CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : Inciweb Update: ZACA Fire - ZACA Incident - 28,000 acres

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Inciweb Update: ZACA Fire - ZACA Incident - 28,000 acres - 35%

Zaca Fire Perimeter Map - 07/17/07

Zaca Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED 20:45 hrs.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Zaca Fire Evacuations Modified
**For Immediate Release**Zaca Fire Evacuations Modified - The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department, in conjunction with the Joint Unified Incident Management Team, has modified the Zaca Fire
Evacuation area and warnings map

ZACA Fire / ZACA Incident - Evacuation map

Summary

Current Fire Information

Resources - Hand Crews: 58; Dozers: 36; Engines: 108; Air Tankers: 6 ; Helicopters: 17; Water Tenders: 39; Overhead Personnel: 314; Total Personnel: 2,133; Injuries: 15; Structures Threatened: 50; Estimated Cost-to-Date: $21,100,000

Current Closures

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

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

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

The expanded forest closure is still in effect. The expanded closure encompasses the entire San Rafael Wilderness and adjacent national forest land roughly from Highway 166 on the north to the Buckhorn Road area on the south. The 382,000 acre area will be closed until further notice. This closure will limit access to the San Rafael Wilderness in order to insure the safety of citizens and fire personnel.

Significant Events

Fire behavior last night was calmer than expected and the fire was held north of Cachuma Saddle. Fire behavior may increase this afternoon. No further evacuations were ordered and the current order and warning will be re-evaluated this afternoon. Structure protection in the Happy Canyon area, containing the south, southeast flank, and preventing the fire from crossing containment lines, is today's immediate priority. Contact the Zaca Fire Information Line at 805-961-5770 for current conditions.

Current Situation: The fire is still burning in an easterly direction in the San Rafael Wilderness, andcontinues to make runs to the south towards Cachuma Saddle. The northeast portion of the fire is still holding at the Hurricane Deck Trail, butwork in the wilderness continues to be a challenge due to the steep and rugged terrain. All efforts are being made to protect natural and cultural resources. Bulldozers will continue to construct contingency lines outside the wilderness boundary. Public and firefighter safety remains the top priority.

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 have been placedthroughout the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Valley to keep those communities updated on the fire's status.

Media Message: Due to the expanded forest closure, media must be escorted by a Public Information Officer.Information Officers will be available to provide an escort to an operations approved location. Credentialed media will need to check in at the Incident Command Post at Live Oak Camp (SR-154) for an escortedtour.

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/

###

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

Current Situation

Total Personnel	1,756
Size	28,000 acres
Percent Contained	35%
Fuels Involved	Chaparral and Oak Woodlands. North Flank of the fire is burning in heavy, 40 year old fuels with high dead to live ratio. Fuel moisture levels are extremely low, and are at levels which are usually not seen until late in the summer.
Fire Behavior	The fire laid down through the night,but fire activity is expected to increase with the heat of the day. The fire continues it's easterly movement in the San Rafael Wilderness approaching the Sisquoc River. Control lines on the northwest portion of the fire continue to hold.
Significant Events	Estimated spread of 3,000 acres toward McKinley Mtn.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Continue direct and indirect line. Both fixed wing and rotary aircraft will continue to support ground action. Structure protection and construction of contingency lines will continue.
Projected Movement	The fire could grow 1500 acres in the next 12 to 24 hours.
Growth Potential	High.
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme.
Containment Target	Suppression Tactics have continued to be successful in protecting communities and structures at risk. Containment of the fire in wilderness remains difficult due to poor access, rough terrain and extreme fire behavior. Long Range Appropriate Management Response Plans are being refined for the San Rafael and Dick Smith Wilderness.
Remarks	A successful public meeting was held in Solvang with the Santa Barbara Unified Command. There were between 200-300 public attendees.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	Not available
Current Temperature	Not available
Current Humidity	Not available

No comments:

How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS