Quick Look California Wildland Fires Today - News & Notes

 FIRE WEATHER PLANNING FORECAST FOR INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 553 AM PDT WED JUL 18 2012.

FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS: NO ACTIVE FIRE WEATHER WATCHES OR WARNINGS

DISCUSSION: LOW PRESSURE LOCATED ALONG THE NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA COAST WILL CONTINUE TO BRING UNSEASONABLY COOL TEMPERATURES AND HIGHER HUMIDITY THROUGH THURSDAY.

ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE COASTAL RANGE AND MOUNTAINS OF SHASTA COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THERE LATE THURSDAY.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FOR THE SIERRA CREST SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 50 THURSDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.

WARMER WEATHER RETURNS ON FRIDAY WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEKEND.
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CA-SLU- Calf Fire #Wildfire  640 acres and is 100% contained.

Update: 7/18 16:30hrs - Calf Fire is now 640 acres & 100% contained.  3 miles East of Santa Margarita of Highway 58. Firefighters continue to make good progress on building and strenghtening containment lines around the fire. Mop-up and patrol continue. Demobilization of resources will begin today.

Evacuations: An evacuation shelter has been set up by the American Red Cross at Santa Margarita Elementary School. 

Road Closures: Parkhill Road, between Hwy 58 and Seven Oaks Rd has been reopened to residents only.

Animals: The HEET (Horse Emergency Evacuation Team) has also set up facilities at the Templeton Live Stock Yard for evacuated animals with feed and water available on site. 

Basic Information:

Incident Name:  Calf Fire - CA-SLU-5716
Last Updated: July 18, 2012 7:30 am
Date/Time Started: July 16, 2012 11:35 am
Administrative Unit: CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo Unit
County: San Luis Obispo County
Location: Highway 58 and Pozo Road, 5-8 miles east of the town of Santa Margarita
Acres Burned: 620 acres
Containment 620 acres - 80% contained
Full containment expected tomorrow.
Evacuations: Evacuations orders have been reduced to an evacuation warning.
Injuries: 1
Cause: Under Investigation
Total Fire Personnel: 774 personnel
Engines: 73 engines
Fire crews: 34 crews
Helicopters: 3 helicopters
Dozers: 1 bulldozer
Water tenders: 3 watertenders
Conditions: Firefighters continue to make good progress on building and strenghtening containment lines around the fire. Mop-up and patrol continue. Demobilization of resources will begin today.
Phone Numbers (805) 543-9642 (Calf Fire Information Number)

CA-KRN/BLM (CND) Sand Fire, #Wildfire 1,340 acres, 50% contained.

 Unified command Kern County, Highway 58 near Tehachapi, Highway 58 reopened to through traffic.Fire was started by boat trailer that lost a wheel, power poles burned that crossed over the highway Full containment is expected today, full control expected Friday. No structures currently threatened. The fire has destroyed one bridge, one uninhabited structure, and twenty-one power poles.
Basic Information
Incident Name: Sand Fire - CA-KRN-22306
Incident Time: 01:00:00 PM
Incident Date: 07-17-2012
Incident Location: Tehachapi
Incident Type: Wildland Fire
Resources Used: Air Tankers, Helicopters, Dozers, Type 1, 2, 3, & 4 Engines, Hand Crews, & Overhead
Number of Personnel: 512
Assisting Agencies: BLM, Cal Fire, Cal City Fire, L.A. County Fire, U.S.F.S., KSCO, CHP, So Cal Edison
Cause: Accidental
Official Narrative: Tehachapi, CA: At approximately 1:00 PM on July 17th 2012, the Kern County Fire Department received a call for a vegetation fire near Sand Canyon Road and Highway 58.

 On arrival, firefighters were faced with a fast moving fire burning in light grass and brush along west bound Highway 58, one mile east of Sand Canyon Road. 

Additional firefighting resources were requested from the Bureau of Land Management, Cal Fire, California City Fire, Los Angeles County Fire, and the U.S. Forest Service to help battle the blaze.

 The Sand Fire has burned approximately 1400 acres and is 50% contained.

