Summit Fire Update

State of emergency declared in Summit fire

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency this afternoon due to a 3,000-acre wildfire burning in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

"We are aggressively battling this fire from the onset. We are putting extra resources on this fire, and we will continue to mobilize and coordinate all the resources necessary to fight it," Schwarzenegger said in a prepared statement...

Schwarzenegger took time from a roundtable meeting in Union City with presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Silicon Valley business leaders this morning to commend the firefighters battling the blaze.

Firefighters from most counties throughout the Bay Area have been sent to assist.

Some roads in the area are blocked. Summit Road at Mount Madonna Road is closed as well as Pole Line Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

There is no estimated time for containment. No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Excerpts from Source: Palo Alto Online

Summit Fire Update

Summit Fire threatens structures along Eureka Canyon Road
Modified: Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
BY: DAVID CARKHUFF and TRISHA LEONARD

Five to 10 structures had been destroyed by noon Thursday as the Summit Fire crept south along Eureka Canyon, burning up to 2,000 acres, Cal Fire reported.

Flames had begun traveling to the southwest toward Corralitos, working their way down Eureka Canyon Road, Cal Fire stated in a noon update.

The fire, which started around 5:30 a.m., began spreading with 50-mile-per-hour winds coming in heading to the south and southwest, Cal Fire reported.

Two evacuation sites have been set up, one on the north end of the fire at the Los Gatos Town Center and another on the south end at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, Cal Fire stated. The Browns Valley Road area in Corralitos was being evacuated Thursday morning — a church in Corralitos was helping people, and many other residents were being sent to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.

The fairgrounds and Christmas Hill Park in the Gilroy area were becoming staging areas for Cal Fire, officials reported as they gathered at the fairgrounds.

Mandatory evacuations had begun by noon. One major evacuation area was Laurel Road off Highway 17 and Bald Mountain toward Hecker Pass, Cal Fire reported at noon.

To protect a residence, firefighters are advising homeowners to create 100 feet of clearance around the home and above the structure — but the major emphasis was to evacuate in the Eureka Canyon Road area and Ormsby Cutoff Road and Summit Road.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Marcucci said CDF expected 4,000 acres to be burned by the end of the day. By noon, he said there were eight air tankers, nine helicopters and about 900 personnel working on the fire.

"People really come out when it matters," said Steve Mouw, material support co-chair for the American Red Cross, Santa Cruz County. Mouw and about 20 other volunteers planned to muster their forces at the fairgrounds as updates on the fire's advance came in. Mouw said the Red Cross can always use more volunteers and donations.

The last fire like this was the Los Gatos fire, the Lexington Fire, in 1985, Mouw said.

"I would expect people from Santa Clara County or Carmel Valley chapter to come here today," he said.

Area residents seem well equipped to deal with a wildfire, Mouw said.

"We live in earthquake country, we live in fire country, I think we're pretty aware," he said.

Source: Register Pajaronian News

Stuctures Burning In Summit Fire

Raging Fire Devours Santa Cruz Mountain Buildings

SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ― A wind-whipped wildfire burned at least 10 structures in the Santa Cruz Mountains on Thursday morning, prompting some mandatory evacuations off of Summit Road.

The blaze, first reported around 5:30 a.m., had grown to about 2,000 acres by 10:00 a.m. The flames sent a thick cloud of smoke into the air that could be seen from 19th Ave. in San Francisco.
The fire is in the mountain range that separates Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties, and the rural area is dotted with homes. At least 90 homes were evacuated as a result of the blaze.

"Our main priority is evacuations, getting people out safely," said Chris Morgan, a state fire prevention specialist. "Then we can start working the perimeter of the fire."

In addition to ensuring residents evacuate, firefighters from Cal Fire and other fire agencies are dropping retardant on the flames from air tankers and have brought in additional water supplies, according to Morgan.

Fire officials said about 500 firefighters were on the scene, or enroute to help.

Evacuation centers have been set up throughout the counties and the American Red Cross has responded to render aid, according to Morgan. Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville was set up as the primary evacuation site for those ordered to leave there homes.

Residents with animals, including horses, may bring them to Sprig Lake on the east side of Hecker Pass Highway, Morgan said.

Wind gusts blowing southwest up to 40 mph were fueling the flames, said National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Anderson.

"The major factor is just the winds at this point," Anderson said. "It will continue to fuel the fire as the winds continue to be breezy today."

