News and Notes: California Fire Situation 09-10-09

Thursday, September 10, 2009

News and Notes: California Fire Situation 09-10-09

There will be a Memorial Service for Los Angeles County Fire Department Firefighters, Fire Captain Tedmund “Ted” Hall and Firefighter Specialist Arnaldo “Arnie” Quinones, Saturday, September 12, 2009, 10:00 a.m., at Dodger Stadium.
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NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL: 2
National Fire Activity
Initial attack activity: Light (118 new fires)
New large fires: 2 (*)
Large fires contained: 2
Uncontained large fires : ** 5
Area Command Teams committed: 0
NIMOs committed: 0
Type 1 IMTs committed: 1
Type 2 IMTs committed: 1
Nationally, there are 72 large fires being managed with minimal or no resource
commitment that are not shown on today’s report.
** Uncontained large fires do not include confine/contain and resource
benefit incidents.
Link to Geographic Area daily reports.

Latest Update: 09/10/2009 0730 hours
Type I IMT - National Rotation 2 hr. Rocky Basin 8 hr: California 24 hr: Northern Rockies	Type II IMT - Regional Rotation 2 hr: SC Wakoski 8 hr: NC Joseph

Type I IMT - Regional Rotation 2 hr: Molumby 8 hr: Pincha-Tulley 24 hr: Opliger	Type II IMT - Local Rotation 2 hr: Wakoski 8 hr: Joseph

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Southern California Area (PL 3)
New fires: 17
New large fires: 0
Uncontained large fires: 1
Type 1 IMTs committed: 1

Photo shows start of Mount Wilson burn-out operation
09-10-09 AM
NE Mt Wilson burn operation-approx 9:00am. Support resources assigned. Aerial ignition assist-11:00am rt

STATION CA-ANF-3622, Angeles NF. 160,357 acres, 71%.
Four miles north of La Canada, CA. Chaparral. Moderate fire behavior. Residences, power lines and a major communications facility threatened. Road closures in effect.

Angeles Crest Highway remains closed. As of yesterday the incident has gone out of Unified Command with Los Angeles County Fire & Los Angeles City Fire. Incident is USFS incident. The Station Fire Base Camp and Incident Command Post has moved to the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale.
Total personnel: 3,647.
Closing of the spike camp at Central Park in Santa Clarita is planned for this operational period.
For area and road closure information please see Inciweb - Link
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Northern California Area (PL 2)
New fires: 12
New large fires: 0
Uncontained large fires: 1

OASIS Incident, CA-LNU is 1400 acres and 75 percent contained. Sonoma – Lake Napa Unit, Cal Fire. Five miles southwest of Wilber Springs, CA. Brush and grass. Moderate fire activity.

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Weather: Warming and drying trend in California. Southern California will again see low
humidity today over the mountains.
Predictive Services Discussion: A warming and drying trend will continue across the West. Windy conditions will develop across the Northern Rockies and Rocky Mountain Areas. Thunderstorms will develop over the Four Corner states.

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6 Minutes for Safety: Link - http://www.nifc.gov/sixminutes/dsp_sixminutes.php
Downhill Fireline Construction Checklist

Downhill fireline construction is hazardous in step terrain, fast-burning fuels, or rapidly
changing weather. Downhill fireline construction should not be attempted unless there is no
tactical alternative.
When building downhill fireline, the following is required:

Crew supervisor(s) and fireline overhead will discuss assignments prior to committing crew(s). Responsible overhead individual (TFLD or ICT4 qualified or better) will stay with job until completed.
Decision will be made after proposed fireline has been scouted by supervisor(s) of involved crew(s).
LCES will be coordinated for all personnel involved.
Crew supervisor(s) is in direct contact with lookout who can see the fire.
Communication is established between all crews.
Ensure rapid access to safety zone(s) in case fire crosses below crew(s).
Direct attack will be used whenever possible; if not possible, the fireline should be
completed between anchor points before being fired out.
Fireline will not lie in or adjacent to a chute or chimney.
Starting point will be anchored for crew(s) building fireline down from the top.
Bottom of the fire will be monitored; if the potential exists for the fire to spread, action will be taken to secure the fire edge.

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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).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Thursday, September 10, 2009