 The fire had potential to grow to between six and eight thousand acres however with additional air resources firefighters have been able to halt the forward progression of the fire.

 Forty structures were originally threatened in the community of Sand Canyon, but with the assistance of six air tankers, five helicopters, six dozers and over five hundred and twelve firefighters the community was saved. 

The fire has destroyed one bridge, one uninhabited structure, and twenty-one power poles. 

A local interagency type three incident management team has been implemented to manage the fire by using local agreements in order to reduce fire suppression costs. 

With favorable conditions, the fire is estimated to have full containment by Wednesday and full control by Friday. 

The cause of the fire was accidental in nature and was attributed to a wheel coming loose from a boat trailer being towed along Highway 58. 

There have been no reported injuries to firefighters or civilians.

 Assistance is being received from the Kern County Sheriff’s Department, the California Highway Patrol, and Southern California Edison.

CA-TIA- Solo #ForestFire, Sequoia N.F., On ridge near Solo Peak, Contained at ½ acre by 8 smoke jumpers, CA-TIA-2217 

CA-KNP- Woods Creek  #ForestFire, In Cedar Grove, Sequoia-Kings N. P., 322 acres, 70% contained.  CA-KNP-0072

CA-NEU Robbers Fire. 2,650 acres, 70% contained.
 1 residence & 4 outbuildings Destroyed. Decrease in temperatures and increase in humidities have moderated fire behavior.Containment percentages have gone up and fire lines are holding. Fire active decreased. All Local Gov strike teams demobed yesterday.
Evacuations: The Placer County Sheriff announces that several of the areas under mandatory evacuation order since the opening stages of the Robbers Fire will be reopened today, July 18, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. 

• The American Red Cross has established an evacuation shelter at the Foresthill High School. 
• Animal Shelter is located at the Pleasant Street entrance of the Gold Country Fairgrounds 

  Road Closures: Sheriff’s personnel will be at the Small Hope Mine Lane intersection to ensure only local residents with some form of ID or utility bill, etc., clearly identifying the bearer as a local resident, are allowed access to the area.

Yankee Jims Road between Canyon Way and Gillis Hill Road will open but a complete closure from that intersection eastward remains in place for Yankee Jims Road.

 Yankee Jims Road east of Small Hope Mine Lane will be open in the direction of the communities of  Yankee Jims and Foresthill. 

 Residents of the Foresthill Communities are requested to not travel west into the canyon on Yankee Jims Road until further notice due to continuing fire activity and road rehabilitation.

 South of Iowa Hill, a complete closure remains for Shirt Tail Canyon Road at Big Dipper Road.

 Mandatory evacuation of residents on Kings Hill Road remains in effect until further notice.

Evacuation details: Sheriff’s personnel will be at the Small Hope Mine Lane intersection to ensure only local residents with some form of ID or utility bill, etc., clearly identifying the bearer as a local resident, are allowed access to the area.

• Yankee Jims Road between Canyon Way and Gillis Hill Road will open but a complete closure from that intersection eastward remains in place for Yankee Jims Road.
• Yankee Jims Road east of Small Hope Mine Lane will be open in the direction of the communities of Yankee Jims and Foresthill. However, a Level 1 Road Closure (i.e., local residents only may pass) will be in place at Small Hope Mine Lane, and only local residents living west of that intersection will be able to pass. 
• Residents of the Foresthill Communities are requested to not travel west into the canyon on Yankee Jims Road until further notice due to continuing fire activity and road rehabilitation.
• South of Iowa Hill, a complete closure remains for Shirt Tail Canyon Road at Big Dipper Road.
• Mandatory evacuation of residents on Kings Hill Road remains in effect until further notice.
• For further information please contact the Placer County Public Information Office at (530) 886-5310 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM daily through Fri., July 20, 2012.

