I don’t cover out-of-area wildfires, in most cases, and I’m not going to cover these, except to let my readers know I am a tad preoccupied. There are many going on in the state, one of which is Waldo Canyon, just outside Colorado Springs, where my daughter and 3 of my grandchildren live. 11,000 people were evacuated this morning. Not my daughter. Nevertheless, it is close enough to worry, and to spend much of my online time keeping up with the status. Once I am no longer preoccupied, I have photos and events to cover. Hopefully in the next couple of days.
Tag: Wildfires
Lockheed-Santa Cruz Fire & La Brea Fire, 8/15/09
Cause of La Brea fire revealed. It was a cooking fire at an illegal marijuana grow site. See here for the full article: USFS Press Release
Last update of the evening, unless something untoward happens. First, here is a video of the La Brea Fire, set to music, about 8 mins. long: click here
And now, I leave you with one of Stan Russell’s signature sunset photos taken this evening from Scott Creek and Highway One:
6:00 pm – Lockheed: CalFire reports:
Acres Burned: 6,843 acres
Containment 6,843 acres – 40% containment
Structures Destroyed: 2 outbuildings damaged
La Brea: inciweb reports:
Current Situation
Total Personnel 1,980
Size 75,486 acres
Percent Contained 25%
And lest we forget, 30 years ago today, in an area quite near to the currently burning La Brea fire, 4 firefighters lost their lives on the Spanish Ranch Fire on August 15, 1979. They were: Captain Ed Marty, and firefighters Scott Cox, Ron Lorant and Steve Manley. While lessons learned over the years have increased the safety of the firefighters on the line, let us never forget how truly dangerous firefighting is.
9:30 am – Lockheed Fire Incident Command reports: 6,800 acres, 30% containment.
8:00 am – inciweb is reporting the La Brea fire exceeds 75K acres, still 10% containment. CalFire still lists Lockheed at 5K+ with 15% containment.
Lockheed GeoMac from this morning’s 3 am pass:
Here’s the GeoMac for La Brea:
7:30 am – Another day, and still fires, even more of them. (The Yuba Fire started yesterday afternoon.) The two on the Central Coast are the only two I can blog about. Lockheed was reported at 5K+ acres and 15% contained as of 10pm last night, per CalFire. The Governor scheduled to tour the area today. La Brea, again as of last night was estimated at over 69K acres with 10% containment. Evacuation Orders in effect for both fires. Winds and heat will be factors for both fires today. As updates arrive, I will post here.
USFS photo of the flames at La Brea Fire:
Helicopter in action:
Unofficial Fire Watch
Soaring isn’t here any more. No “official” fire watchers exist. I am here and care. So, I watch.
I came up tonight to note a “huge” group at Hard Rocks driveway. Partying. Young kids need a place to party that is safe. As long as they have no campfire. So, I see about 8 to 12 vehicles parked at Hard Rocks.I must come out after dark and check. Is that a light or is it a fire? We luck out. No campfire, and I don’t need to call it in. I check Prewitt Ridge, Willow Creek, and all the areas I can see for campfires. None. Good Friday Night.
Tough, being on Top O’ the World.
July 5th 2008
On this date, bigsurkate was born (the blog, not the person). Thanks to all my readers for your comments, your contact, and for making this so much fun!!
Last year on July 4th, Big Sur was on lock down — a ghost town. This year, Big Sur was packed. Events were held at almost every venue. Cars lined the highway at Esalen, HML, Nepenthe, Spirit Garden, River Inn. Every where one went, crowds were enjoying music, food, drink.
What a difference a year makes.
YAY! I reached 100K “hits” today for my 1 year anniversary, with no small help from my son, Brendon Shave, and thanks to all of you this past year.
