County of El Dorado - Declared local emergency

El Dorado County Sheriff Office - Press Release
For Immediate Release Sgt. Jim Byers
Additional information to Warming Shelter press release on 1/7/08
As of 1500 hrs on 1/8/08 the Director of Emergency Services for El Dorado County,
Supervisor Rusty Dupray, declared the existence of a local emergency for the County of
El Dorado. The declaration was based on the existing severe winter storms, which
have brought high winds, torrential rains, flooding, and heavy snowfall, which began on
January 3rd.
These severe storms have downed trees, snapped phone and power lines, blocked
roadways, which have resulted in widespread disruption of electrical power and
communications. These conditions are expected to last through the next several days
in several areas of the county.
The emergency declaration will provide additional resources to support the extended
operation of the Warming Shelter and provide the continued availability of sand and
sand bags to the general public, that were initiated early on.
The Warming Shelter located at the Fair Grounds will remain open until further notice,
and if needed, sandbags are available at most of the larger Fire Stations.

Source: El Dorado County News Release

Developing Story: Teams Continue Search for Missing Hiker

By G.T. Houts
Tuesday, January 8, 2008

View Alert

Green Valley Lake, CA – Search and Rescue teams from Sierra Madre, San Dimas and Riverside are now involved in the extensive search for 62-year-old Dean Christy in the Green Valley Lake area. Christy has been missing since last Friday afternoon.

Teams were scheduled to begin arriving at the search area at 5:00 am today (January 8) and will be joined by a team from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and snow cats driven by San Bernardino County Fire personnel. Air support from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department is also expected.

"Yesterday there were about 43 search and rescue volunteers searching the area north and east of Green Valley Lake," according to Sheriff's Department PIO Arden Wiltshire. "Plans were to continue the search through the night with a small group of about 12 team members remaining in the area, including snow cats and snowmobiles."

Scanner traffic from the Sierra Madre team at 8:19 pm Monday to the command post at the Green Valley Lake Fire Station indicated the squad was going to continue searching for the next few hours.

Two Sheriff's Department helicopters spent most of yesterday flying over the area looking for any trace of the missing hiker whose family members gathered at the command post to offer support for the various search teams.

Temperatures in the search area are still low but no new snowfall has been reported since early Monday morning.

Just before 4:00 pm Monday, scanner traffic from one of the helicopters reported there were four subjects that did not appear to be part of the rescue teams at Forest Service Roads 2n13 and 2n54.

"We want to make sure," the pilot, stated, "they are not family members out looking." The command center explained the family was still at the fire station.

Shortly after that scanner transmission, the command post was notified a non-search vehicle was stuck within the search grid and had to be assisted by members of the official search party.

Corporal Bryan Lane from the Sheriff's Department has stated several times that search and rescue teams do not need non-trained persons searching in the area where snow depths are approximately 4-feet deep.

"We don't need any additional volunteers," Lane told news media gathered at the command post, "We don't need to be looking for any additional people."

The fresh snow caused several search vehicles to get stuck and had to be assisted by the snow cats before teams could return to the command post and continue their search.

Source: Rimoftheworld.net is following story very closely.

So Cal Fire season finally ends - Jan 7 2008

CAL FIRE to transition into its winter preparedness levels in Southern California on January 7, 2008.

Cooler weather and recent rains will allow CAL FIRE, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, to transition into its winter preparedness levels in Southern California on January 7, 2008.

On December 8, 2007 counties in Central California transitioned to winter preparedness, a move that CAL FIRE Unit's in Northern California began in October.

The transition to winter preparedness allows CAL FIRE to release some seasonal firefighters, reduce staffing on fire engines and close some remote wildand fire stations. However, CAL FIRE is prepared to call resources back if fire weather conditions dictate. This transition also coincides in many areas with the permitting of residential debris burning.

Due to extremely dry conditions, Southern California has become prone to year-round wildfires. Since 2005 CAL FIRE has provided year-round staffing in San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties.

"CAL FIRE will maintain year-round staffing in Southern California," said Chief Ruben Grijalva, director of CAL FIRE. "Firefighters, fire engines, and firefighting aircraft will stand ready to respond to any new wildfires."

CAL FIRE is the State of California's fire department and continues to respond to all types of emergency responses including structure fires, medical aids, and traffic accidents in communities across California. For more information about CAL FIRE and Fire Season 2007 visit the CAL FIRE Web site at www.fire.ca.gov.

CAL FIRE - Oak Glen VMP - Burning operations

On Wednesday, CAL FIRE will start burning debris on weekdays — weather permitting.

The burning is part of the Oak Glen Vegetation Management Project, part of a pre-fire plan to either prevent or help control major blazes — sort of a defensible-space plan for communities, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Burning operations will continue on weekdays throughout the winter between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m

LAFD - Three Firefighters injured - North Hollywood

Three firefighters and one other person have been injured in a fire at a two-story building in North Hollywood.
Los Angeles fire spokesman Ron Myers says all four were treated for minor smoke inhalation and transported to area hospitals.

Update: LAFD Blog - North Hollywood "Bank Heist" Restaurant Fire Injures Five Firefighters

On Monday, January 7, 2008 at 7:13 AM, 28 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 10LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 2 Arson Units, 3 Urban Search and Rescue Units, 1 Rehab Unit, Emergency Air, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 4 EMS Battalion Captains, 4 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, all under the direction of Assistant Chief Timothy Manning responded to a Major Emergency Structure Fire at 5303 N. Lankershim Bl. in North Hollywood.

