Evacuation warning lifted for east side of Highway One:

Soberanes Fire
Los Padres National Forest
August 21, 2016

Salinas, Calif., August 21, 2016, 6:00 p.m.—For Immediate Release.
Evacuation warnings have lifted for the east side of Highway 1 from Andrew Molera State Park to Coast Ridge Road at the Ventana Inn. This includes the Ventana Inn and Coast Ridge Road to 1.5 miles above Ventana Inn.

Evacuation orders remain in effect for Coast Ridge Road from 1.5 miles above the Ventana Inn to the end of Coast Ridge Road at Marble Peak, and roads that leave from Coast Ridge Road.

Evacuation warnings remain in effect from the Tassajara Road from Carmel Valley to the Tassajara Hot Springs Zen Center, and roads that leave from Tassajara Road.

Many communities surrounding Monterey County have been effected by evacuation warnings and orders since July 22, 2016 when an illegal campfire ignited the Soberanes Fire.

The USDA Forest Service, CAL FIRE, and cooperators would like to thank the public for their continued cooperation and understanding during the warnings and evacuations. Fire managers continue to monitor the need for evacuations based on current and expected fire behavior.

For additional information or details regarding the Soberanes Fire, please contact the Soberanes Fire Information Line at (831) 204-0446.

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Here is  John Chesnut’s Map:

8:30 am – Here is the USFS AM Report

August 21, 2016
DAILY UPDATE
Fire Information Phone (831)204-0446 soberanesfire2016@gmail.com
Media Line: (831)484-9647
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4888/
http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/1348

Incident: The Soberanes Fire was started by an Illegal campfire on the morning of July 22, 2016, in the Garrapta State Park. The fire is burning in areas of previous large fires including the Basin Complex in 2008 and the Marble-Cone Fire in 1977.
Location: Los Padres National Forest, Ventana Wilderness, Monterey County, CA
Agency Jurisdiction: CAL FIRE San Benito-Monterey Unit/Los Padres National Forest
Additional Cooperating and Assisting Organizations: CA State Parks and Recreation, CHP, CAL-OES, CDCR, CA National Guard, Big Sur Land Trust, CAL-TRANS, CCC, CA Fish & Wildlife, Coast Property Owners Association (CPOA), Community Foundation for Monterey County, BLM, American Red Cross, the County of Monterey, PG&E, Carmel Highlands F.P.D., Monterey County Regional Fire Protection District, Mid Coast Volunteer Fire Brigade, Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade and the Cachagua Fire Protection District.

Current Size: 83,830 acres (37,194 CA-LPF, 48,018 CAL FIRE,) Containment: 60% Cause: Illegal campfire
Injuries: 1 fatality, 3 injuries Structures Destroyed: 57 homes, 11 outbuildings Structures Threatened: 410
Current Resources: Crews: 48 Engines: 64 Helicopters: 13 Dozers: 29 Water Tenders: 48
Total Personnel: 2421

Current Situation: With an increase of 1,382 acres, the Soberanes Fire was most active near and continues to progress slowly toward Buckskin Flat. It crossed the Carmel River about one mile south of Buckskin Flat Campground, 2 miles northeast of Hiding Canyon and 5 miles west of Chews Ridge. Firefighters continue their efforts building and strengthening existing control lines spanning from the Los Padres Reservoir to Chews Ridge. Due to the well-known ruggedness and inaccessibility along most of the fire’s east side in the Ventana Wilderness, crews continue to spike (camping near the fire front) out, scouting for options for direct line to restrict fire spread where possible.

The northern portion of the fire in the Carmel Valley area remains quiet and crews are expected to be in suppression repair for a couple more weeks.

In the immediate Big Sur area, firefighters are mopping up and beginning repair of fire suppression efforts. No firing operations took place on the fire yesterday but aircraft were utilized on the fire’s perimeter southeast of Big Sur, to cool and slow the fire’s edge.

Firefighters are taking protective action to defend against the slowly advancing Sobranes Fire in the Ventana Wilderness. The English cabin once owned by Jack English a local mountain man and resident, near Pine Flat has been protected with fire-resistant wrap. Dozer line has been constructed around the Church Ranch, and to preserve cultural sites and protect houses near Chews Ridge, areas have been brushed and positioned with hose lays and water pumps. Additional protective action will be taken if deemed necessary.

Wilderness Tactics: To reduce the impacts associated with fire suppression activities in wilderness areas, fire managers and firefighting crews continue using MIST (Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics) as much as possible. The steep, rugged terrain of the Ventana Wilderness is inherently treacherous to firefighters. Most direct fireline is being constructed near the perimeter in areas that have been pretreated and supported by aircraft.

The fire was caused by an illegal, unattended campfire on the Soberanes Canyon trail in the Garrapata State Park. Anyone with information is asked to call the CAL FIRE Tip Line at: (800) 468-4408.

US Forest Service Road and Trail Closures: A forest closure order has been implemented to close the trails and roads within the Los Padres National Forest, Monterey Ranger District pursuant to USC 551 and 36 CFR 261.50(a). The order prohibits going into or being upon National Forest System lands within the Soberanes Fire area. The Arroyo Seco Campground and Day Use Area is closed. For a complete list of closures please visit: http://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf

California State Park Closures: All California State Parks from Garrapata State Park through Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park are closed until further notice; this includes Point Sur State Historic Park (Lighthouse), Andrew Molera State Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground and Day Use.

Evacuation Orders: An evacuation ORDER remains in effect for Coast Ridge Rd. from mile marker 1.5 to Marble Peak at the end of the road.

Evacuation Warnings: Evacuation WARNINGS remain in effect for the east side of HWY 1 from Andrew Molera Park to Coast Ridge Rd at the Ventana Inn. This area includes the Ventana Inn and Coast Ridge Rd to mile marker 1.5. A WARNING remains for Tassajara Road from Carmel Valley Road to the Tassajara Hot Springs Zen Center. This area includes all roads that lead from the above described roads.

7 am – here is today’s IR Topo Map, showing 85,211 acres burned. I’ll add links underneath this map each day so you can obtain and/or see additional maps:

IR Topo Map

IR Ortho Map

South Ops Map

(When you click on the above, you will see a “pull-down” with the full link contained in it, click on that and you will get to the map you seek)

 

7:30 pm – haven’t gotten the evening report, yet, but I am not sure I can wait up for it. Today, I only saw the sun once. It was blood red. The rest of the day was gray and smokey – a depressing kind of day, a day when I realized this may be the new “normal” for California in the summer, unless we do something. If Mother Nature does not end our 5-year drought soon, this is what we have to look forward to. I feel for my grandchildren.

8:30 am – Morning Incident Report (there is a new format as IMT 3 takes over. Also note new fire information number as well as email address.)

7:15 am – Today we start the 5th week of this fire … Yesterday’s firing out operations were a bit nerve-wracking for residents up on Partington Ridge. I can actually see Partington Ridge this am, and no plume, so it looks as if last night went well. They may be burning off any left over pockets, today, but will wait to hear from others closer to the “front” of this battle.

2:15 pm – I am hearing rumors of a community meeting at the Elementary School in Carmel Valley for tonight at 6 pm. No official confirmation, yet.

1:45 pm – Report from Magnus:

PIO’s Jacob Welsh & Richard Hadley called today and wanted me to let folks on Partington know that today, 08/18, will be an ‘active day’ of suppression efforts near Partington Ridge.

1. There may be continued burn-out operations east of the control line along the Coast Ridge road today.
2. There very likely will be much air support dropping retardant onto the Logwood ridge line/trail.
3. There is much support and equipment along the control line and they feel ‘very confident’ that they can keep the fire east of the ridge line.

The logwood ridge line effort is part of an attempt to actually stop the fire from spreading east and south. The probability of success is not great but they consider it worth the effort.

