CA-SLU-Grade IC - 90 Acres - 100% - Final

CA-SLU-Grade IC - Final

Started yesterday afternoon

Location: Wildland Fire on the Cuesta Grade - US 101 North of San Luis Obispo.
Size: Approx 90 acres heavy brush heading into the LPF 100% contained
Resources: 150 firefighters, 10 trucks, water tenders and an air attack

Sparks from a passing vehicle ignites 90 acre San Luis Obispo brush fire

Source: KSBY News article - Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Reported by: Kory Raftery

SAN LUIS OBISPO

Firefighters are working this morning, monitoring a line they formed around a large brush fire sparked in the hills above Highway 101.

Firefighters say sparks from a car caused three fires to break out near the northbound lanes of Highway 101 on the Cuesta Grade. Soon after, three brush fires became one and spread over 90 acres of brush and into the Los Padres National Forest.

"It threatened the Los Padres National Forest. There's also some cabins up on top that were briefly threatened," said Robert Lewin of Cal Fire.

Crews quickly dug a line around the fire and with the help of 150 firefighters, 10 trucks, water tankers and an air attack. They contained the fire within the first few hours.

"It's a combined effort between air and ground resources. One can't operate without the other," explained Lewin.

"There's real steep terrain and it's difficult to get across up there," said Laura Brown of Cal Fire.

Crews started to thin out later in the evening, but about half of the manpower stayed behind.

"We'll have about 60 firefighters on the fire throughout the day," said Lewin.

As the last of the hot spots cool, firefighters keep an eye on the dry land nearby, and their minds on getting help from mother nature.

"I think we're starting to think like surfers. It's the endless summer for us here. We need some rain badly," said Lewin.

Fire crews estimate losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, but say it could have been worse if it had traveled further into the Los Padres National Forest.

If you have any information for about this incident, please call authorities.

Traffic was not greatly affected, one lane of northbound traffic on Highway 101 was closed for about an hour and a half because of the fire.

Firefighters worry that increasing off-shore winds could spark further blazes. They expect to have full control tonight.

Firefighters say they're used to fighting fires on the Cuesta Grade. Most recently, and in a case investigators say is simlar to this one, fires raged from Atascadero to the base of the Cuesta Grade. That fire was started by started by sparks flying from a car dragging a chain.