The temperature near the top of a ridge that is 10 miles south of the where the fire is burning was 42 degrees at 9 a.m. and is forecasted about 60 degrees, while canyon areas are expected to be in the mid 60s, according to Anderson.

Summitt and Ormsby roads burned and there was no estimated time for containment, Cal Fire spokeswoman Colleen Baxter said.

Mount Madonna School on Summit Road on the border of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties was closed due to the blaze near Mount Madonna County Park.

C.T. English Middle School and Loma Prieta Elementary School in the Loma Prieta School District in Los Gatos also closed Thursday.

No injuries were reported, according to Baxter. Summitt Road at Mount Madonna Road was closed, as was Pole Line Road, and eureka canyon road according to the California Highway Patrol. Several other roadways in the area had been shut down, but Highway 17 remained open after 10 a.m.

Source Article: CBS News

CA-CZU-Summit IC - Wildland Fire - 1800+ acres

Update: 10:00hrs - Evacuation center at C.T. English Middle School in the Loma Prieta School District. - Staging has moved to Watsonville fairgrounds - Per IC fire at 1700-2000 acres potential for 4000 acres could go as high as
10,000 acres.
Update: 09:00hrs -1200+ Acres, Evacuations underway, making a run a Summit road,
priority is keeping it from crossing Summit. Assertion on Cmd1 that this will run through to the Santa Cruz valley floor. 360 Dove lane x Eureka rd requesting emergency. evacuation as they are trapped by the fire. S.O. was unable to get them out.
Update: 08:00hrs -1000+ acres no containment, Homes are currently involved, the
Vegetation fire is burning about seven miles east of Highway 17 in the Santa Cruz Mountains and is threatening more homes.
Initial call: 05:30 Grass fire near Highway 17 and Summit Road, started near the intersection of Summit and Loma Prieta roads, Ormsby road
Current sizeup: 500 acres, Rapid ROS,
Resources: Large wildland response, ST 9258G departing TGU for Santa Clara. Also TGU just tonedout Dozer ST 9261L (dozers 2542,2544) to Gilroy (Santa Clara). ST 9170c, 9140c, 9441c
Air resource orders: Tanker 910 has been requested.
- Copter order: total of 3x Type 1, 5x Type 2, 2x Type 3 for recon
- Tanker order: 3x Type 1, 4x Type 2
Location: Summit Rd in an area between Uvas County Park and Mount Madonna County Park, on the Santa Cruz County side of Summit Road. Loma Prieta peak, Mt Madonna Rd, off Summit Road near Loma Prieta Road in the Felton area of the Santa Cruz mountains. Near Mount Madonna County Park about 10 miles west of Gilroy.
Communications:
- Command: 1 / tone 9
- CZU local
- Air Tac 151.295
- Air Tac 151.280
- Air/Ground 151.22
- Tac 2 151.16
- White 2 [division ops]
- White 1 [incoming unit travel]
WUI: Numerous homes are threatened,
Evacuations: Evacuations underway - Sheriff's deputies from Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties are in the process of evacuating residents living in a three-mile stretch from Mount Madonna Road to Ormsby Cutoff Road, three schools, C.T. English Middle School, Loma Prieta Elementary School in Los Gatos and Mount Madonna School in Watsonville - both on Summit Road - were closed for the day
Staging area: @ Hwy 152 Summit Road @ Neiman Flats Staging has moved to Watsonville fairgrounds -
Fire behavior: Rapid Rate of Spread, Winds pushing fire east to Eureka Canyon
Road Closures: Summitt Road at Mount Madonna Road is closed. Pole Line Road is also closed, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Weather: Spot Forecast: "Gusterly" northern winds; morning N-NE with terrain
steering winds; changing to NW later; 20-30 MPH, gusts to 40+ in morning;
slowly decreasing to 15-20 MPH by afternoon, gusts to 30; conditions will
improve tomorrow
Webcam: http://www.narrowbandimaging.com/fpcam_page.htm

CA-SCU-Singleton - Vegetation fire -

San Jose - Full Vegetation fire Response
Singleton IC - 17:28 - B 1613 reporting SJ FIRE 45 minutes into it already
Sizeup:
Location: City of San Jose Capital Corridor East / Cross of Tures Road
Communications:
CDF TAC 2
SJ COMMAND 3
Ground Resources: CAL FIRE-
Captain 1631
Engine 1661
Engine 1662
Engine 1663
Engine 1673
Engine 1764 from CZU Unit
Air Resources: Copter 106
2 Crews on Order

Fresno: Eight acres - One resident died defending home

Eight acre Wildfire burns home - 1 Resident died - 1 structure destroyed

5/21/2008 Fresno, CA (KFSN) -- The fire broke out near Herndon and Thompson around 5:30pm Tuesday evening and quickly turned deadly.

