CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : Inciweb update: Zaca Wildland Fire - 67,675 acres acres

Monday, August 6, 2007

Inciweb update: Zaca Wildland Fire - 67,675 acres acres - 68 percent

ZACA FIRE / ZACA FIRE 2 -
Map; of current fires - Perimeters
Credit: Zaca Fire GIS Section

Zaca Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED

Credit: Zaca Fire GIS Section

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Summary

Morning Update Monday August 6, 2007

Location: 15 miles northeast of Buellton, Santa Barbara County

Joint Unified Incident Management Teams: Los Padres National Forest and Santa Barbara County Fire Dept

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

Acres: 67, 675 Acres

Percent Containment: 68 percent

Estimated Containment September 7, 2007

Resources: Hand Crews: 68; Dozers: 14; Engines: 111; Water Tenders: 28; Helicopters: 7-Type 1, 6-Type 2 and 4-Type 3; Air Tankers: 8; Air Attact:2; Total Personnel: 2,345; Injuries: 13; Structures Threatened: 515; Fireline-to-build: 44 miles; Estimated Cost-to-date: $52 million

Significant Events: An EVACUATION ORDER for Paradise Road and Lower Santa Ynez River Road to Gibraltar Dam remains in effect. The Evacuation Order includes the Paradise Road Community, Santa Ynez Road Recreational Areas to Gibraltar Dam, Los Prietos Boys Camp, and the Rancho Oso Guest Ranch. An EVACUATION ORDER continues for the Peachtree Community. An EVACUATION WARNING remains in place for Happy Canyon Road north of Baseline Road, including the ranches between Lake Cachuma and McKinley Ridge. The Los Padres National Forest expanded closure is in effect. The closure area is approximately 649,000 acres and is between Hwy 166 in northern Santa Barbara County and Highway 33 and Matilija Canyon in Ventura County.

Current Situation:

The inversion layer diminished fire activity last night. The fire has reached the Dick Smith Wilderness. Fire line on the north continues to hold along the Mission Pine Trail with the support of air tankers and hand crews. Due to the fires location, the Richardson camp will be set up in New Cuyama to run the north section of the fire and the Live Oak Camp will remain to run the south section of the fire. A section of Highway 154 remains closed. Smoke columns were visible through the Central Coast and the San Joaquin Valley. The fire line at the head of Peachtree Canyon continues to hold. Dozers continue to construct line along Camuesa Road. Structure protection groups remain in place in the Peachtree and Paradise areas and continue working on improvements arount structures. Engine companies and handcrews are currently working in the communities of Camino Cielo today to familarize themselves with the area.

A Cal-Fire base camp has been established at the Earl Warren Show Grounds. It will be the base camp for the "Front Country Support Group" for personnel and equipment that are currently preplanning the Santa Ynez Ridge communities and cities on the south coast. This group will support current fire fighting resources that would be providing structure protection, if the fire should threaten the above areas.

Current Forest and Road Closures:

Happy Canyon Road is closed at Los Padres National Forest boundary.
Figueroa Mountain Road is closed at the Los Padres National Forest boundary.
East Camino Cielo is closed between Painted Cave Road and Gibraltar Road due to fire equipment traffic.
Paradise Road is within the Evacuation Order Area and is currently closed.
Hwy 154 is closed to general traffic between Foothill Road and Hwy 246. After Highway 154 reopens, travelers driving on San Marcos Pass (Hwy 154) should tune to 1040 AM.
Los Padres National Forest closure information and map are available at http://www.inciweb.org/.

Safety Message: Travelers using SR-154, please be cautious of firefighting equipment and personnel. Gibraltar Road, Painted Cave Road and East Camino Cielo residents are also asked to be cautious of firefighting equipment and personnel.

Unified Incident Commanders:
Bill Molumby Incident Command Team 2 and Mark Schmitt, Santa Barbara County Fire Dept

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Human Caused
Date of Origin	07/04/2007 at 1053 hrs.
Location	15 miles NE of Buellton
Incident Commander	Bill Molumby/ Mark Schmit

Current Situation

Total Personnel	2,345
Size	67,675 acres
Percent Contained	68%
Estimated Containment Date	09/07/2007 at hrs.
Fuels Involved	Vegetation is oak/conifer woodland which contains a large amount of dead component. A continuous fuelbed lies ahead of the dominant spread direction of the fire.
Fire Behavior	Overnight fire activity diminished somewhat during the nighttime hours as an inversion layer set-in.
Significant Events	A Type 1 team has transitioned with the teams that have been managing the fire and is now in place.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Direct construction will continue where possible in all Divisions where there active fire. Strengthing and holdin lines will continue in the south and west sides of the active fire. Dozer groups continue cleanup of existing fuelbreaks in preparation for burn out activities and holding operations, when they are necessary. Dozer work continues on contingency lines along Camuesa Road. Southwest winds will favor control efforts along western and southern flanks while these winds will increase difficulty of fighting the fire in the northern and eastern flanks.
Projected Movement	Southwest winds will continue to push the fire in northerly and easterly directions.
Growth Potential	Extreme.
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme.
Containment Target	The lack of access and rugged terrain require a long term strategy of both direct and indirect attack with contingency planning that is being implemented over a 5 to 6 week period.
Remarks	Not available

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	11-18 mph SW
Current Temperature	mid 70 degrees
Current Humidity	12 %

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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.

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