“If we can stop the fire here with retardant, ground crew and weather co-operating, we will save us from a much bigger ordeal lasting longer and costing more.”

Magnus

1:00 pm – As Jeffrey Carmichael says, who shot this photo below at noon today from Partington, “The March South Continues …”

7 am – Good morning, all. There is smokey drift in all the canyons, but at least I can see Cone Peak and Partington Ridge this am. As someone pointed out to me last night, they have now changed the containment date from end of this month to end of next. No surprise here. Here is this morning’s fact sheet. They are now issuing them in Word, PDF, and jpeg, so much easier to download and upload. As always, I will be here throughout the day to add to this as information becomes available, or to answer any questions that don’t entail dusting off my crystal ball. 🤓 (I think Lucas might have slept in, as it is a tad after 7 and I haven’t heard from him. So maps and links will be added later.)

7 pm update – the Soberanes fire did not increase in either acreage or containment today. Still sitting at 76,683 acres and 60%.

5:30 pm – I am back, finished my SLO trip, but a few AHs from the Car Week didn’t want me to. There were Porcses , Lamborghini’s, Ferrarris, and even an Audi racing each other up Highway One through Cambria and beyond. Two of them almost sideswiped me during an illegal pass. I called those suckers in.

From Jeffrey Carmichael, taken at 5:00 of the burn out operation from Torre, moving south to Cold Springs Dozer line. If you do not know where this is, check out the dozer map link Lucas provides at the end of each Maps, etc. post

 

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7 am – Today, I am concerned about the Blue Cut Fire, now at over 30,000 acres, not our own, which still sits at over 76,000,  but even so, I had planned to go meet Rock Knocker in San Luis today and stock up on some fresh produce and milk and things, so at 9 or so, I go into the no man’s land of cell service, and I leave it up to you to bring each other up to date on what is happening with the fire closer to home. I’ll check back in when I get to SLO about 11.

5:30 pm – I apologize for being missing in action for most of the day. An unbelievable fire storm called the Blue Cut Fire closed down I 15 in both directions as well as 138, and possibly some others. It grew 8 miles and 6500 acres in 6 hours. Major threat to life and property. My elderly aunt and uncle are down there and I have been following this fire, while still keeping an eye on Soberanes and Chimney (barely). I will post more on Soberanes as the information becomes available, but in the mean time, I urge you to share your first hand knowledge with each other in the comments section,

11:30 am – Community meeting tonight at 6 at the MAF. As a side note, per the evacuation orders and warnings notice I just got, this is in the mandatory evacuation order corridor.😋

11:00 am – clarification and changes in the evacuation orders and warnings just issued and posted separately. East side of Highway One from Andrew Molera to Ventana still under orders. This would include Captain Cooper School, cabins at River Inn, Blaze Engineering, Ripplewood, Glen Oaks, and the State Park, as well as individual homes on that side of the road.

10:30 am – very little information coming in about this fire at the moment, but on the South Coast eyes are turning toward the Chimney Fire as it marches west and north. The Soberanes firing operations are going very well, and reports are they have reached Lauffer Canyon with their efforts. Plan is to continue ahead of the fire burning southward.

6:45 am – The road opened as planned at midnight last night. The day is starting with no wind, cooler temps, and an overcast sky. All good for both fires. I have started a second Chimney Fire thread below the maps, etc. and will be adding to it throughout the day as I will this one.

Midnight –

7:45 pm dipping from Rancho Grande for the firing operation, by Marcus Foster:

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7:15 pm – I went back and looked at some of the operational maps from the Basin Fire and found an interesting one – interesting to those of us on the South Coast. With all the parks closed, the National Forest closed ONLY north of Nacimiento Road, the result is that the closures are sending all the hunters (hunting season opened Saturday) and campers up into our area. We are living on edge. This is what the USFS did a few days short of a month-long burn on the Basin Fire, which we approach on the Soberanes Fire this week. Can you understand why the South Coast is a tad on edge? We have been asking for a closure, down here, under these special circumstances, to no avail. I just sent this to GOLETA and King City, asking again.

