone! I love you guys, as much as my dogs! Okay, let’s be real. Almost as much!
But what is a post without a photo? Trouble is, I was too busy trying to get home before dark to unload a fully packed Jeep, while at the same time, trying not to run over any idiots. But my friend Martha Diehl sent me a lovely summer roadside bouquet to brighten my day, and I’m going to pass it on, even though she doesn’t know! (She can flog me later.) Photo coming, when internet allows.
Random Big Sur Photo
Boy, it has been a while since I did one of these. Do you recognize this?
