WE’VE HAD DASH CAMS AND HELMET CAMS, now we’re able to view firefighting through the Cockpit Cam.
KTTV Ch. 5 in Los Angeles recently got permission to install a camera in the cockpits of both a Super-Scooper plane and an Ericksson Sky Aircrane helicopter. They went along for the ride while the planes refilled with water and made their air drops over one of the Los Angeles brush fires.
Buckle up and ride along with them:
THE MASSIVE WILDFIRE IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, California, that directly led to the deaths of two firefighters was deliberately set, the U. S. Forest Service announced on Thursday night. As a consequence, a homicide investigation has been opened and the fire setter(s) is being actively sought.
The fire which is still burning has so far consumed over 250 sq. mi. and destroyed at least 64 homes in the Angeles National Forest and beyond. It is not expected to be contained before Sept. 15. Authorities have declined to say whether they have any suspects yet. The Associated Press has a video update on this recent development:
The Los Angeles Times reports:
Officials said they concluded that the largest brush fire in the history of Los Angeles County was deliberately set after investigators examined forensic evidence from the point of origin off Angeles Crest Highway north of La Cañada Flintridge.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said investigators don’t want to release any details about the cause because they fear it could hurt their ability to find and prosecute the arsonist.
On Wednesday, investigators converged on a turnoff near Mile Marker 29 of Angeles Crest Highway near a scorched oak tree, using wire mesh sifters to search through the ash. Yellow tape cordoned off the area and authorities blocked the highway, turning away even Caltrans workers and earthmovers.
Sources close to the investigation told The Times that the probe has been complicated somewhat by the fact the fire burned over the point of origin twice, making evidence collection more difficult than normal.
The fire is in its eighth day now. Read more about this latest update HERE.
ONE OF THE EIGHT WILDFIRES CHALLENGING CALIFORNIA over the weekend was the Gloria fire in Monterey County. The fire has been fully contained now, but not before consuming 6,400+ acres and causing 100 homes to be evacuated, one of which was destroyed.
Salinas Californian
CalFire investigators say that the fire was ignited on Thursday at a large vineyard when some workers there sent up an agricultural firework sometimes referred to as a “bird bomb.” It’s an aerial projectile that makes a whistling sound as it travels, ending with a mild ka-boom designed to scare away birds from the crops.
KSBW-TV Ch. 8 reports on this development:
The Salinas Californian reports:
On the day the fire started, there were four workers in the vineyard, said Nora Feeley, Constellation Wines U.S. vice president of corporate communications, in an e-mail.
The fire appears to have started just outside of the vineyard’s fence line before it moved east, she said, and did not damage the vineyards at the Gabilan Ranch.
The fire ignited on a day when the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Monterey County. The alert, officials said, meant conditions that day were ripe for fires to start. In the Soledad area, temperatures were in the low 100s with winds blowing steadily around 15 miles per hour.
Read the entire article HERE.
Despite the red flag alert, it’s not illegal to use the bird bombs and is commonly practiced this time of year.
The Californian continues:
Monterey County Farm Bureau President Bill Hammond said the use of the fireworks, known as Bird Bombs, has been going for about 30 years. A Bird Bomb, he said, is similar to a starter gun used during racing events. It consists of a small pistol and a 2-inch long cap. It is shot in the air, toward where the birds are located, and blows up with a loud noise.
“It doesn’t explode with fire,” said Hammond, who uses the device in his own vineyards. “But when it lands on the ground, it’s still hot.”
Once the investigators determine who was responsible for the fire, the state will send that party a bill for the $4 million that was spent in the firefighting effort.
A 20-ACRE WILDFIRE IN THE CIBOLA NATIONAL FOREST OF NEW MEXICO is being left to burn because the land is a former munitions test site and may have untold numbers of explosive devices in the ground.
The lightning strike-induced fire began nearly two weeks ago and firefighters are under orders to not leave the hard-surface roads in that area. So far, it has not spread significantly and is not threatening any dwellings. If the fire does shift however, the Forest Service will bring in aeral tankers to attack it. There is enough moisture in the land and plant life that the USFS is hopeful that the fire will eventually burn itself out.
