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Friday, July 20, 2007

Inciweb update: Zaca Wildland Fire - 30,800 acres, 44%

Zaca Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED

NEWS RELEASE

Forest Service Expands Zaca Fire Closure into Ventura County
GOLETA, CA...Due to the threat posed by the Zaca Fire, the area of Los Padres National Forest closed to public entry has been expanded to the south. The closure now encompasses all national forest lan... more

Zaca Fire Progression Map
Credit: Inciweb Zaca Fire Progression Map July 20, 2007

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Summary

Friday, July 20, 2007

7:00am

(Morning update complete)

Modifications to Evacuation Order Effective July 19, 2007 at 12:00 pm - see "News"
Update on Precautionary Smoke Advisory for Areas Impacted by the Zaca Fire
Call the Zaca Fire Information Line at 805-961-5770 for current conditions.

Fire Location: 15 miles Northeast of Buellton, in Santa Barbara County.

Command Team: U.S. Forest Service and Santa Barbara County Fire Department (Unified Command).

Start Date & Report Time: July 4, 2007 @ 10:53 AM.

Acres: 30,800 Acres.

Percent Containment: 44 percent.

Estimated Containment Date: No estimate.

Estimated Control Date: No Estimate.

Resources Currently Assigned: Hand Crews: 45; Dozers: 33; Engines: 70; Air Tankers: 6; Helicopters: 20; Water Tenders: 34; Overhead Personnel: 297; Total Personnel: 1,751; Injuries: 7; Structures Threatened: 102; Estimated Cost-to-Date: $24,600,000.

Evacuations: All evacuation orders have been lifted. An evacuation warning is now in place for the residents of Peachtree Canyon, Tunnel Ranch and areas within the Los Padres National Forest boundary. Canyon Road is closed to the east at Baseline Road. Figuerora Mountain Road is closed to the east at Hwy 154. All Los Padres NF lands are closed from Hwy. 166 on the north roughly to Hwy. 33 in Ventura County on the south, including San Rafael, Dick Smith and Matilija Wilderness areas.

Current Closures: Santa Barbara County Fire Officials have ordered the following road closures.

Happy Canyon Road closed to the east at Baseline Road.
Figueroa Mountain road closed to the east at Highway 154

Los Padres National Forest Officials have ordered the following forest closures:

The current closure encompasses the entire San Rafael, Dick Smith, and Matilija Wilderness within the National Forest land. The area roughly includes all of the Los Padres National Forest from HWY 166 on the north to HWY 33 in Ventura County on the south. The 614,223 acre area will be closed until further notice. This closure will limit access to the San Rafael and Dick Smith Wilderness in order to insure the safety of citizens and fire personnel.

Significant Events: The fire has progressed to the bottom slope of McKinley Peak. Suppression tactics continue to be successful in maintaining north and west flanks.

Current Situation: Suppression tactics continue to be successful in maintaining north and west flanks. Poor access, rugged terrain, and extremely low fuel moisture continue to be problems in achieving containment in the Wilderness.

Safety Message: Residents should use caution when evacuating. Travelers using SR-154, please be cautious of firefighting equipment and personnel. Fire Information fact sheets and display boards are placed throughout the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Valley's to keep the communities updated on the fire status.

Media Message: Due to fire equipment activity, media escorts are available through the information office. Information Officers will be available to provide an escort to an operations approved locations. Media will need to check in at the Incident Command Post at Live Oak Camp for an escorted media tour at 11:00 am.

Additional Information: The fire has potential for increased growth and extended duration of wildfire suppression activities. Depending on wind conditions, smoke from the Zaca Fire may be visible over a wide area with occasional drift smoke as far away as Santa Barbara, Goleta or other areas of the county. If you would likemore information please contact the Zaca Fire Information Line at 805-961-5770 or go to http://www.fire.ca.gov/, http://www.inciweb.org/, or http://www.sbcfire.com/ .

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Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Human Caused
Date of Origin	07/04/2007 at 1053 hrs.
Location	15 miles north east of Buellton, CA.
Incident Commander	Aaron Gelobter / Rick Tod

Current Situation

Total Personnel	1,751
Size	30,800 acres
Percent Contained	44%
Fuels Involved	Model 4 (6 ft) and oak woodlands. North and east flanks of fire are burning in heavy, 40 year old fuels with high dead to live ratio. Fuel moisture levels are extremely low, at levels normally seen in late summer.
Fire Behavior	Backing spread with interior burning out of fuels.
Significant Events	Interior burning with slow lateral spread. Fire has progressed to the bottom slope of McKinley Peak.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Aerial patrol of western perimeter. Line construction and cold trail as needed. Prepare for firing and holding. Recon north perimeter for helispot locations. Continue to survey for structure protection needs. Dozers to construct line south/southwest.Suppression rehab to continue fireline inventory for suppression rehab needs. Recon Sierra Madre Ridge for suppression strategy.
Projected Movement	High potential for growth to the east and south.
Growth Potential	High.
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme.
Containment Target	Suppression tactics continue to be successful in maintaining north and west flanks. Poor access, rugged terrain, and extremely low fuel moisture continue to be problems in achieving containment in the Wilderness.
Remarks	All evacuation orders have been lifted. An evacuation warning is now in place for the residents of Peachtree Canyon, Tunnel Ranch and areas within the Los Padres National Forest boundary. Happy Canyon Road is closed to the east at Baseline Road. Figuerora Mountain Road is closed to the east at Hwy 154. All Los Padres NF lands are closed from Hwy. 166 on the north roughly to Hwy. 33 in Ventura County on the south, including San Rafael, Dick Smith and Matilija Wilderness areas. Unified Command with Santa Barbara County.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	17 mph NE
Current Temperature	52 degrees

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