July 4, 2008
July 4, 2008 – I cannot find my notes, and I did not write in my journal for much of July, as I was far too busy, but I started my blog one year ago tomorrow, so some of the story about last Independence Day was reported then. I am recreating the day, based primarily on a memory with holes in it – swiss cheese holes – a moth-eaten sweater. I also have no photographs taken that day, at least that I can find. The road was closed, as previously posted.
When I first got a copy of the 409.5 memo on 7/4, I called OES (Office of Emergency Services), and they had a Commander Teter of the MCSO call me back. When I got no satisfactory explanation about the issuance of the memo, other than it was to “educate” the Big Sur community about the power the MCSO had, I was furious. The MCSO was flexing its muscles and declaring a police-state in Big Sur, and fully intended on arresting who ever got in their way.
It was a holiday. Everything was closed. What could I do? The only places open were newsrooms. Having lived and worked in Monterey County, much of that in the justice system, I knew I needed to go outside of the county. I called the LA Times newsroom and the SF Chronicle newsroom. I posted something on surfire2008.org. Before my post was removed from surfire2008, Deborah Schoch, a staff reporter from the LA Times called. After speaking with her for some time, I got her phone numbers, and said I’d pass it on to a member of the Curtis family who was not in Big Sur, and if they wanted, they could pass it on to Micah and Ross. This resulted in more phone calls, and more long conversations with Curtis family members and LA Times reporter, Eric Bailey. Only a few days later, he and Deborah Schoch published a 3-page article about the police state in Big Sur. It is still accessible at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-backfire7-2008jul07,0,3314737.story
This was the start of the battle between Big Sur Locals and the Mike Kanalakis, Sheriff of Monterey County. Kanalakis also made the mistake of taking on Cachagua in Carmel Valley. Both were big mistakes.
Thanks to Jim Kimball for archiving posts from surfire2008 and other sources, we have an excellent record of all that happened on this day last year. It was a busy day, with reports from locals coming in up and down the coast all day long. Let’s not forget what it was like to live in this police state from July 3, 2008 to July 8, 2008, when the road opened to locals and their employees, and July 11, 2008 when the road opened completely.
Go to this link, and scroll down. It is arranged as all blogs tend to be, with the older posts first, or backwards chronology. Just scroll down to July 4th and start reading. It is fascinating:
July 3, 2008
July 3rd, 2008, one year ago today, the MCSO issued its infamous memo.
All our representative’s offices were closed for the long week-end. I am convinced to this day that the timing was purposeful. Can’t call Dave Potter’s office, can’t call Sam Farr’s office. Who can I connect to change this newly created “police state” in Big Sur. LA Times & San Fran Chronicle both come to mind. So, I call them. I provided the same story, but the LA Times was the most interested. Then, Ross Curtis got arrested.
(To be continued tomorrow.)
July 2, 2008
The Basin Fire started 11 days before this date one year ago today. One year ago, today, Highway One was closed due to the fire. Today, I start a retrospective for the next few days.
Today’s story and photo is by Dave Egbert, of http://www.firesafegardens.com, a BSVFB member:
That morning, I had hung out the Flag as I always do each July. Then I left Big Sur for SF to do an appearance on KGO’s View from the Bay, ironically talking about fire safe plants and my experiences as a firefighter. While I was gone, the fire met several “trigger” points in the gorge and atop Mt. Manuel. I was on my way home when I got the news that the highway was being closed at 7pm.
When I rounded the corner at the lighthouse, I saw the extent of the fire. Pico Blanco was fully ablaze and other fires were working down the Golden Staircase in Molera. Heavy smokes spouted from Cielo Prieto and Mt. Manuel. I was the only truck heading south and was waved by from CHP and Sheriff. When I reached Front Hill, the last residents were scrambling off the hill wild eyed and dusty.
I was scattered and alone on the ranch.
The dogs paced and fussed and the smoke was dropping down with the sunset. I went out on the atv to scope the now nearly empty ridges. I shot this photo of the house with the flag moving slowly in the sunset. The house looked so vulnerable, unable to stop the angry orange smoke.