KOB-TV Ch. 4 has this video report on the unusual fire load:
THE SCHOOL WHERE THE STUDENTS THAT ACCIDENTALLY STARTED the Tea Fire in Montecito, California a week ago has been identified.
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Yesterday the Santa Barbara Community College issued a statement affirming that the fire-starters are students at its campus. When the Santa Barbara County Sheriff announced the other day that 10 students of “a local college” had admitted that they had been burning the bonfire that started the disastrous wildfire, rumors started running and the nearby Westmont College became the prime speculation because of its proximity to the blaze. Westmont lost eight buildings plus 14 faculty homes to the fire.
After the SBCC issued its statement the sheriff’s office confirmed that 9 of the 10 individuals are students there. There have been no charges brought yet against the 10 persons involved, but local officials are still in the process of deciding their fate. If charged with negligence, the suspects could potentially be responsible for financial restitution for the damages, as well as the cost of fighting the fire which has run into the tens of millions of dollars. California has been aggressively pursuing damage costs against people who have started wildfires for the past few years.
Wednesday the Westmont College President Gayle Beebe sent out an email to its students and the press containing a disclaimer that any of its campus population had been involved in starting the fire:
1) Were any Westmont students involved in causing the fire?
No. On Wednesday afternoon at approximately 2:45 p.m., Drew Sugars, the public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office officially informed the college that no current Westmont students were present nor in anyway involved with this tragic incident.
We have been in regular contact with investigators since the fire and have been providing any information that might be helpful toward determining the exact cause of the fire. This is our responsibility as a community citizen. Our surrounding coastal region is home to many colleges and universities, and like all of them, we are awaiting new information.It should be noted that at this point, the group of individuals responsible for starting the fire are under the jurisdiction of law enforcement authorities. Again, no current Westmont students were involved with this incident.
2) When will students and faculty be able to return to campus?
The campus will reopen Saturday, Nov. 29, at noon, and classes will restart Dec. 1. We are tirelessly working to clean up the campus and accommodate the entire campus population after the Thanksgiving holiday.
3) When will new information about the cause of the investigation be made available?
We have been informed by authorities that the investigation is still underway. It is important to resist the urge to speculate beyond what is currently known. Ultimately, the public needs to let the authorities do their job.
4) How is the college addressing rumors speculating about Westmont students?
Investigators have determined that no current Westmont students were involved in the fire. Any suggestions to the contrary are false and damaging.
Despite rumors and speculation on the Internet, our utmost priority throughout the investigation has been addressing the needs of our campus and the surrounding community. That means providing information requested by authorities, cleaning up the demolished sites on our campus in preparation for returning to the academic term, and generally being a good neighbor in a time of great need. Second, we are providing accurate information directly from investigators to our college community in as timely a manner as possible.
Ultimately, the findings of the investigation will be made public by authorities and the individuals responsible for the fire will enter the jurisdiction of the law. Until that point, I ask that each of you do your part by avoiding undue speculation and by communicating responsibly, as is reflected in our values and mission.
The Univ. of Calif. Santa Barbara Daily Nexus has MORE.
THE DISASTROUS FIRE IN MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA, was started by a bonfire left smoldering Thursday morning, according to Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown.
After conducting interviews the sheriff office announced yesterday that a group of 10 young men and women, ages 18 to 22, had gathered at an abandoned property called the Teahouse late Wednesday night and built a bonfire to warm themselves. They thought they had put the fire out when they left early Thursday morning, but when the violent windstorm came up that night it whipped up the embers that started the fire.
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The Mount Calvary Monastery and Retreat House
was completely destroyed by the Tea fire. (AP / Saxon photo)
When it was all over, more than 200 homes were destroyed along with a well-known monastery. The sheriff did not identify the careless culprits, but he did say that they were all students at a nearby college. There are three colleges in the area, the closest being the Westmont College that lost eight buildings plus 14 faculty homes to the fire.
The Los Angeles Times has the STORY.
The New York Times has an in-depth story about the monastery’s loss HERE.
