CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : Inciweb: Moonlight Wildland Fire - 65,000 acres

Friday, September 14, 2007

Inciweb: Moonlight Wildland Fire - 65,000 acres - 90%

Moonlight Fire Perimeter Map

Ground To Crown Flame Spread
Credit: Unknown / Inciweb

Moonlight Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED 1:13 HRS. AGO

ANNOUNCEMENT

North Arm Indian Valley Evacuation Order lifted
As of 6:00 pm, Wednesday, September 12 the mandatory evacuation for residents in North Arm Indian Valley is lifted. The voluntary evacuation order for residents of Taylorsville, Genesee Valley, and..... more

Summary

Containment lines held through the Red Flag warning. Winds were actually beneficial in reducing the risk to lines, aiding interior burning. Good mop-up efforts 100-500' in. 90% containment, 65,000 acres with no growth. Greenville, Taylorsville, and Indian Valley areas will be smokey in the morning for the next few days due to smoke funneling down drainages and an inversion. 9/17 is the projected full containment date. Humidity levels will rise through tonight and temperature will be cooler. Personnel and equipment will begin to demobilize today. The mandatory evacuation has been lifted for Franks Valley. The Murdock crossing fire camp will be closing today.

The Fire Information call center will reduce hours from 6 am to 6 pm beginning 9/14.

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Under Investigation
Date of Origin	09/03/2007 at 1424 hrs.
Location	Moonlight Valley T27N R10E Sec 3
Incident Commander	Single Command

Current Situation

Total Personnel	3,216
Size	65,000 acres
Percent Contained	90%
Estimated Containment Date	09/17/2007 at hrs.
Fuels Involved	Heavy timber & slash,
Fire Behavior	The fire was held within the containment lines on all divisions. Heavier fuels continued to burn throughout the night in the interior of the fire.
Significant Events	Line was completed and continues to hold in the SW, W, and NW portions of the fire. Line construction is nearing completion on the E portion of the fire. The North Arm, Indian Valley and Diamond Mountain roads remain open to residents only. The mandatory evacuation remains in effect for: Taylor Lake, Wilcox Valley, and Antelope Lake. The evacuation for Franks Valley has been lifted. A Forest closure is in place to ensure safety in the vicinity of the fire. All major highways remain open, however, most Forest roads are closed to access.

Outlook

Planned Actions	The W and NW continue to hold and mop up 500 feet from control lines. The S, SE and E perimeter will continue to construct direct line, improve and hold established lines, grid for heat & mop up 200' from control lines as well as provide for structure protection. On the SW perimeter crews will patrol & mop up 100' from control lines and provide structure protection in the Diamond Mountain, North Arm, Indian Valley and Wilcox areas.
Projected Movement	There is minimal potential for fire spread, if any, is predicted to be to the Northeast.
Growth Potential	Medium
Terrain Difficulty	80% slopes; extreme
Containment Target	The current lines held through the red flag weather event, therefore, an estimated containment date of 9/17/07 at 1800 hrs has been established.
Remarks	The red flag warning event tested the containment lines yesterday. All divisions were successful in holding the fire within the containment lines. Due to the deminished threat to the Cal Fire Protection area the decision was made to discontinue the Unified Command structure as of 0800 today. The incident will be managed by a single Incident Commander from CIIMT-2. Fire suppression repair/rehab and resource demobilization has been initiated. Four burned structures were found yesterday. The type of structures and historic value is being evaluated.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	5-10 mph SW
Current Temperature	70-75 degrees
Current Humidity	15-20 %

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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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