CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : CA-SMD Santa Anita IC - 584 acres

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

CA-SMD Santa Anita IC - 584 acres - 88%

Santa Anita Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED

Santa Anita fire progression map
Total burned area: 584 acres
Credit: USDA Forest Service - Link

Summary

As of Wednesday, April 30, 2008, 6:00 a.m. PST, the Santa Anita Fire has burned 584 acres north of Sierra Madre, CA. Approximately 238 acres are on National Forest System land within the Angeles National Forest, and 346 acres are within the corporate boundary of the City of Sierra Madre (see fire progression map posted to this site).

The fire is currently 88% contained.

Fire information is available until 8:00 p.m. today (Weds. 4/30/08) by calling the Angeles National Forest Fire Information Center at 626-821-6700. The City of Sierra Madre Public Information can be reached at 626-355-7135.

Evacuation Update (6:00 a.m. April 30, 2008):

With the exception of the Chantry Flats area, all evacuated areas have been re-opened.

Closure Update (7:00 a.m. April 30, 2008):

Sierra Madre public schools (both campuses) are open.

Most other schools in Sierra Madre are also open. Please contact private schools directly to confirm the status of individual school closures.

CLICK ON ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR SCHOOL CONTACT INFORMATION

Santa Anita Canyon Road (Chantry Flat Road), which accesses the Angeles National Forest, is closed.

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Under Investigation
Date of Origin	04/26/2008 at 1500 hrs.
Location	City of Sierra Madre and Angeles National Forest (Los Angeles County)
Incident Commander	Dave Fiorella

Current Situation

Total Personnel	923
Size	584 acres
Percent Contained	88%
Estimated Containment Date	05/02/2008 at 1800 hrs.
Fuels Involved	Brush, chaparral and light timber.
Fire Behavior	Isolated hot spots.
Significant Events	Except for the Chantry Flat area, evacuations have been lifted.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Crews will continue to improve fireline, mop up, and provide structure protection.
Projected Movement	With cooler temperatures and good progress by fire crews, it is anticipated that the fire will be contained by May 2nd at 6:00 p.m.
Growth Potential	Low
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme
Remarks	Unified Command with USFS (Fiorella), Sierra Madre Fire (Heydorf) and Sierra Madre Police (Diaz).

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	2-6 mph SW
Current Temperature	53 degrees
Current Humidity	84 %

No comments:

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