Wednesday, December 26, 2007
News: San Juan OK's firefighter $15 stipend
HOLLISTER - The San Juan Bautista City Council approved a $15-per-call stipend Tuesday for its volunteer fire department. In order to afford the payments, officials "moved things around" in the budget, said Councilman Ed Laverone, including cutting one of the city's two sheriff's deputies.
The stipend has been touted by many, including Laverone and Fire Chief Scott Freels, as a first step toward solving the Mission City's firefighter shortage.
In September, Freels told the Free Lance that the size of San Juan Bautista's fire department had fallen from 26 to 10 members in about two years. Most of the city's current firefighters aren't interested in money, he said, but the stipend could help in finding new recruits.
"The discussion of the stipend has already helped with recruitment efforts," said Laverone, a former volunteer firefighter himself.
The new payment system - which the council approved only as a pilot system - will start Jan. 1, Laverone said. To receive the stipend, firefighters will have to file requests for payment, so they can continue to volunteer without a stipend if they want.
With the city's budget problems, the elimination of one sheriff's deputy was already in the works, Laverone said. The Mission City contracts with the San Benito County Sheriff's Office to provide law enforcement. Cutting back will save the city $67,500 for the rest of the fiscal year, he said, of which $7,500 has been budgeted for the stipends.
Source: Article
News: Airport manager defends layout switch
HOLLISTER - Airport Manager Bill Gere's plans for the Hollister Municipal Airport have drawn some sharp criticism, but Gere defended his proposed layout plan Friday.
Gere presented the council with the new layout Monday, but some airport users complained that the plan left out a new California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection air-attack base, as well as facilities for gliders.
"Every issue brought up had been brought up in the past," Gere said.
Many of those speaking out against the plan are protecting "specific, selfish interests," he added, rather than focusing on the welfare of the airport or the city as a whole.
Three members of the Hollister Airport Advisory Commission - Douglas Hooten, Fred Meyer and Allen Ritter - said the document had been changed since the commission recommended it for approval.
"The layout plan presented to the city council was different from the one presented to the airport commission, and that's a problem," City Manager Clint Quilter said Friday.
The council did not vote on the plan, and instead called for a special airport commission meeting to iron out the differences between the commission-approved layout and the one brought to the council. That meeting has been scheduled for Jan. 3, Gere said.
Specifically, the commission-approved plan included a new air-attack base, while the proposed plan left that area open for development to be determined by a "request for proposal."
Ritter said Friday he also wants to see a glider facility back on the plans.
Asked why the plans were different, Quilter said: "I don't know. My assumption is that someone redrafted it."
Gere acknowledged that he had revised the layout plan after it was shown to the airport commission. But the changes were not substantial, he said.
"I did not change anything," he said. "I went from one depiction supplied by CalFire to another depiction supplied by the CalFire."
Gere added that it's unfair to imply that he is trying to "pull a fast one" on the council and the airport commission.
"You can't pull a fast one when (the plan) is taped up on a wall in front of the city council," Gere said.
Ritter, a former airport manager himself, said Gere's behavior was inappropriate.
"I would've never done that," Ritter said.
The land in question has been the subject of debate and controversy in recent months, as developer Andy Barnes proposed building corporate hangars on the land that CalFire wants.
Gere said Friday there's a way to meet both groups' needs because CalFire can expand at its current site.
"We know why they need a new facility, because the old ones sucks," he said. "But we don't know why they need to move."
The city council has directed the airport commission to develop a "request for proposal" that will allow Barnes' firm and other companies to present their plans.
The proposed layout plan reflects the wishes of the council and the Federal Aviation Administration, Gere said. He added that it can be revised once the CalFire situation is resolved.
"We are still free to do any or all of the options," Gere said.
Article source: Holister Freeelance
Gere presented the council with the new layout Monday, but some airport users complained that the plan left out a new California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection air-attack base, as well as facilities for gliders.
"Every issue brought up had been brought up in the past," Gere said.
Many of those speaking out against the plan are protecting "specific, selfish interests," he added, rather than focusing on the welfare of the airport or the city as a whole.
Three members of the Hollister Airport Advisory Commission - Douglas Hooten, Fred Meyer and Allen Ritter - said the document had been changed since the commission recommended it for approval.
"The layout plan presented to the city council was different from the one presented to the airport commission, and that's a problem," City Manager Clint Quilter said Friday.
The council did not vote on the plan, and instead called for a special airport commission meeting to iron out the differences between the commission-approved layout and the one brought to the council. That meeting has been scheduled for Jan. 3, Gere said.
Specifically, the commission-approved plan included a new air-attack base, while the proposed plan left that area open for development to be determined by a "request for proposal."