THE WINDS ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST WERE NEGLIGIBLE today, diminishing to about 5 mph instead of the 40 – 80 mph gales of the weekend. The fires’ intensities are gone and they have become a “standard” wildfire permitting a more normal and aggressive attack.
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Reuters / Nicholson
The Sayr Fire – Sylmar
The fire in L. A. County has been moved away from the city areas and is now concentrated in the Placerita Canyon. While it is still burning vigorously, it is isolated and 40% contained. So far 638 structures have been destroyed or damaged. Ten thousand people have been evacuated.
There were five injuries, including three firefighters, and five arrests for looting. After the first day of concentrated searching in the mobile home park that was destroyed, coroner’s officers have not found any victims yet.
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Reuters / Nicholson
The Tea Fire
The residents of Montecito and Santa Barbara are mostly being allowed back to their residences now. The fire which consumed over 1,900 acres is 80% contained and has destroyed 210 homes.
The Triangle Complex Fire
The Orange County fire is currently the most challenging of the three. It has burned 24,000 acres and is about 20% contained. At least 112 residences have been destroyed and about 23,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.
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Reuters / Blake
NBC News has this current video report:
THE STILL-GROWING WILDFIRE IN ORANGE COUNTY, dubbed the Triangle Complex Fire, is only 5% contained at the time of this writing. The fire has destroyed nearly 200 homes and more than 1,000 dwellings remain threatened. An additional 22,000 residents have been evacuated.
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Orange County Register / Schauer photo
The fire has been spreading for miles near Yorba Linda and Brea, racing through dry brush toward Chino Hills and Diamond Bar. 1,250 firefighters are working the blazes along with 15 helicopters and 10 air tankers.
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Orange County Register / Koehler photo
Earlier today it was reported that 50 units (10 bldgs.) in an apartment complex were destroyed overnight in Anaheim Hills. The 250-unit Cascades apartments also lost their office/leasing building.
KTLA-TV has a video report from the Cascades Apartments:
Check back later for any more updates.
THE SAYRE FIRE IN SYLMAR CONSUMED DOZENS of single-family homes and at least 8 commercial buildings. Lesser winds of 40 mph are present Sunday morning, down from yesterday’s 80 mph gusts, aiding the firefighting efforts.
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All photos Los Angeles Times
But the most devastating loss by far of all the fires this weekend was the destruction of a 600-unit mobile home park. At least 95% of all the dwellings were completely destroyed.
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Practically every home in the Oakridge
Mobile Home Park was destroyed.
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L. A. County firefighter tries to save an Oakridge
mobile home shortly before the blaze developed into
a firestorm that drove out the FD and consumed
the entire development of 600 homes.
The L.A. County coroner’s office and its dogs will be back today looking for victims in the Oakridge Mobile Home Park. Ed Winton of the coroner’s office said at a press conference this morning that the search of community is precautionary and noted that no victims were found Saturday.
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Smoke over the Oakridge Mobile Home Park blocks out the sun.
“We feel pretty comfortable that most people in this mobile home park were evacuated,” Winter said, adding that the search process could take several days. They will focus on trailers with cars still in driveways. As a precaution, the sheriff has declared the mobile home village a “crime scene” until the coroner has cleared the scene.
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Residents return to view what is left of their neighborhood.
KTTV Ch. 11 has a very good video report:
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A California Dept. of Forestry air tanker flies over
a burned out neighborhood of Montecito. (AP)
THE TEA FIRE THAT HAS SWEPT THROUGH Montecito and threatened Santa Barbara has been driven back into the canyon away from most of the occupied areas. It is now 60% contained and some of the evacuation orders have been lifted in a few areas.
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The current status released by Santa Barbara officials is:
•1,900 acres burned
•210 homes destroyed
•1,500 firefighters on the job
•17 injuries from smoke inhalation
•3 burn injuries
Westmont College, a private liberal arts college in Montecito was hit hard also. While all the students were sheltered in the gymnasium, the fire destroyed eight buildings on the campus.