6:00 pm – as viewed from down here, this is a helluva burn out operation. (Sorry, no photo.)

4:30 pm – Reminder – The Highway One closure has been extended until midnight.

4:20 pm – from Jen Smith on Clear Ridge, showing the burn out operation behind Partington

 

4:00 pm – Timber Top from Partington by Jeffrey Carmichael

Also, sadly CHP reports one of our Condors was killed when a vehicle hit it.
4:26 PM 4 [5] 1039 CT
4:24 PM 3 [4] PER 14, MOVED TO RHS FOR CAL TRANS OR THE VENTANA SOCIETY
3:53 PM 2 [2] OTHER CONDORS FLYING OVERHEAD TRYING TO LAND AND MAY CAUSE ANOTHER TC
3:53 PM 1 [1] CONDOR WAS HIT BY VEH AND IT IS 1125

However, apparently it was a TURKEY BUZZARD not a condor. Cambria’s Air Force is one less.

3:25 pm – from Pfeiffer Ridge looking SE by Pearl Bryan (this appears to be the firing operation behind Partington)

2:00 pm – Air support at Juan Higuera as seen from Clear Ridge, photos by Ed van Weijan

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2:00 pm – just got word the burn out operation has moved down to Partington. Okay, those of you  who have been through this incredibly difficult thing to watch, talk your neighbors through it!

11:30 am – I glanced out of my window earlier to note new smoke – and old smoke – up toward Big Sur and had no reaction. Smoke out my window, in my nostrils, and on my clothing has become the new norm after 25 days. Sad and a bit depressing.

From Barbara Ray in the comments section: (I was informed by a local that at least by 11, the northern border of the closure has been moved to Glen Oaks.)
“I just walked up to Fernwood where they would not let me pass beyond the driveway to the campground. The Caltrans worker whose truck was blocking Highway 1 there said there was a group of redwoods just North of the sewer treatment plant whose center had burned out. They were afraid the trees would fall and take out the power lines. There were two PG&E trucks in the Fernwood parking lot plus fire trucks. You could hear the chain saws. It was eerie to walk along Highway 1 with no traffic.”

7:15 am – Here is John Chestnut’s MODIS map of the Soberanes Fire:

6:45 am – overslept today, and woke to find Highway One closed this am around 4 am or so and may remain closed all day. Smoke seems to be sitting on top of the inversion layer, making an eerie, unfamiliar landscape. Coffee, then check on both fires.

8:30 pm – Parting shots of the fire – my last tonight – from the turn out at Pfeiffer Ridge, by Dylan Langdon

HIGHWAY ONE REOPENED AT 8 PM

4:30 pm – And here we have the MODIS map from Adam Clark with both fires on it. There is a green line that dissects California – that is the SLO/Monterey County Line – I am north and 2 miles inland as the crow flies from there. Looks like a pincher move to me.

This must be so hard to watch for those still in the Valley. Let’s all hope this works!

3:00 pm – from Clear Ridge RD. just above River Inn, photo by Mike Gilson:

2:20 pm – the view of the State Park from Pfeiffer Ridge by Kyle Evans:

1:20 pm – Firing up Juan Higuera, photos from Clear Ridge by Jen Smith:

12:30 pm

10:30 am

7:00 am – The fire gained about 800 acres last night, making it 72,566 with containment still at 60%. The IR report lists acres as 73,245, which would mean an approximate gain of 1500 acres.

REMEMBER; Highway One closes today at 2 pm for up to 24 hours. Cal Trans seems to think it will be open in the morning. We hope that is true, as it will mean all went as planned.

On the Chimney Fire, I am not doing a new page on that one, just adding to yesterday’s. Still smoky up here from both, but it is on the south side of the Lake, so much better for my position.