Ritter said Friday he also wants to see a glider facility back on the plans.
Asked why the plans were different, Quilter said: "I don't know. My assumption is that someone redrafted it."
Gere acknowledged that he had revised the layout plan after it was shown to the airport commission. But the changes were not substantial, he said.
"I did not change anything," he said. "I went from one depiction supplied by CalFire to another depiction supplied by the CalFire."
Gere added that it's unfair to imply that he is trying to "pull a fast one" on the council and the airport commission.
"You can't pull a fast one when (the plan) is taped up on a wall in front of the city council," Gere said.
Ritter, a former airport manager himself, said Gere's behavior was inappropriate.
"I would've never done that," Ritter said.
The land in question has been the subject of debate and controversy in recent months, as developer Andy Barnes proposed building corporate hangars on the land that CalFire wants.
Gere said Friday there's a way to meet both groups' needs because CalFire can expand at its current site.
"We know why they need a new facility, because the old ones sucks," he said. "But we don't know why they need to move."
The city council has directed the airport commission to develop a "request for proposal" that will allow Barnes' firm and other companies to present their plans.
The proposed layout plan reflects the wishes of the council and the Federal Aviation Administration, Gere said. He added that it can be revised once the CalFire situation is resolved.
"We are still free to do any or all of the options," Gere said.
Article source: Holister Freeelance
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
RED FLAG WARNINGS - Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, LPF
Red flag warning continues for much of Ventura and Los Angeles county through this evening due to strong north to northeast winds and low humidities
A BRIEF BUT STRONG SANTA ANA WIND EVENT IS OCCURRING ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS OF VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
WIDESPREAD RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES BELOW 30 PERCENT ARE OCCURRING WITH LOCAL VALUES IN THE TEENS AND SINGLE DIGITS.
AT THE SAME TIME FUEL MOISTURES HAVE FALLEN TO CRITICAL VALUES AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF OFFSHORE WINDS LEADING INTO THIS EVENT ACROSS VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
ALL TOGETHER THIS HAS RESULTED IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND RISE ABOVE RED FLAG WARNING CRITERIA BY THIS EVENING.
... RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PST THIS EVENING DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES...
NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS 30 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER 80 MPH THROUGH FAVORED PASSES AND CANYONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY.
SCATTERED HUMIDITY LEVELS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS WILL BE COMMON.
Instruction:
A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE OCCURRING NOW. A COMBINATION OF VERY STRONG WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING.
Area: SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS RECREATIONAL AREA-VENTURA COUNTY MOUNTAINS / LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST-LOS ANGELES COUNTY MOUNTAINS / ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST-
Affected Counties or parts of: Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles
Sent: 2007-12-25T10:06:47-08:00
Original Sender: KLOX@nwws.oes.ca.gov
From: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
Santa Ana winds reaching category 1 hurricane speeds
Santa Ana winds reaching category 1 hurricane speeds in parts of Orange County today and have reached peaks of 85 mph.
These winds have caused numerous scattered power outages.
A vegetation fire that was believed caused by downed power lines was controlled by crews from Orange County Fire Authority, and the Riverside County Fire Department-Cal Fire. The two-acre brush fire was reported at 8:40 a.m. at the westbound Riverside (91) Freeway at Green River, on the Orange and Riverside County border.
A helicopter and 40 firefighters put out the two-acre vegetation fire this morning at Green River Road south of Highway 91 in Corona, said Riverside County fire Capt. Lori Windsor.
The fire was reported at 8:53 a.m. and was contained by 9:17 a.m., Windsor said.
Wind gusts peaked at 85 mph at 10 this morning in Fremont Canyon, and in Bell Canyon, speeds got up to 46 mph at 7 a.m., according to the Department of Water Resources California Data Exchange Center.
Southern California Edison crews have been working to restore power to more than 112,000 customers system wide who have lost power since midnight today. About 9,000 customers were reported to still be without power as of 11 this morning, including 300 in Los Angeles and Orange counties, an Edison spokesman said. Virtually all of the outages were in the Inland Empire.
Orange County Sheriff's Harbor Patrol officials said the high wind caused a 44-foot boat to break loose, causing minor damage to private docks at the Newbort Harbor Yacht Club at 9:35 this morning. No injuries were reported.EDIS: RED FLAGS - LOS ANGELES/VENTURA COUNTIES
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News: CAL FIRE Extra Staffing this Holiday
Christmas Day should be sunny, but Cal Fire wary of high winds
San Diego County residents will be celebrating Christmas under sunny skies today although firefighters will be bracing for potential wind-driven fires.