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Westmont College students sheltered in the gym
while the fire moves through campus. (AP / Saxon photo)
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The 80-yr.-old Mt. Calvary Benedictine Monastery
was destroyed by the Tea fire. (AP)
CNN recorded some impressive video during the first night of the fire as it attacked a neighborhood filled with mansions:
Previous Firegeezer reports and videos on the Tea fire are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.
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Los Angeles Times
SEVERAL WILDFIRES HAVE SPRUNG UP IN ORANGE COUNTY this afternoon, mostly in the Anaheim and Yorba Linda areas.
At the time of this writing all of them are still burning and spreading. A notable feature of these is, like the other fires in Santa Barbara and L. A. Counties, the extremely rapid rate of spread. Several people have stated that they had no time to even think about it before they had to escape as fast as they could. Whole neighborhoods would suddenly come aflame.
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Los Angeles Times / Loomis
KTTV Ch. 11 is currently running a live video feed HERE. We expect it to remain live online through the night.
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Los Angeles Times / Khan
The situation is dynamic, so for the latest updates check these local news sources:
San Diego Union-Tribune HERE.
Los Angeles Times HERE.
KFMB Ch. 8 HERE.
KCBS Ch. 2 HERE.
JUST 85 MILES EAST OF THE MONTECITO FIRE, another fast-growing wildfire sprang up late Friday night in Sylmar, Los Angeles County. Fanned by 70+ mph winds, it quickly spread to 4 sq. miles, taking dozens of single-family homes and completely destroying a 600-unit mobile home park.
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AP / Steinberg photo
Tagged the Sayre Fire, it began around 10:30 pm Pacific time. The high, strong winds have prevented any aerial attacks from the fire tankers and helicopters.
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The 600-unit Oakridge Mobile Home Park
was completely destroyed. (AFP / McNew photo)
Fire crews had to abandon efforts in the trailer park when the fire became too large for their resources. “We have almost total devastation here in the mobile park,” Los Angeles Fire Capt. Steve Ruda said of the Oakridge Mobile Home Park. “I can’t even read the street names because the street signs are melting.”
CNN / KABC has this aerial footage of the mobile home park burning:
THE FAST AND STUBBORN TEA FIRE in Santa Barbara County is now being aggressively attacked and the 2,235 firefighters on the job have it 40% contained at midday.
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Reuters / McCarten photo
The weather largely cooperated last night with reduced winds allowing the crews to set up a fire line. So far, 111 homes have been lost with 9 more damaged. But that is only an estimate until they can get in the area for a more detailed review of the damaged area. Approximately 5,400 homes in Montecito have been evacuated.
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AFP / Beck photo
“We’re cautiously optimistic that wind conditions will remain cooperative today,” said Andrew Burmond, a spokesman with the city of Santa Barbara. This is an urban fire, and containment is a tricky thing,” Burmond said, noting that fire lines are more difficult to build in an urban environment than in a wildland blaze.
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AP / Steinberg photo
According to the Lompoc Record, mandatory evacuations remain in effect for much of Montecito and parts of the city of Santa Barbara, and CalFire officials, who are now in charge of fighting the blaze, say some 1,500 residences remain potentially in harm’s way.
The AP has this video report:
At least 13 people were injured in Montecito. A 98-year-old man with multiple medical problems died after being evacuated, but it was unclear if his death was directly related to the blaze, Santa Barbara County Sheriff-Coroner Bill Brown said. At least three people were treated for burn injuries.
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Reuters / McCarten photo
This is not the first time that Montecito has suffered from wildfire. They had a major fire in 1977, when more than 200 homes burned. A fire in 1964 burned about 67,000 acres and damaged 150 houses and buildings.
CBS has filed this video:
THE FIERCE WILDFIRE IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY is still far from being contained. Firefighters are attempting to turn it and drive it northward away from the city before dusk. Late in the evening they are expecting a wind phenomenon called the “Sundowners” to spring up that brings exceptionally heavy winds blowing down the mountainside toward the ocean. This gives rise to the possibility of driving the fire right through the town.
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Reuters / McCarten photo
A fire department spokesman said that they had lucky breaks in both the wind and the weather today allowing them to control the fire enough for the air tankers to make effective drops on the fire. “I’m surprised that we haven’t lost 500 homes so far,” he said.
