Wildfire Erupts in Lockwood Valley

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Wildfire Erupts in Lockwood Valley

CHP officers stopped traffic on Lockwood Valley Road as a wildfire moved northwest into a stand of pine trees. [Meyer photo]

FRAZIER PARK, Calif. (Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 3:45 p.m.)—A wildfire broke out in Lockwood Valley just before 12:30 p.m., about a half mile west of Chuchupate ranger station.

Approximately 20 to 30 acres have burned, according to Mt. Pinos District Forest Ranger Tom Kuekes. "So far, the fire has laid down pretty good. We have two dozers on-scene that will work to get some line built. Two air tankers are on the way and two helicopters—one from Ventura County and one from Santa Barbara—are now providing water drops," Kuekes said.

No injuries have been reported.

No estimate was available on containment.

CHP began escorting groups of motorists on Lockwood Valley Road, past the fire area, at approximately 2:30 p.m.

U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Battalion Chief John Abel is the Incident Commander. Assisting agencies included Kern County Fire Department, Ventura County Fire Department, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, USFS personnel from Angeles National Forest, California Highway Patrol and Kern County Sheriff's Department.

The Mountain Enterprise spoke with Bob Stowell who, while driving westbound on Lockwood Valley Road before 12:30 p.m., observed smoke and flames to the south side of the highway. Stowell had to drive further to the west in order to get a cell phone signal where he reported the fire at 12:31 p.m. While parked he says he observed someone walking near the fire area, and then observed a later model beige Ford F-250 truck leaving the fire area and driving east on Lockwood Valley Road toward Lake of the Woods.

Stowell says he drove into the area where the truck had emerged, to see whether anyone else was in the area. He saw a tent, an ice chest with a lot of beer cans and litter strewn around the makeshift campsite.

Source: The Mountain Enterprise

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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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Saturday, April 18, 2009