Basic Information
Last Updated: July 18, 2012 8:45 am
Date/Time Started: July 11, 2012 3:25 pm
Administrative Unit: CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit
County: Placer County
Location: Shirt Tail Canyon Rd and Yankee Jims Rd, northwest of Foresthill
Acres Burned: 2,650 acres
Containment 2,650 acres - 70% contained
Full containment expected on July 21, 2012.
Structures Destroyed: 1 residence & 4 outbuildings
Threatened: 170 residences
Injuries: 12
Cause: Under Investigation
Cooperating Agencies: Placer County Sheriff, Placer County OES, Placer County Animal Control, California National Guard, CHP, CalEMA, BLM, CDCR, State Parks, and BOR.
Total Fire Personnel: 1,799 personnel
Engines: 86 engines
Fire crews: 62 crews
Helicopters: 8 helicopters
Dozers: 24 bulldozers
Water tenders: 32 water tenders
Conditions: Favorable weather conditions continue to aid firefighters in strengthening and holding fire lines. Unburned areas of brush, within containment lines, may continue to periodically burn.

Phone Numbers (530) 823-4083 (Robbers Fire Information Line)

CA-MNF/SHF Flat Fire. #Wildfire, 1,688 acres, 100% contained.   The Flat Fire Shasta - Trinity National Forest started on the afternoon of July 11 2012. It was one of two simultaneous starts adjacent to Highway 299 near Del Loma, about 16 miles west of Junction City California. The fires have been determined to be human-caused.

 Flat Fire Contained But Not Yet Controlled: Fireline has been established completely around the Flat Fire, meaning it is 100% "contained". The public will continue to see smoke from the fire, especially as the weather warms and dries again. Isolated pockets of unburned vegetation may ignite, producing columns of smoke visible from surrounding areas. Firefighters and equipment will remain on the fire to mop up and strengthen and secure firelines. When there is no longer a forseeable threat of the fire escaping the containment lines, the fire will be called "controlled".

 Demob: Firefighters and equipment are being systematically released from the Flat Fire. Sufficient firefighting resources remain to continue mopping up residual fire which could threaten control lines. 

Transferred command from NorCal Team 1 (Whitcome) to SHF and Type 3 organization (Richter) today at 0600 7/18.

Basic Information

Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Under Investigation
Date of Origin Wednesday July 11th, 2012 approx. 05:03 PM
Location Highway 299, two miles west of Del Loma
Incident Commander Paul Whitcome
Current Situation
Total Personnel 485
Size 1,688 acres
Percent Contained 100%
Estimated Containment Date Wednesday July 18th, 2012 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved - Timber with Hardwood litter and grass
Fire Behavior - Fire behavior limited to heavy jackpot fuels burning within the perimeter.
Significant Events - Transfer of command from IMT2 (Whitcome) to home unit Type 3 (Richter) occurred today at 0600. USFS Hayden Flat Campground remains closed.

Outlook / Planned Actions - Continue mop up and suppression repair in all divisions.

Growth Potential - Medium

Terrain Difficulty - Extreme

Current Weather

Wind Conditions 3 mph S

Temperature 48 degrees

Humidity 100%

CA-MNF Mill Fire. 29,502 acres, 90% contained.

  Mop-up and suppression repair / rehab continues on all divisions. As of 1800 7/17, NorCal Team 2 and CAL FiRE are no longer in Unified Command, and a transition meeting between NorCal Team 2 and the MNF Type 3 organization will occurred yesterday. 

 Public Meeting: There is a public meeting scheduled for Wednesday night at 7:00pm at the Stonyford Grange.

 Summary: Burning operations are complete and the fire has been successfully held above Goat Mountain Road. Crews will be staffing the area, watching for any spots and keeping fire activity in check. Firefighters will continue to secure containment lines around the entire fire perimeter, extinguish hot spots from the fire's edge, 300-500 feet inside the lines and patrol the incident.

 Evacuations: · Evacuations are in effect for the areas of Fouts Springs, Bonnie View, and Board Camp Springs and campgrounds within the Upper Letts Lake area.

· The Fouts Spring Road (The M10 Road) is closed at Stonyford.

· The Goat Mountain Road is closed at the Stonyford Lodoga Road.