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Reuters / McCarten photo
The Los Angeles Times reports:
Coping with its most destructive fire in nearly 20 years, Santa Barbara organizations have stepped forward to help in some distinctive ways. Santa Barbara Bank & Trust Co. announced it will pay hotel bills tonight through Sunday night for people displaced by the blaze.
“Business is gangbusters, I’m sorry to tell you,” said George Leis, the bank’s CEO. By midday, the bank had booked 130 rooms, many at the waterfront Hotel Mar Monte, and planned to issue dinner vouchers at Los Arroyos restaurants. A team of 10 employees was busy fielding calls at the bank’s headquarters in downtown Santa Barbara.
“Some of our customers have lost their homes. Some of our employees have lost their homes,” said Leis, who added that the bank will offer its customers emergency lines of credit and cash advances.
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Reuters / McCarten photo
WildfireToday blog is maintaining aerial maps and charts of the fire HERE.
The AP has a video update:
Firegeezer will continue to update.
The Tea Fire in Santa Barbara County is still far from being contained. More than 100 homes have been lost and many more residents face the possibility of evacuation today. The fire has consumed 4 sq. miles so far.
The Associated Press has this recent video report:
The weather forecast calls for high winds continuing throughout Friday and into Saturday with gusts up to 70 mph.
KING-TV has some raw aerial video:
Santa Barbara County officials said Friday morning that 13 people had been injured. Michele Mickiewicz, a spokeswoman with the county emergency operations center, said 10 people were treated for smoke inhalation and another 3 had burn injuries. One of the burn victims was reported to be critically injured.
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat REPORTS on northern Calif. fire units deployed to the fire zone.
NBC4 is carrying LIVE VIDEO HERE.
Firegeezer first report is HERE.
A MAJOR WILDFIRE IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, California, has destroyed more than 100 multi-million dollar mansions in the exclusive Montecito community overnight.
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AP / Steinberg photo
Anticipating a major fire problem after getting weather forecasts calling for high winds in the southern California region starting yesterday, many upstate fire departments had already shifted resources into the area.
The Santa Barbara fire, dubbed the Tea Fire, started up around 6 pm Thursday evening and rapidly spread through 3 sq. miles taking the homes and a college dormitory with it. Many of the people were caught off guard with the unexpected blaze and fiercely fast spread. Another overnight report says that the fire is moving toward Santa Barbara city with 20 homes there burning already.
The Associated Press is reporting:
Thousands of feet above the flames, footage shot from television helicopters showed what initially looked like a massive campfire with dozens of glowing embers. When cameras zoomed in, however, what appeared to be flaring coals turned out to be houses — many of them sprawling estates — gutted by flame. Palm trees were lit like burning matches.
“It looked like lava coming down a volcano,” Leslie Hollis Lopez said as she gathered belongings from her house.
About 500 firefighters were trying to stop the flames from marching farther west to dense neighborhoods in Santa Barbara.
Fire officials planned an aggressive attack from the air at daybreak Friday with the help of nine water-dropping helicopters and 10 air tankers.
The fire was fanned by evening winds known locally as “sundowners,” which gusted up to 70 mph from land to sea late Thursday. Around sunset, winds shift from the normal onshore flow of cool, moist sea breezes and push downhill from the Santa Ynez Mountains.
The winds weakened overnight, with gusts reaching from 17 to 25 mph, said Jamie Meier, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “We’re expecting conditions to improve for firefighters on the lines, but it will still be warm and dry through tomorrow,” she said.
Updates will be continuing throughout the day.
An early raw video from CNN:
SAN DIEGO GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY announced Thursday that they will be implementing a new procedure in high-risk areas during a wildfire.
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In a report issued back in July, it was disclosed that three of the most devastating wildfires last October were started by arcing or downed power lines. So the SDG&E has developed an emergency plan that will shut down electric service ahead of time in certain high-risk areas so that the major hazard of live wires will be hopefully eliminated during fire season.
