CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : InciWeb: Zaca Wildland Fire - Acres: 31,000 Acres Percent Containment: 70 percent

Sunday, July 29, 2007

InciWeb: Zaca Wildland Fire - Acres: 31,000 Acres Percent Containment: 70 percent

Zaca Fire Land Ownership Map

Zaca Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED

ANNOUNCEMENT

Incident: Zaca Fire
Released: 9 hrs. ago

An Evacuation Warning has been issued for about a dozen homes in the Peachtree area. This means occupants should be prepared to evacuate on short notice.

Should the need arise, an Evacuation Order would be issued.

The Peachtree area is approximately 7 miles northeast of Lake Cachuma.

Forest Service Reduces Zaca Fire Closure Map
Credit: Forest Service Reduces Zaca Fire Closure Map

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Summary

Location: 20 miles north west of Santa Barbara, Ca.

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

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

Acres: 32,000

Percent Containment: 70 percent

Estimated Containment: August 3, 2007

Resources: Hand Crews: 13; Dozers: 3; Engines: 7; Air Tankers: 6; Helicopters: 15; Water Tenders: 22; Overhead Personnel: 116; Total Personnel: 502

Injuries: 8

Structures Threatened: 13

Fireline-to-Build: 5 miles

Estimated Cost-to-Date: $36.78 million

Current Forest and Road Closures: The emergency closure around the area of the fire has been reduced. Figueroa Mountain Road and Happy Canyon Road are now open. Sunset Valley Road remains closed.

Significant Events:

New perimeter has established fire again in steep, rocky terrain which will make containment diffcult in the wilderness on the eastern flank.
Downhill progression to the south and west has established fire in the head of Peachtree canyon and again threatens private lands and structures.
Extremely low relative humidity and light to moderate winds from the notheast kept the fire active through the night and moving toward Peachtree.

Current Situation:

The fire was very active late yesterday on its E/SE side in the San Rafael Mountain area within the San Rafael Wilderness. Winds caused the fire to spot across handlines and burn into heavy brush, burning an additional 600 acres by about 6:00p.m. The fire also ignited islands of unburned vegetation well-inside the firelines. Several water-dropping helicopters and eight retardant-dropping airtankers attacked the fire all afternoon. This evening with little humidity recovery, the fire continues to burn aggressively in heavy fuels and is expected to burn actively all night. The active portion of the fire is mostly within the San Rafael Wilderness,however the fire has crossed McKinley Peak and is backing down the hill. Smoke and ash are drifting over a wide area as far away as the coast. Flames are visible from some distance. Hotter and drier weather is expected to continue on Sunday and Monday.

Structure protection has been initiated for Peachtree. Major effort will be to hold the western flank of the fire and keep it from moving toward Peachtree.

An Evacuation Warning has been issued for about a dozen homes in the Peachtree area. This means occupants should be prepared to evacuate on short notice. The Peachtree area is approximately 7 miles northeast of Lake Cachuma.

Elsewhere on the fire:

Mop-up of remaining hot spots will continue. West and northern areas of the fire are being patrolled by aircraft. Rehabilitation of fire suppression lines is underway in the national forest. All efforts are being made to protect natural and cultural resources. Public and firefighter safety remain the top priority.

Safety Message: Travelers using SR-154, please be cautious of firefighting equipment and personnel. Forest visitors in the Santa Barbara Canyon area should be on the alert for fire equipment and personnel on the road.

Additional Information: Depending on fire behavior and wind conditions, smoke from the Zaca Fire may be visible over a wide area with occasional drift smoke as far away as Santa Barbara, Goleta or other areas of the county.

Approved By Unified Incident Commanders:

AARON GELOBTER / RICK TODD

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Human Caused
Date of Origin	07/04/2007 at 1053 hrs.
Location	20 miles north west of Santa Barbara, Ca.
Incident Commander	Aaron Gelobter/rick Todd

Current Situation

Total Personnel	502
Size	32,000 acres
Percent Contained	70%
Estimated Containment Date	08/03/2007 at hrs.
Fuels Involved	4 Chaparral (6 Feet) Model 4 (6 ft) and oak woodlands. Fuel moisture levels are extremely low, at levels normally seen in late summer.
Fire Behavior	Fire remained active through the night.
Significant Events	Santa Barbara County evacuated the community of Peachtree.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Structure protection initiated for Peachtree. Major effort will be to hold western flank and keep the fire from moving toward Peachtree.
Projected Movement	High potential for the fire to spread.
Growth Potential	Extreme.
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme.
Containment Target	Management strategy is being re-evaluated.
Remarks	The fire spread an additional 2,000 to 3,000 acres or more over the night.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	5-10 (20) mph NE
Current Temperature	61-72 degrees
Current Humidity	21-47 %

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