This one is not looking too good tonight, as I turn off power to conserve. Will check in at first light, as it looks to be quite active tonight. BE SAFE everyone!
Notes from wildlandfire:
“Just got back to my house at Paraiso Vineyards. Been sitting at office since 1600PDT. That fire ripped for awhile. Around the time power went down the fire activity was extreme in Bryant Canyon. The flames were shooting 60 feet or more in cyclonic flames. When the Fire Got into Bryant it started spotting 1/8 mile or more as it went from north side to south side of Canyon in what seemed like 10min. The DC10 finally made it to fire at 20:20 dropping from the North origin point running South on East side of fire. Watching them drop with Lead Plane as they both ran their full lights was weird. After the run was over The AA told them the drop was very effective for how dark it was getting got some pics along with 248 other images of the fire. The fire is still spotting as I write this and very active. AS the fire hit Highway 146 they started Backfiring trying to stop it SW flank. Also they might have lost 2 or more structures during the fire. Nothing confirmed. When power was lost it went out from Greenfield North to the Hollister AB which was shut down after that because they had no power.”
This was taken by Kelly O’Brien of KUSP from Jamesburg at the top of Laureles Grade, shortly after the helicopter went down.
9:00 pm update – 2500 acres and 0% containment, per CalFire.
Total Fire Personnel: 185
Engines: 21
Fire crews: 6
Dozers: 8
Water tenders: 4
Conditions: Hwy 146 East is being closed.
The fire is threatening the 270K Transmission Lines that provide power to Northern San Luis County.
8:30 pm update – probably will not get the photos tonight, the power lines have been shut off. One report has the fire getting close to the top of the hill toward the Highway 25, Hollister side. It sounds extremely active.
8:00 pm update – 100 homes threatened. Evacuations under way. KSBW is reporting 2000 acres as of 7 pm tonight. Also power out for many areas.
7:00 pm update – “helo hit highpower lines. fire restart at start of fire.” From scanner traffic: “Copter 404 has struck power lines (which have not come down) and had to make an emergency landing near the fire….they are now conducting a firing operation to protect the chopper. It also sounds like the fire is really running good right now.”
6:30 pm update – 500 acres 0% contained, per CalFire.
6:00 pm update – Just got a call from my girlfriend, Cheryl Harris. It is about 5 miles from the ranch in Gonzalez, and is pretty incredible. She is on her way home, and will send photos when she gets there. She says she is not worried, as the cows have eaten every blade of grass on the ranch. Can’t wait to see what she sends me!
“Sounds like they may order up VLAT (Very Large Air Tanker), threat to major high voltage powerlines.” 6 tankers already ordered up, at least one helicopter. Those familiar with the Salinas Valley know that winds every afternoon are present.
5:00 pm – I was trying to correct the photos in my Bryson post, when I got word of a new fire in Soledad. Information sketchy at this point.
“Veg fire, east of Soledad, 75-100 acres Rapid ROS. Fire making run to the east.” Besides the usual distress of this fire, east of Soledad is Pinnacles National Monument, a condor breeding area
From Mike Soe of ksbw:
BTW, if searching on the web for this fire, note there is another fire called “Soledad Fire” in LA Co. This one is the LaGloria Fire.
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