San Diego County residents will be celebrating Christmas under sunny skies today although firefighters will be bracing for potential wind-driven fires.
While recent rains have helped dampen some areas, high winds are expected to keep firefighters on alert for much of the day throughout Southern California.
Wind warnings are expected to be issued in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. In San Diego County, winds are not expected to be as strong, Stan Wasowski, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, said yesterday.
Santa Ana winds of up to 50 mph are expected to blow across San Diego County mountains until the afternoon, he said. Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-70s along the coast and valley areas, 70 in the desert and low 60s in mountain areas.
Cal Fire, the state's forestry and fire protection agency, plans to have extra firefighters on duty today. Additional helicopters will be available, said Kevin O'Leary, a division chief with Cal Fire.“We're ready for it,” he said.
Shifting winds and lack of firefighting resources were major factors in the October wildfires that destroyed hundreds of homes across the county.
The Navy and Marine Corps each will have two helicopters ready to help out, O'Leary said. The state sent an additional helicopter, which arrived at the Ramona airport yesterday, he said.
Firefighters who were scheduled to be off today were told to report for duty, O'Leary said. Volunteer fire stations in backcountry areas were expected to boost staffing today, he said.
Fire officials said areas that did not get much rainfall recently are the most vulnerable, mainly in South County.
O'Leary said extra engine companies were being added to stations in Campo, Monte Vista and Ramona.
The San Diego Fire Department does not plan to increase staffing today but will be monitoring weather conditions closely, spokesman Maurice Luque said.
“If there is a need we'll do it,” he said.
Recent rains reduced fire danger in the city by moistening areas with heavy brush, he said.
Source: Article
EDIS: So Cal - Red Flags for Christmas
| RED FLAG WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM MST /6 PM PST/ THIS EVENING DUE TO STRONG NORTH WINDS... LOW HUMIDITY AND HIGH FIRE DANGER | Actual/Immediate/Severe/Observed |
| ARIZONA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 131YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY/LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-ARIZONA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 132SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST DESERTS-CALIFORNIA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 231LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA-CALIFORNIA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 232IMPERIAL COUNTY AND EASTERN RIVERSIDE COUNTY- | |
| Alert sent at 07:29 PST on 2007-12-25 | |
Monday, December 24, 2007
Firestorm 2007 - Houses burned from inside out
"And a lot of people saved their own homes"
"An untold number of homes were saved by people who refused to evacuate or sneaked back in to their neighborhoods before evacuations were lifted."
SAN DIEGO -- Something as seemingly inconsequential as a doggy door, a piece of particle board leaning against a garage door, or the holes underneath Spanish roofing tile may have made the difference between houses that burned and houses that were saved this year, it was reported Sunday.
A newspaper's analysis of the Witch Fire, the October conflagration that claimed 1,125 homes in San Diego County, shows that taking rigorous steps to close off the smallest openings in houses made as much difference as clearing brush in preventing a house from igniting in firestorms.
The Los Angeles Times analyzed construction records and fire behavior at houses burned in northern San Diego County last fall, and concludes that 75 percent of the burned homes had fire-resistant exteriors.
Unscreened vents, attic ventilators and broken windows -- even a doggy door -- apparently allowed streams of burning embers to blow into those houses, causing smoldering fires that ended with many homes erupting several hours after the fire front had already passed through, The Times reported.
The arched holes underneath Spanish roofing tiles were singled out by the state's top arson investigator as a particular trap for burning embers."I've seen houses with embers stacked in those openings," said Dave Hillman, chief investigator for Cal Fire. "I call them catchers' mitts," he told the paper.
Los Angeles County and other jurisdictions require those small archways to be sealed with grout, San Diego County does not, The Times reported.
The newspaper pointed out that an untold number of houses in Rancho Bernardo and other areas hit in San Diego County were saved by neighbors who had violated mandatory evacuation orders and stayed behind as the firestorm swept through. Those persons were able to put out small fires, or call for help, when houses ignited several hours after the main blaze had stormed through.
But firefighters said burned neighborhoods are extremely-dangerous, with destroyed houses smoldering, gas lines burning, and water lines out, officials said.
"Until it is safe, you don't allow people back in," said San Diego fire spokesman Maurice Luque. "We don't want to risk public safety for a house."Aggressive evacuation order enforcement was cited by law enforcement officers for the lack of fatalities and injuries in the massive fire that started with hellish Santa Ana winds on Oct. 21.
Full story at: LA Times
"An untold number of homes were saved by people who refused to evacuate or sneaked back in to their neighborhoods before evacuations were lifted."
