CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : Inciweb: Ranch Wildland Fire - 58,401 acres

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Inciweb: Ranch Wildland Fire - 58,401 acres - 97%

Ranch Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED 18 MIN. AGO

Summary

November 15, 2007 Update

Fire Status: The Ranch Fire remains 97% contained, but some activity within the fire's perimeter was recently detected. A Helitanker (large helicopter) was dispatched yesterday to make water drops on a spot approximately 1/4 acre in size, located one mile northeast of Oat Mountain, in the Pole Creek drainage. Incident Command will be reassesing conditions today.

Areas in and around the Zaca Fire and the Ranch Fire, will remain closed until further notice.

For more information about the Ranch Fire, or areas that will remain closed, please call Los Padres National Forest Headquarters at: 805-968-6640, or Angeles National Forest Headquarters at: 626-574-5200.

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Under Investigation
Date of Origin	10/20/2007 at 2142 hrs.
Location	West of Castaic, CA; North and East of Fillmore,CA
Incident Commander	Mike Stout

Current Situation

Total Personnel	Not available
Size	58,401 acres
Percent Contained	97%
Fuels Involved	Heavy chaparral and oak woodland.
Fire Behavior	Some hot spots remain along the western edge of the fire in very steep, inaccessible terrain.
Significant Events	Mop-up and patrol the existing firelines.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Crews are available to rapel into the fire area should any flare-ups occur. Terrain is very hazardous with little to no access.
Projected Movement	No fire movement anticipated.
Growth Potential	Very low.
Terrain Difficulty	The difficulty of the terrain is extreme, due to steep slopes and inaccessible terrain.
Containment Target	The Ranch Fire may not be considered fully contained until the fire area receives significant rainfall.
Remarks	Not available

Weather

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

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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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