Inciweb: Zaca Wildland Fire - 127,244 acres - 63 percent

INCIDENT UPDATED

NEWS RELEASE

Forest Service Closes Additional Areas in Los Padres National Forest
Date: August 14, 2007 Los Padres National Forest ... more

ZACA Fire Perimeter as of August 14 at 1600
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Credit: Zaca Fire GIS section

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Summary

Thursday, August 16, 2007 8:00 AM

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

On the Web: http://www.sbcfire.com/ or www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres or http://www.inciweb.org/

Fire Information Phone Line: (805) 961-5770

Fire Status

Acres Burned: 127,244 acres

Acreage Increase (last 12 hours):10,530 acres

Fireline to Build: 16 miles

Date Started: July 4, 2007 at 10:53 am

Percent Contained: 63 percent

Expected Containment: September 7, 2007

Injuries: 29

Structures Threatened: 595

Structures Destroyed: 1 outbuilding

Resources

Crews: 69

Engines: 123

Helicopters: 18

Air Tankers: 8

Air Attack: 3

Dozers: 38

Water Tenders: 73

Total Personnel Assigned: 2,853

Cost to Date: $73.4 million

Current Situation:

The fire has established itself at the bottom of Mono drainage and made slope runs to the Hildreth Jeepway. Efforts are aimed at holding the fire on this ridge. If these efforts prove unsuccessful it will prompt fire officials to consider executing predetermined plans to utilize backfire operations in conjunction with direct and indirect line construction. Efforts will be focused on completing direct fireline from the Ogilvy Ranch area to the Hildreth Jeepway and to consider conducting backfiring operations from the Jeepway east toward Highway 33. Current strategies of direct attack will continue while fire managers review contingency plans and adjust suppression tactics as needed.

On the northern perimeter, firefighters will continue today conducting a backfire operation to burnout out vegetation between the fireline and the main fire which is actively burning in Sisquoc, Cliff and Logan Canyons. Firefighters were successful in securing four miles of fireline from Santa Barbara Canyon to Sweetwater Ridge. On the east perimeter, the fire continues to actively burn in area known as the Narrows in Mono Canyon and is moving east towards the Matilija Wilderness. Firefighters will also begin a backfire operation in the area around Potrero Seco. The active fire is still burning within the indirect fire lines that the incident commanders have established to contain this fire.

Hwy 33 between Ojai and Cumaya and the Lockwood Road may close today while firefighters conduct a firing operation to secure the fireline on the eastern perimeter of the fire. The decision to close the road is dependent on fire activity. Incident Commanders are working with the California Highway Patrol in conjunction with Santa Barbara and Ventura County Sheriff Offices on a traffic closure plan.

Contingency lines in the areas of Paradise Road, Camuesa Road, the Sierra Madre Ridge, Pendola Road, and the Matilija Wilderness are completed. These lines may reduce the need for firing operations in those areas and will provide firefighters with other suppression options that may be needed in the event that changing conditions warrant such action.

Forest, Road and Area 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 Warning Area and is currently open to residents only.
• The Zaca Fire Area Closure in Los Padres National Forest has been expanded to include additional lands in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Kern Counties. The expanded closure now encompasses approximately 888,000 acres including the entire San Rafael, Matilija and Chumash Wildernesses, a portion of the Sespe Wilderness and adjacent national forest lands. Detailed information on the closure can be found at www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres or http://www.inciweb.org/ or your local Forest Service Office.

Evacuations:

• The EVACUATION ORDER for Paradise Road residents, Los Prietos Boys Camp, and the Rancho Oso Guest Ranch has been downgraded to an EVACUATION WARNING.
• The Santa Ynez River Road campgrounds, day use areas and trailheads remain closed.

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	Molumby/ Schmit/ Dietrich

Current Situation

Total Personnel	2,853
Size	127,244 acres
Percent Contained	63%
Estimated Containment Date	09/07/2007 at hrs.
Fuels Involved	Heavy brush containing a high dead component. Some conifer at higher elevations. Live fuel moistures are at 49% which is well below critical levels. A continuous fuel bed lies ahead of the fire.
Fire Behavior	The fire has established itself at the bottom of Mono drainage and made slope runs to the Hildreth Jeepway. Efforts are aimed at holding the fire on this ridge. If these efforts prove unsuccessful it will prompt fire officials to consider executing predetermined plans to utilize backfire operations in conjunction with direct and indirect line construction. Efforts will be focused on completing direct fireline from the Ogilvy Ranch area to the Hildreth Jeepway and to consider conducting backfiring operations from the Jeepway east toward Highway 33. Current strategies of direct attack will continue while fire managers review contingency plans and adjust suppression tactics as needed.
Significant Events	Hwy 33 between Ojai and Cumaya and the Lockwood Road may close today while firefighters conduct a firing operation to secure the fireline on the eastern perimeter of the fire. The decision to close the road is dependent on fire activity. Incident Commanders are working with the California Highway Patrol in conjunction with Santa Barbara and Ventura County Sheriff Offices on a traffic closure plan.

Outlook

Planned Actions	On the northern perimeter, firefighters will continue today by conducting a backfire operation to burnout out vegetation between the fireline and the main fire which is actively burning in Sisquoc, Cliff and Logan Canyons. Firefighters were successful in securing four miles of fireline from Santa Barbara Canyon to Sweetwater Ridge. On the east perimeter, the fire continues to actively burn in area known as the Narrows in Mono Canyon and is moving east towards the Matilija Wilderness. Firefighters will also begin a backfire operation in the area around Potrero Seco. The active fire is still burning within the indirect fire lines that the incident commanders have established to contain this fire. Contingency lines in the areas of Paradise Road, Camuesa Road, the Sierra Madre Ridge, Pendola Road, and the Matilija Wilderness are completed. These lines may reduce the need for firing operations in those areas and will provide firefighters with other suppression options that may be needed in the event that changing conditions warrant such action.
Projected Movement	Live Oak Zone: Continued active spread to the east, up Mono Canyon. The fire has spread northward past the Sisquoc River toward the Sierra Madre Ridge, Santa Barbara Canyon and Cuyama Peak; south to Don Victor Valley/Mono Creek.
Growth Potential	Extreme.
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme.
Remarks	Not available

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	4 (g12) mph NE
Current Temperature	66 degrees
Current Humidity	31 %