SAN DIEGO -- Something as seemingly inconsequential as a doggy door, a piece of particle board leaning against a garage door, or the holes underneath Spanish roofing tile may have made the difference between houses that burned and houses that were saved this year, it was reported Sunday.
A newspaper's analysis of the Witch Fire, the October conflagration that claimed 1,125 homes in San Diego County, shows that taking rigorous steps to close off the smallest openings in houses made as much difference as clearing brush in preventing a house from igniting in firestorms.
The Los Angeles Times analyzed construction records and fire behavior at houses burned in northern San Diego County last fall, and concludes that 75 percent of the burned homes had fire-resistant exteriors.
Unscreened vents, attic ventilators and broken windows -- even a doggy door -- apparently allowed streams of burning embers to blow into those houses, causing smoldering fires that ended with many homes erupting several hours after the fire front had already passed through, The Times reported.
The arched holes underneath Spanish roofing tiles were singled out by the state's top arson investigator as a particular trap for burning embers."I've seen houses with embers stacked in those openings," said Dave Hillman, chief investigator for Cal Fire. "I call them catchers' mitts," he told the paper.
Los Angeles County and other jurisdictions require those small archways to be sealed with grout, San Diego County does not, The Times reported.
The newspaper pointed out that an untold number of houses in Rancho Bernardo and other areas hit in San Diego County were saved by neighbors who had violated mandatory evacuation orders and stayed behind as the firestorm swept through. Those persons were able to put out small fires, or call for help, when houses ignited several hours after the main blaze had stormed through.
But firefighters said burned neighborhoods are extremely-dangerous, with destroyed houses smoldering, gas lines burning, and water lines out, officials said.
"Until it is safe, you don't allow people back in," said San Diego fire spokesman Maurice Luque. "We don't want to risk public safety for a house."Aggressive evacuation order enforcement was cited by law enforcement officers for the lack of fatalities and injuries in the massive fire that started with hellish Santa Ana winds on Oct. 21.
Full story at: LA Times
Sunday, December 23, 2007
FIRE WEATHER WATCH - SOCAL - NE WINDS AND LOW HR
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Saturday, December 22, 2007
Judge Denies Corral Fire Suspects' bail request
Judge Denies Corral Fire Suspects' Request To Be Released
Two men suspected of accidentally starting a destructive wildfire in Malibu were denied Friday a request to be released on their own recognizance while awaiting trial.William Thomas Coppock, 23, and Brian David Franks, 27, of Los Angeles, are charged with recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury and recklessly causing fire to inhabited structures in connection with the Nov. 24 Corral Fire that destroyed 53 houses and severely damaged another 23.
Dean Allen Lavorante, 19, and Eric Matthew Ullman, 18, both of Culver City, and Brian William Anderson, 22, of Los Angeles, face the same charges. They are free on bail.
All five also face an allegation that the crimes were committed "during and within an area of a state of emergency."They are accused of going to a cave and notorious party spot on state park land overlooking Malibu to drink beer with girls and light a campfire when the area was under a Red Flag warning because of high winds and low humidity.
Instead of a routine bail hearing Friday on whether the two men were risks to the community if freed while awaiting trial, Judge Michael K. Kellogg laid out the prosecution's case against all five suspects."There is nothing to show me that there wasn't this callousness and a high level of carelessness," Kellogg said. "And all the sorries in the world don't change that."Kellogg rejected requests by attorneys for the two men that they be released on their own recognizance.
However, the judge noted that according to sheriff's reports, Franks had at least tried to put out some of the fire and lowered his bond to $100,000.Coppock's bail was reduced by $10,000 due to an earlier math error, to $230,000, and his attorney said he would post bail later Friday.
The judge said he spent a great deal of time reviewing the investigative reports and noted that the allegation of causing a fire during a state of emergency requires a sentence of prison time.
He said investigators believe that Anderson, Coppock and Franks stole packages of precut firewood from the Ralphs supermarket in Malibu and added that wood to a small campfire already started in the cave by Lavorante and Ullman.
The first two men apparently left the cave after the arrival of the other men, who allegedly drank 18 to 30 cans of beer and some other liquor.Investigators believe Anderson kicked burning logs out of the cave and into surrounding brush and told Frank to put it out, according to a sheriff's report read by one of the attorneys."Anderson kicked a burning log out of the cave and said, 'Here, put this out,'" Goldstein said. "Guys were laughing."
Anderson has already been released on $240,000 bail.
Earlier, the attorneys said their clients are being made scapegoats and that instead of starting the fire, they tried to put it out. The three Los Angeles men will next face a preliminary hearing Jan. 7 in Van Nuys. The Culver City teenagers will be arraigned there Feb. 14.
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