CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : Inciweb: Zaca Wildland Fire - 134,396 acres

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Inciweb: Zaca Wildland Fire - 134,396 acres - 59 percent

Zaca Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED 20:00

NEWS RELEASE

Forest Service Closes Additional Areas in Los Padres National Forest
Date: August 14, 2007 Los Padres National Forest ... more

Zaca Fire Map picture

Map shows uncontrolled fire extent and primary control lines.
Credit: Zaca GIS Section

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Summary

Thursday, August 16, 2007 8:00 AM

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

On the Web: http://www.sbcfire.com/ or www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres or http://www.inciweb.org/

Fire Information Phone Line: (805) 961-5770

Fire Status

Acres Burned: 127,244 acres

Acreage Increase (last 12 hours):10,530 acres

Fireline to Build: 16 miles

Date Started: July 4, 2007 at 10:53 am

Percent Contained: 63 percent

Expected Containment: September 7, 2007

Injuries: 29

Structures Threatened: 595

Structures Destroyed: 1 outbuilding

Resources

Crews: 69

Engines: 123

Helicopters: 18

Air Tankers: 8

Air Attack: 3

Dozers: 38

Water Tenders: 73

Total Personnel Assigned: 2,853

Cost to Date: $73.4 million

Current Situation:

The fire has established itself at the bottom of Mono drainage and made slope runs to the Hildreth Jeepway. Efforts are aimed at holding the fire on this ridge. If these efforts prove unsuccessful it will prompt fire officials to consider executing predetermined plans to utilize backfire operations in conjunction with direct and indirect line construction. Efforts will be focused on completing direct fireline from the Ogilvy Ranch area to the Hildreth Jeepway and to consider conducting backfiring operations from the Jeepway east toward Highway 33. Current strategies of direct attack will continue while fire managers review contingency plans and adjust suppression tactics as needed.

On the northern perimeter, firefighters will continue today conducting a backfire operation to burnout out vegetation between the fireline and the main fire which is actively burning in Sisquoc, Cliff and Logan Canyons. Firefighters were successful in securing four miles of fireline from Santa Barbara Canyon to Sweetwater Ridge. On the east perimeter, the fire continues to actively burn in area known as the Narrows in Mono Canyon and is moving east towards the Matilija Wilderness. Firefighters will also begin a backfire operation in the area around Potrero Seco. The active fire is still burning within the indirect fire lines that the incident commanders have established to contain this fire.

Hwy 33 between Ojai and Cumaya and the Lockwood Road may close today while firefighters conduct a firing operation to secure the fireline on the eastern perimeter of the fire. The decision to close the road is dependent on fire activity. Incident Commanders are working with the California Highway Patrol in conjunction with Santa Barbara and Ventura County Sheriff Offices on a traffic closure plan.

Contingency lines in the areas of Paradise Road, Camuesa Road, the Sierra Madre Ridge, Pendola Road, and the Matilija Wilderness are completed. These lines may reduce the need for firing operations in those areas and will provide firefighters with other suppression options that may be needed in the event that changing conditions warrant such action.

Forest, Road and Area 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 Warning Area and is currently open to residents only.
The Zaca Fire Area Closure in Los Padres National Forest has been expanded to include additional lands in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Kern Counties. The expanded closure now encompasses approximately 888,000 acres including the entire San Rafael, Matilija and Chumash Wildernesses, a portion of the Sespe Wilderness and adjacent national forest lands. Detailed information on the closure can be found at www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres or http://www.inciweb.org/ or your local Forest Service Office.

Evacuations:

The EVACUATION ORDER for Paradise Road residents, Los Prietos Boys Camp, and the Rancho Oso Guest Ranch has been downgraded to an EVACUATION WARNING.
The Santa Ynez River Road campgrounds, day use areas and trailheads remain closed.

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	Molumby/ Schmit/ Dietrich

Current Situation

Total Personnel	2,917
Size	134,396 acres
Percent Contained	59%
Estimated Containment Date	09/07/2007 at hrs.
Fuels Involved	Heavy brush containing a high dead component. Some conifer at higher elevations. Live fuel moistures are at 49% which is well below critical levels. A continuous fuel bed lies ahead of the fire.
Fire Behavior	south side of the fire: The fire continued to advance towards the east, mostly with backing fire with occasional intense uphill runs due to roll-out and spotting. Heavy smoke impeded fire attack and air operations. North side of the fire: Backing and flanking; uphill runs with extreme fire behavior where drainages align with winds on most portions of the fire.
Significant Events	South side of the fire: The Paradise Road and Santa Ynez River Recreation remain under an evacuation warning, open to residents only. North side of the fire: Major fire runs south of the Sisquoc river on the western perimeter in Division AA. Fire is well established in Mono Creek three miles west of Three Sisters. Continued burnout operations to the east in Divisions DD and EE. Completed burning in Division CC. Initiated burning in Division BB. Working to establish Ozena Spike Camp. Continue construction of contingency lines east of Hwy 33 in the Pine Summit area.

Outlook

Planned Actions	South side of the fire: Patrol, mop-up, and improve existing control lines. Conduct burnout and holding operations along the Hildreth Jeepway and Potrero Seco Road. Perform recon, planning and contingency line construction in Branch IX. Prepare to implement the contingency plan. North side of the fire: Monitor and hold burnout operation in Divisions BB, DD and EE. Begin burnout in Division HH near Three Sisters at the headwaters of Mono Creek. Coordinate back fire operations with south side of the fire.
Projected Movement	Projections for the fire's activity in the next 12 hours. South side of the fire: The fire continued actively spreading to the east up Mono and Agua Caliente Canyons. North side of the fire: Northward past Sisquoc River toward Sierra Madre Ridge, Santa Barbara Canyon and Cuyama Peak; south to Mono Creek and Aqua Caliente canyons.
Growth Potential	Extreme.
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme.
Containment Target	South side of the fire: Indirect line strategy should succeed by 9/7. North side of the fire: Containment strategy has a moderate chance of succeeding, based on the ability to anchor and hold the fire on Sierra Madre Ridge, toward Hwy 33 and from Highway 33 west, to Three Sisters Ranch.
Remarks	South side of the fire: The fire is in Mono Creek and Agua Caliente Canyons. The fire overran the Hildreth Jeepway and became established in Agua Caliente Canyon. Burning operations are being implemented along the secondary containment lines. Resources are engaging the fire on the east side of the Olgivy burn scar and preparing for indirect attack. Percentage of containment and line to build are now being calculated based on the projected control lines. Acreage will continue to reflect actual acres consumed. North side of the fire: No input pertaining to actual fire.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	3 (g-7) mph W
Current Temperature	84 degrees
Current Humidity	25 %

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