CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : InciWeb: Zaca Wildland Fire - Acres: 31,000 Acres Percent Containment: 80 percent

Saturday, July 28, 2007

InciWeb: Zaca Wildland Fire - Acres: 31,000 Acres Percent Containment: 80 percent

Zaca Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED

ANNOUNCEMENT

Forest Service Reduces Zaca Fire Closure
Date: July 26, 2007 Forest Service Reduces Zaca Fire Closure GOLETA, CA...With the Zaca Fire nearing containment, the area of Los Padres National Forest closed to public entry has been reduced signifi... more

Forest Service Zaca Fire Map
Zaca Fire Map has no perimeter changes from the map prepared on the 27th.
Credit: Zaca Fire GIS Section

view pictures || view maps

Summary

Location: 20 miles north west of Santa Barbara, Ca.

Unified Command Team: Los Padres National Forest and Santa Barbara County Fire

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

Acres: 31,000 Acres

Percent Containment: 80 percent

Estimated Containment: August 3, 2007

Resources: Hand Crews: 10; Dozers: 3; Engines: 12; Air Tankers: 1; Helicopters: 13; Water Tenders: 22; Overhead Personnel: 115; Total Personnel: 472;

Injuries: 8;

Structures Threatened: 0;

Fireline-to-Build: 5 miles;

Estimated Cost-to-Date: $35.98 million

Current Forest and Road Closures: The emergency closure around the area of the fire has been reduced. Figueroa Mountain Road and Happy Canyon Road are now open. Sunset Valley Road remains closed.

Significant Events:

Fire remained active overnight in Divisions I and U, making several narrow runs.
Expect interior islands, some large, to continue to burn out during peak burning periods, with no real threat to the current fireline.
Hotter and drier weather will continue. Relative humidity in single digits early Saturday morning.

Current Situation:

The fire is in patrol status with the exception of the southeast corner.
Indirect fireline has been completed in the southeast corner of the fire, and is supported by a fuel (vegetation) type change from the Marre Fire on the southeast slope of San Rafael and McKinley Mountain.
Mop-up of remaining hot spots will continue.
West and northern areas of the fire are being patrolled by aircraft.
Rehabilitation of fire suppression lines is underway in the national forest.
All efforts are being made to protect natural and cultural resources.
Public and firefighter safety remain the top priority.

Safety Message: Travelers using SR-154, please be cautious of firefighting equipment and personnel. Forest visitors in the Santa Barbara Canyon area should be on the alert for fire equipment and personnel on the road.

Additional Information: Depending on fire behavior and 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.

Approved By Unified Incident Commanders:

AARON GELOBTER / RICK TODD

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Human Caused
Date of Origin	07/04/2007 at 1053 hrs.
Location	20 miles north west of Santa Barbara, Ca.
Incident Commander	Aaron Gelobter / Rick Tod

Current Situation

Total Personnel	472
Size	31,000 acres
Percent Contained	80%
Estimated Containment Date	08/03/2007 at hrs.
Fuels Involved	Chaparral 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	Low relative humidity overnight caused the fire to make narrow runs to indirect fire lines constructed in Division U, the easternmost extension of the fire. An early morning flight will determine the extent of last night's advance and the potential for slopovers or spotting.
Significant Events	Demobilization of 3 Type 1 helicopters has been postponed because of last night's fire activity.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Assess potential slopovers and spots in Division U. Secure and hold the lines as needed. Continue rehabilitation of dozer lines and damage caused by fire suppression activities.
Projected Movement	Projected fire spread is expected to be within indirect fire lines. Interior islands of vegetation, some very large, will continue to burn.
Growth Potential	Low
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme. Steep rocky terrain in Divisions I and U makes direct attack of the fire unsafe and impractical.
Containment Target	The fire is in patrol status with the exception of the southeast corner.
Remarks	A closure around the area of the fire remains in effect, but has been reduced in size. Figueroa Mountain Road and Happy Canyon Road are now open. Sunset Valley Road remains closed.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	10-15 exp. mph NE
Current Temperature	93-98 expe degrees
Current Humidity	Not available

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