CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : Inciweb update: Zaca Wildland Fire - 63,350 acres

Monday, August 6, 2007

Inciweb update: Zaca Wildland Fire - 63,350 acres - 68 percent

Zaca Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED 12 HRS. AGO

Zaca Fire Perimeter Map
Credit: Zaca Fire GIS Unit

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Summary

Evening Update Sunday August 5, 2007

Location: 15 miles northeast of Buellton, Santa Barbara County

Joint Unified Incident Management Teams: Los Padres National Forest and Santa Barbara County Fire Dept

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

Acres: 63,350 Acres

Percent Containment: 68 percent

Estimated Containment September 7, 2007

Resources: Hand Crews: 68; Dozers: 17; Engines: 111; Water Tenders: 28; Helicopters: 7-Type 1, 6-Type 2 and 4-Type 3; Air Tankers: 8; Air Attack: 2; Total Personnel: 2,294; Injuries: 13; Structures Threatened: 515; Fireline-to-Build: 44 miles; Estimated Cost-to-Date: $50.3 million

Significant Events: An EVACUATION ORDER for Paradise Road and Lower Santa Ynez River Road to Gibraltar Dam remains in effect. The Evacuation Order includes the Paradise Road Community, Santa Ynez Road Recreational Areas to Gibraltar Dam, Los Prietos Boys Camp, and the Rancho Oso Guest Ranch. An EVACUATION ORDER continues for the Peachtree Community. An EVACUATION WARNING remains in place for Happy Canyon Road north of Baseline Road, including the ranches between Lake Cachuma and McKinley Ridge. The Los Padres National Forest expanded closure is in effect. The closure area is approximately 649,000 acres and is between Hwy 166 in northern Santa Barbara County and Highway 33 and Matilija Canyon in Ventura County. Detailed information on the closure can be found at http://www.inciweb.org/ or at your local Forest Service Office.

Current Situation: The fire reached Happy Hollow Campsite, Old Man Mountain and Alexander Peak on the southeast side of the fire, and is continuing to burn to the northeast and south. Fire line on the north continues to hold along the Mission Pine trail with the support of air tankers and hand crews. Due to the spread of the fire in both directions, and increasing complexity, two Type 1 National Incident Management Teams and an Area Command have arrived. A second fire camp will be set up in New Cuyama to support fire suppression efforts in the northeastern part of the fire. A section of Highway 154 remains closed. Smoke columns were visible throughout the Central Coast. The fire line at the head of Peachtree Canyon continues to hold. Dozers continue to reinforce contingency lines in the existing fuel breaks near Paradise Rd. Structure protection groups are in place in the Peachtree and Paradise areas and continue working on improvements around structures. Engine companies and hand crews will begin working in the communities of Camino Cielo today to familiarize themselves with the area.

A Cal-Fire base camp has been established at the Earl Warren Show Grounds. It will be the base camp for the "Front Country Support Group" or personnel and equipment that are currently preplanning the Santa Ynez Ridge communities and cities on the south coast. This group will support current fire fighting resources that would be providing structure protection if the fire should threaten the above areas.

Current Forest and Road Closures:

Happy Canyon Road is closed at Los Padres National Forest boundary.
Figueroa Mountain Road is closed at the Los Padres National Forest boundary.
East Camino Cielo is closed between Painted Cave Road and Gibraltar Road due to fire equipment traffic.
Paradise Road is within the Evacuation Order Area and is currently closed.
Hwy 154 is closed to general traffic between Foothill Road and Hwy 246. After Highway 154 reopens, travelers driving on San Marcos Pass (Hwy 154) should tune to 1040 AM.
Los Padres National Forest closure information and map are available at http://www.inciweb.org/.

Safety Message: Travelers using SR-154, please be cautious of firefighting equipment and personnel. Gibraltar Road, Painted Cave Road and East Camino Cielo residents are also asked to be cautious of firefighting equipment and personnel.

Unified Incident Commanders:
Aaron Gelobter, Boise Incident Management Team Mark Schmitt, Santa Barbara County Fire Dept

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Human Caused
Date of Origin	07/04/2007 at 1053 hrs.
Location	15 miles NE of Buellton
Incident Commander	Aaron Gelobter/ Mark Schm

Current Situation

Total Personnel	2,294
Size	63,350 acres
Percent Contained	68%
Estimated Containment Date	09/07/2007 at hrs.
Fuels Involved	Chaparral. Oak, conifer woodland, and brush, contain a heavy dead component. Live fuel moistures are at 51%, and are below critical levels. A continuous fuelbed lies ahead of the fire\'s dominant spread direction.
Fire Behavior	Active burning occured in the north and east today. Lower elevations burned actively after the morning inversion lifted.
Significant Events	West and southwest winds benefited control along the western flanks of the fire, but increased fire activity along the east side of the fire resulting in large acreage growth. Th fire spread north and east of Mission Pine Rodge near Big Pine Mountain. It also made advances eastward in teh East Fork of Santa Cruz Creek drainage reaching Buckhorn Road at the Bluff Guard Station. In the Peachtree area, a backing fire was held along the ridgetop dozer line, thus defending the Peachtree community. Indirect line continues to be be built.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Direct line construction will continue where possible in all Divisions where there is active fire. Indirect line construction and preparation for burnout operations if necessary, will continue in portions of the west and southeast sides of the fire. The east side of the fire a portion will be unstaffed do to extreme fire behavior and poor access. Dozer group continues clean up of existing fuelbreaks as contingency lines and build new contingency lines. Peachtree and Paradise structure protection groups have been re-inforced and continue improvements around structures. Southwest winds will favor control efforts along western and southern flanks while increasing difficulty in the north and east flanks.
Projected Movement	Active nightime burning is anticipated.
Growth Potential	Extreme.
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme.
Containment Target	The lack of access and rugged terrain require a long term strategy of both direct and indirect attack with contingency planning that is being implemented over a 5 to 6 week period.
Remarks	Not available

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	7 (g15) mph SW
Current Temperature	82 degrees
Current Humidity	16 %

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