They are sending a letter to about 45,000 power customers who live in the highest fire-risk areas explaining the new procedure and the reasons for it. In the letter they tell that all of five conditions have to be met before the service will be cut. They are:
The National Weather Service issues a red-flag warning indicating that conditions are highly conducive to wildfires. Sustained winds are greater than 35 mph or wind gusts are greater than 55 mph. Relative humidity is less than 20 percent. The moisture level in “non-living” materials such as sticks, twigs and leaves is less than 6 percent as determined by the National Weather Service. The moisture level in “living” plants and bushes is less than or equal to 75 percent as determined by Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service.A fire already burning will not be a condition for activating a shut-down.
Read the entire public letter which includes a Q and A section from SDG&E HERE.
The House of Representatives passed legislation Wednesday that provides dedicated funding for catastrophic wildfire suppression.
The U. S. Forest Service has been expending much more on some major fires in the past two years than what they were budgeted for. As a result, they have had to shift funds from other programs to cover the shortfall. Last year the Federal firefighting costs came to $1.8 billion. However, only 2% of the fires account for 80% of the firefighting costs.
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AFP / Getty image
This new fund would be used specifically for catastrophic fires and would be separate from the funds budgeted every year for wildfire suppression. The emergency fund would be authorized annually based on the average cost of fighting wildfires over the preceding five years.
The bill passed the House on a voice vote and now goes to the Senate for consideration. If you would like to read the bill in its entirety, click HERE.
THUS SAID CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENNEGER as he addressed the press on Wednesday. With more than 1,400 wildfires burning in California alone, thousands of firefighters have been working non-stop for 3 weeks and more.
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Monterey Herald photo of Basin Complex fire
in the Big Sur State Park
Yesterday the entire Big Sur State Park area was issued a mandatory evacuation order after the Basin Complex fire jumped a containment line and began moving toward the tourist settlement. The fire is threatening nearly 1,800 homes and 20 commercial buildings.
The incident commander for the Basin fire said that the No. 1 priority in the battle Wednesday was to protect Big Sur and keep the fire from crossing more lines, especially those in the Dolan Ridge area. “If the fire gets established there, it’s another 20 miles south to the next containment line,” he said.
Announcing that the state is recognizing that what used to be a forest “fire season” that ran from late summer through the fall, the governor is setting a new policy that recognizes the extension of the fire season to most of the year. He is proposing a tax of $6 to $10 on fire insurance policies to provide $100 million annually which would allow the state to employ wildland firefighters on a year-round basis and buy hundreds more fire engines.
The Associated Press covered his press conference and the latest on the Basin Complex (Big Sur) fire in this video report:
CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER ORDERED the mobilization of 200 National Guard troops on Tuesday to provide relief and assistance to forestry firefighters in the state.
CalFire announced that they are currently working nearly 1,500 wildfires with 18,500 firefighters, 1,400 fire engines, 335 bulldozers, 410 water tenders and 100 helicopters.
The Guard units will undergo 5 days of training first and then be deployed for mop-up operations and will also be providing dozens of transport vehicles and bulldozers.
KPIX-TV has the full STORY.
KCRA-TV has this video report:
AS THE WILDFIRE IN THE BIG SUR OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA rages all around, one group of devout landowners has declined to evacuate the area.
The priests and students of the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center are hunkering in for the firefight at their retreat. Last week 75 visitors and students were evacuated leaving a basic fire crew and cooks. Located 14 miles from the nearest paved road, the Buddhist community is getting ready to stave off the encroaching flames.
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Two Buddhists work to prepare the Tassajara
monastery to withstand the wildfire threat.
(Los Angeles Times / Durell photo)
Equipped with a 50,000 gallon pool, two pumps and hose lines, the remaining monks and priests are shedding their robes and donning running gear. They have also jury-rigged a system of plastic water piping and lawn sprinklers across the roofs of their log-and-stone buildings. All their day is spent clearing fire breaks around the camp.
They’re not alone, however. Cal Forestry has encamped a 30-man inmate fire crew there so that they can be fed at the monks’ mess hall. This is not the first time the MFD (Monk Fire Dept.) has gone through this drill. In 1977 and 1999 the monks and forestry crews held off the flames of wildfires that moved through the 160 acre complex that is the oldest Buddhist monastery in the Western Hemisphere.