 Closures:  Traffic control for Hwy 299 is removed. A closure order remains in effect for the Mendocino National Forest for all roads and trails in the recreation area outside Stonyford on the south central portion of the Grindstone Ranger District. The closure order can be found on the internet at: www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/mendocino/alerts-notices. 
· The Bureau of Reclamation has closed East Park Reservoir in Colusa County, about 100 miles northwest of Sacramento, California, to recreational activities due to safety concerns which include air quality and emergency vehicles operating in the area. 

 BAER: Fire repair efforts have begun around the fire. Crews are assessing hand and dozer lines for repair and constructing waterbars to prevent erosion.

 Hunting closures: Archery season for deer hunting is open. A closure order remains in effect for the fire area. Hunters who traditionally visit the recreation area outside Stonyford, on the south central portion of the Grindstone Ranger District, will be affected by this closure. More information about archery season and other recreational activities can be found on the Mendocino National Forest website at:http://www.fs.usda.gov/mendocino/.

 Basic Information 

Time/Date Started: July 7, 2012

Location: Mendocino National Forest, north and east of Letts Lake

Cause: Under investigation

Fuels: Timber, brush

Size: 29,552 acres

Injuries: 4

Containment: 75%

Structures Destroyed: 5 outbuildings

Cost: $12,100,000

Estimated Containment Date: 07/18/2012

 Predicted Weather: A low-pressure system centered over northern California today will bring clouds, cooler temperatures and higher humidity. This system is not expected to bring rainfall to the fire area. Partly cloudy skies and light variable winds are expected.


CA-SQF- George #Wildfire 1700 acres, 100%
The wildfire began on June 1, 2012 near the George Bush Tree in the Giant Sequoia National Monument, Sequoia National Forest. Freeman Creek Trail, the Lloyd Meadow Road, and both Forks of the Kern and Jerkey Meadow Trailheads were re-opened on Friday June 15, 2012.
 The Lloyd Meadow Road was closed north of Lower Peppermint Campground during the fire, and had to remain closed while crews repaired the most severely damaged sections. Additional sections will be repaired in coming weeks, use extreme caution. Expect road surfaces to be rough and watch for crews and equipment working in the area.
 Natural barriers are being utilized along the northeast edge of the George Fire where it's too steep and rocky to construct hand line. This technique of securing the fires edge is often used to contain a fire with less risk to firefighters. Additionally, impacts to the environment are less if natural barriers can be used to avoid having to construct a break in the fuel large enough to stop the spread of fire.

 Fire information updates will no longer be distributed as things wind down and crews are sent home from the George Fire. Numbers of personnel assigned will continue to decrease as we complete repair work as the result of the fire suppression activity.
This will be the last update on inciweb for the George Fire unless conditions change. If you would like additional information please call 559-539-2607 ext. 212 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m
Basic Information
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Under Investigation
Date of Origin Friday June 01st, 2012 approx. 03:42 PM
Location George Bush Tree/Golden Trout Wilderness
Incident Commander David Ernst
Current Situation
Total Personnel 40
Size 1,707 acres
Percent Contained 100%
Estimated Containment Date Tuesday June 12th, 2012 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved
Timber with a mixed conifer understory.
Fire Behavior - There was minimal fire behavior observed in the last 48 hours. Only interior heavy fuels, stumpholes, and duff continued to smolder overnight. No control issues were confronted.
Significant Events - All handline was completed that could be completed. Crews continue to implement fireline suppression repair.
Outlook / Planned Actions - Continue to hold and patrol line. Air support continues in conjunction with holding the fire from crossing the Little Kern Drainage.
Growth Potential Low
Terrain Difficulty High
Current Weather
Wind Conditions 2-10 mph SW
Temperature 79-84 degrees
Humidity 15-20%

The North Ops Fire Information Sumary is now being posted athttp://gacc.nifc.gov/oncc/predictive/intelligence/situation/NOPS_Large_Fire_Summary.pdf

California Fire News - California Firefighters, Firefighting and Public Safety News with a focus on Wildland Fire - California Fire News 2012 

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