ZACA FIRE News: FIRE FRONT HIT 33 HARD CREWS HELD THE LINE!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

ZACA FIRE News: FIRE FRONT HIT 33 HARD CREWS HELD THE LINE!

Zaca Fire Thermal Satellite maps of fire perimeter and spots
Credit:Map created by:Cal Fire News

The Zaca Fire hit the Highway 33 contingency line hard yesterday, Crown fires and spotting crossed highway 33 but all the slop overs were miraculously picked up by the crews and the Highway 33 line was held!
These crews are fighting a now historic California Wildfire of immense proportions and have held losses to one outbuilding this can only be attributed to the excellent and very professional firefighting crews and incident commanders who have kept injuries and property losses to a minimum and have really directed this fire where they choose too very early in the fight the wilderness.

Zaca Fire Thermal Satellite maps of fire perimeter and spots

Credit:Map created by:Cal Fire News

GeoMac shows the Backfires,slop overs and spotting in the area known as the switchbacks where this advancing fire was checked yesterday.

Current Situation:

On the northwest perimeter, the fire is well established in Foresters Leap Canyon on the north rim of Sisquoc Canyon. Firefighters are planning a backfiring operation along the Sierra Madre Ridge to contain the northern progress of the fire. Contingency plans are being developed to determine a course of action to stop the progress of the fire west down the Sisquoc drainage. On the northeast and east perimeter, the fire has moved to the east boundary of the Dick Smith Wilderness near Highway 33. Firefighters will continue a backfire operation from Cuyama Peak Road in Dry Canyon down Brubaker Canyon to Highway 33. On the east perimeter, firefighters have successfully completed the backfire operation from Highway 33 through the switchbacks to Ozena. Later this afternoon a backfire operation will be conducted along the forest boundary at the Cuyama River drainage from Ozena to Brubaker Road in order to contain the eastern edge of the fire.

On the southeast perimeter, firefighters were successful in constructing fireline directly next to the fire’s edge east of the Hildreth Jeep trail and north of the Pendola Jeep Trail. Secondary dozer lines were constructed below the direct handline in support of obtaining containment objectives. Good progress was made last night in continuing to tie in the remaining line construction. Rehabilitation of firelines, contingency lines, and roads will begin today. Approximately 310 miles of dozerline are in need of restoration.

Due to predicted low humidity, a red flag warning has been issued for the fire area until Wednesday night.

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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).

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Tuesday, August 21, 2007