They won’t be martyrs, however. If the fire is too large or intense, they will move out along with the fire crew.
The Los Angeles Times has a good background story HERE.
KCBA Ch. 35 has a good video report on the monks’ preparations:
AN UNPRECEDENTED LIGHTNING STORM SWEPT ACROSS Northern California over the weekend and left untold hundreds of wildland fires in its wake.
A heavy thunderstorm on Friday had already created scores of fires and the forestry officials were still discovering and counting them on Sunday when the next big storm swept in from the Pacific Ocean. Weather systems over the Pacific do not have any identifiable structure nor leave a history as they travel, so there is no advance warning about the severity of the system when it arrives.
Sunday’s outbreak carried over 6,000 lightning strikes throughout the heavily-forested northern section of the state. By Sunday evening the number of fires identified had risen to 520. On Monday morning the count was up to 840.
Needless to say, the firefighting forces in the state are overwhelmed right now. Some larger fires only have 10% of the usual number of firefighters on the line and many smaller fires are untended. Thousands of additional FF’s and more aircraft are being brought into the area today.
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AP
The largest of the fires is in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest about 150 miles north of Sacramento where 1,200 homes are threatened.
To keep up to date on the events there, Firegeezer recommends that you check regularly with two Blogs:
Firefighter Blog HERE, and
WilfireToday HERE.
Both of these sites are published by retired wildfire professionals and they do a great job of providing insight into what is going on along with maps and satellite views.
The AP filed this video report on Gov. Schwarzenegger’s press statement Monday morning:
THE 4,270-ACRE FIRE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY LAST MONTH burned more than 60 homes and threatened hundreds of others.
But some homeowners are being blamed for contributing to the losses. For one thing, it was disclosed yesterday after investigations that 87% of the houses that burned had not properly cleared the so-called defensible space around their homes.
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AP
State law requires that all combustible ground cover be removed within 30 feet of a structure and reduced within 100 feet. While fire officials cannot say with any certainty that any of these homes would not have burned if they had been properly cleared, they are saying that their failure to do so greatly increased their chances of destruction.
The San Jose Mercury News covers this recent revelation HERE.
Another contention has just arisen also. More than half of the destroyed homes were built illegally and should not have been there in the first place. Some people are saying that these illegal homes caused fire resources to be utilized on them when they could have been re-positioned to protect houses that were legally placed there.
The owners of the clandestine homes say that the costs of getting all the required permits to build in the county can amount to more than $50,000 before you even start building and that is too burdensome to afford.
KCBA Ch. 35 has this video report on the illegal homes and interviews some of the permit-dodgers:
THE HUMBOLDT FIRE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA is still racing out of control over the mountains of Butte County.
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Chico Enterprise-Record photos by Jason Halley
So far the fire has consumed more than 23,000 acres and is 45% contained. Full containment is projected to be reached by Monday evening. Over 3,800 firefighters with 521 fire engines are working the fire that has caused the evacuation of 8,000 residents.
Janet Upton, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said “We’ve always called it the big one, it’s always the one we’ve trained for and it’s been our worst-case scenario; it’s the one we use for our tabletop exercises. This is that fire.”
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The San Francisco Chronicle has an excellent background article along with some personal stories HERE.
KCRA-TV has a very good video report:
THE SUMMIT FIRE IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY is close to full containment. During the last night, the fire did not grow any and today the firefighters have been blessed with cooler tempeatures and high humidity.
Fire officials expect that the fire which has burned more than 4,300 acres now, will be completely contained tonight, according to Chris Morgan, CalFire spokesman.
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Members of the Fremont/Hayward Combined
Task Force work the Summit fire near Gilroy.
(AP/Sanchez photo)
The San Jose Mercury News reports that the cost of fighting the Summit fire has reached $11.2 million, and there have been seven firefighters injured, all with minor strains and sprains, Morgan said. Currently, there are 2,631 firefighters assigned to the blaze, and Morgan said that number “will start going down drastically pretty quickly.”
KCBA Ch. 35 in Monterey has this video report:
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