CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : Inciweb: Harris Wildland Fire - 75,000 acres

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Inciweb: Harris Wildland Fire - 75,000 acres - 10%

Harris Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED 29 MIN. AGO

Summary

This fire has burned 73,000 acres and is 10 percent contained. The fire started October 21 and is burning at Harris Ranch Road and both sides of Highway 94 in Portrero in San Diego County. There have been 25 civilian injuries and one death as well as seven firefighter injuries on this fire. 200 homes have been destroyed in this fire and 250 additional homes have been damaged. 1,500 homes are threatened. 4500 people have been evacuated. The communities of Chula Vista, San Diego, San Miguel, Portrero, Barrett Junction, Barett Lake area, Engineer Springs, Dulzura, Deerhorn Valley, Lawson Valley, Jamul, Lyons Valley and homes along Millar Ranch Road are threatened. 1211 firefighters are assigned under unified command. The estimated cost of this fire to date is $2.5 million. Harris Fire Information Line (619) 590-3160.

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Under Investigation
Date of Origin	10/21/2007 at 0930 hrs.
Location	HARRIS RANCH RD & HWY 94, POTRERO
Incident Commander	Howard Windsor

Current Situation

Total Personnel	1,341
Size	75,000 acres
Percent Contained	10%
Estimated Containment Date	10/31/2007 at hrs.
Fuels Involved	BRUSH AND GRASS.
Fire Behavior	Rapid rates of spread.
Significant Events	The fire was held at the edge of Chula Vista and San Miguel DPA. The returning onshore flow has moved the fire to the northeast threatening structures along Highway 94 from Jamul to the east, Lyons Valley to the north and Jamaica to the west. The regional communications equipment on Lyons Peak was damaged by fire, cutting off power and destroying the back-up generator. Crews installed a portable repeater to support fire communications. The fire progressed north in the Barrett Lake area, consuming old, heavy fuels.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Continue evacuations of communities that may be impacted, continue search and rescue operations, protect structures and construct direct line where possible.
Projected Movement	Fire will continue to move to the north and east.
Growth Potential	Extreme
Terrain Difficulty	High
Containment Target	Low confidence. Personnel are exhausted. Some additional resources are trickling in.
Remarks	CDF Team 9 is in unified command with Forest Service, San Diego City, Chula Vista and San Miguel. A total of 21 civilians have been injured and one killed by this fire. 4500 people are or have been threatened and evacuated. Additional evacuations are being ordered. An estimated 200 homes have been destroyed or damaged. 1500 homes are or have been threatened. Detailed damage assessment is about 55% complete and those numbers are reported in section 24. Many initial attack resources have been engaged continuously since the beginning of the fire. Resource requests are critical. An additional 271 people are assigned to the incident and are either enroute or were initial attack and have not been released from the line to check in. The total personnel count is 1611.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	5 mph NE
Current Temperature	77 degrees
Current Humidity	12 %

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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.

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