Copter Chick reports directly from the Zaca Fire

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Copter Chick reports directly from the Zaca Fire

The Zaca Fire rages on......

This time we are way north of the Fire at the Richardson Helibase in New Cuyama. There are several helibases for this fire. We still have somewhere around 20 or so helicopters along with the DC10 back in service(it clipped trees on the White Fire I worked two months ago) and other tanker planes.
Our helibase quite interesting though. I’m learning new things every day. Strange things that is…..like when we arrived on Friday and flew in and I thought wow, this place is super muddy, but instead when we landed big chunks of crispy earth flew away from our touchdown spot. They spray the ground with this surface type hardener called polybinder(that’s what they told me) to keep the dust down so as not to breath in the fungus that’s in the dirt since apparently this valley like most of the entire valley in this part of Cali. is infected with Valley Fever. This hardener is actually kinda cool. Nice not having mud everywhere, but this stuff really smells bad. It reminds me of that chocolate coating that you pour on your icecream and it hardens. Great location for a helibase right? Hmmm, valley fever. Sounds fun. They gave us a paper to fill out and sign so we have recourse if we catch the fever, then we can have them take care of our medical expenses or something like that I was told. Here’s a link to what it is if you’re interested.

This great article continues at Copter Chicks Blog...The Adventures of Copter Chick

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How fires get their names

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.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Thursday, August 16, 2007