Firefighters arrived on scene to find an older, two-story commercial building, with moderate smoke showing. Firefighters entered the structure attempting to locate the fire, while fellow Firefighters began ventilation operations on the roof. The building, a former bank built in 1926, had recently been remodeled and was doing business as the "Bank Heist" restaurant and night club.

Ventilation efforts were extremely difficult and time consuming due to the Spanish roof tile covering nearly a dozen layers of composition roofing material covering a thick layer of insulation foam, all laid on top of the wood sheathing. Due to the extended time required to ventilate the building, Firefighters inside the structure had to endure extremely hot and smoky conditions for an extended period of time.

Approximately 40 minutes into the fire fight and after several incidents of Firefighters activating emergency radio triggers or being injured, the decision was made to withdraw all personnel from the interior and roof of the building. A defensive exterior attack was initiated until the stability of the structure could be assessed and all members had been accounted for.

Eighteen minutes later, after the structural integrity was determined safe, Firefighters resumed offensive actions to control and extinguish the blaze. In all, 200 Firefighters worked for over two hours to gain control of this fire and prevent the total destruction of the historic building.

The former bank building suffered significant damage. The roof and second floor suffered heavy fire damage, the first floor and basement experienced minimal fire damage, however, did experience water damage. During this fire, five Firefighters suffered minor injuries and / or smoke inhalation requiring transport to a local hospital for evaluation. Three of the injured Firefighters were returned to duty and two were placed off duty to recuperate from home.

One civilian did suffer non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Providence St. Joseph's Hospital for medical care. The cause of this fire remains under investigation and the dollar loss is still being tabulated.

Video Pictures

Green Valley Lake - Search for Hiker Continues

Search for Missing Hiker Continues (Update 4)

By G.T. Houts
Sunday, January 6, 2008

View Alert

Update 4 — 8:06pm, Sunday

Green Valley Lake, CA - "We will continue to search for him throughout the night as weather permits."

That statement in a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department press release sets the tone for the ongoing search in the Green Valley Lake area for 62-year-old Dean Christy.

The release also stated San Bernardino County Fire personnel joined the search early Sunday operating snow cats delivering searchers to various locations and patrolling fire roads and breaks in hopes of locating the hiker who has been lost since Friday.

Search teams were reported coming into the Green Valley Lake Fire Station command post to rest and were being replaced by fresh searcheres.

Story at Rimoftheworld.net

SAR - Green Valley Lake - Search Continues

Green Valley Lake, CA - Fourteen Search and Rescue squads continue to search Sunday afternoon in the area of Green Valley Lake for 62-year-old Dean Christy who has been missing since Friday evening.

The man left his weekend home in the resort community of Green Valley Lake Friday afternoon just before the storm began, San Bernardino County sheriff's spokeswoman Arden Wiltshire said.

He used his cell phone Friday to tell authorities that he lost his sense of direction in the fog, but searchers last had phone contact with him early Saturday, she said.

Snow cats are shuttling the search teams to locations along various US Forest Service Roads in hopes of locating the missing hiker.

Approximately 40 Search and Rescue team members are currently seaching for the 62-year-old hiker lost since Friday near Green Valley Lake.

"They started their search shortly after 6:00 am Sunday morning," stated Sheriff's Department PIO Arden Wiltshire, "and we're hopeful we will locate him today despite poor visibility and cold, windy conditions."

Rimoftheworld.net is following the story very closely

WIND ADVISORY - ANTELOPE VALLEY

.STRONG ONSHORE FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO BRING GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS TO THE ANTELOPE VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE FOCUSED ACROSS FOOTHILL LOCATIONS...WITH LOCAL GUSTS OVER 50 MPH LIKELY. SOUTHWEST WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH WITH LOCAL GUSTS OVER 50 MPH WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON... WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS IN THE FOOTHILLS. ANTELOPE VALLEY-WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR THE ANTELOPE VALLEY

FEMA - OES - Grant $41 million to CAL FIRE

PASADENA — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) recently announced that an estimated $41 million in public assistance funding will go to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) for eligible costs incurred to fight the recent Southern California wildfires.

FEMA will provide 75 percent ($30.9 million) in firefighting costs, with the remaining 25 percent ($10.3 million) coming from the State of California.

CAL FIRE, together with FEMA and OES project officers, is currently gathering cost documentation to determine the exact reimbursement amount.

The grant will go to reimburse the state for regular employee overtime, equipment use, equipment rental, contract labor, aircraft use, materials and similar costs incurred by other firefighting agencies that are part of the California Master Mutual Aid Agreement.

“When the cost of battling 24 fires in seven counties overwhelms the state’s resources, there are programs in place to provide the necessary assistance,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Michael Hall of FEMA. “States should not have the added burden of worrying where funding will come from when firefighters are battling to save lives and property.”

The Public Assistance program funds essential government costs. The categories of expenses eligible for assistance can include debris removal; emergency protective measures, including overtime pay for emergency workers; repair of roads and bridges; repair of water control facilities; repair of public buildings and equipment; repair of public utilities; and repair of recreational facilities such as parks.

The OES coordinates overall state-agency response to major disasters in support of local government.

USFA - LODD Year-End Tally - 114 LODD's

THROUGH THE END OF DECEMBER, the U. S. Fire Administration recorded 114 Line-of-Duty Firefighter deaths for the calendar year 2007.