An elderly man who lived here died trying to save the home he's lived in since about 1963. The home is now just a pile of ashes and debris.

Whipping winds kicked up the flames fast. "When you have 25, 30 mile and hour winds it happens very quickly. They could see a smoke and the next minute it's at the back door," said Fresno County Fire Chief Keith Larkin.

It must've happened within seconds. Fire crews who arrived to initially battle a grass fire, found homes in the area in the path of the vicious flames. Torching tall palm trees and reducing cars to metal shells.

One resident died trying to douse his property. Several others were hurt during the fire.

Nain Young rushed down to the burned home Tuesday evening to offer her neighbors a place to stay for the night. She had no idea one of them died trying to save their home. "I really feel badly about that. I'm sorry it happened. You know you never know what the future brings and I'm sure they didn't expect that so it's a very sad situation in my book," said Young.

Neighbors say the victim was outside his home when he was found but his wife was rescued and treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation.

The fire destroyed one home and burned close to 8 acres. Fire officials say the cause is human, likely a weed eater that sparked the blaze.

Source article: ABC30 - Link

News: Body of a man went undiscovered after fire

Body found two months after fire

The body of a man apparently killed in a March 5 mobile home fire in Madera County went un

discovered until Tuesday, when sheriff's investigators following up on a missing-person report found it in the living room area.

A man who lived in the home hasn't been seen since the March 5 fire, but investigators said Tuesday they aren't yet sure whose body they found.

"We can't identify him until we've done DNA and dental records," Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Erica Stuart said Tuesday.

Investigators from the Cal Fire Madera-Mariposa-Merced unit were dispatched to the burned home on Avenue 13 1/4 near Road 28 1/2 after Madera County sheriff's investigators found the body.

Authorities did not identify the missing resident. Family members reported him missing after the fire, but no trace of the man was found, said Cal Fire spokeswoman Karen Guillemin.

The body found Tuesday was burned beyond recognition, Guillemin said. Cal Fire investigators are trying to determine why firefighters did not find the body on March 5.

A neighbor said Tuesday that he had told firefighters a man might be inside, because the man's shopping cart was in front of the mobile home. The man was losing his vision and often pushed a shopping cart around the area, neighbor Wayne Noel said.

"I knew him as Ed," he said. "I saw him that morning. He was down the road with his shopping cart."

The man lived alone, Noel said.

Source: Fresno Bee - Article Link
Tags: Cal Fire, Madera County, Sheriff's Department, Madera-Mariposa-Merced unit

CA-NEU-DEL - Wildland fire - Nevada County

Location: Wildland fire in Penn Valley area of Nevada County.
DEL IC -
Sizeup: 1 outbuilding destroyed with multiple structure threats.
Fire behavior: Reported spotting 1/2 mile ahead of the fire, Multiple spot fires
Ground Resources: IC has ordered Type III Local Gov't Strike Team and Type III CalFire Strike team code 3 to the fire.
10 engines - 1 Strike Team Local Gov engines
3 hand crews
2 dozer transports
2 water tenders
Air Resources:
1 AA
2 AT
On order:
Also 2 additional A/T.
1 Strike Team CalFire

CA-AEU-Crazy - vegetation fire - 1-2 acres

CA-AEU-Crazy vegetation fire
Location:Crazy IC - 1-2 acres per IC.
Sizeup: Power lines down, 1 acres, light fuels, slow ROS. Located in Cameron Park at Crazy Horse Road and Flying C Road. Tac 9
Resources:
WUI: El Dorado Sheriff Office is reporting no structures threatened and no evacuations ordered.

CA-FKU-Avocado - 2,000 acres - 60%

Avocado Lake Vegetation fire

Update: 12:00 5-21 - 2000 acres - 60% - Expected to be contained by 2200 hours today
Personnel at scene: 434
WUI: 5 Structures and 5 outbuildings remain threatened
Notes: Line to build-1 mile, Fire spotted 1000 feet outside the line late last night and went 2 acres, No additional resource needs at this time
Weather: If weather cooperates, the fire is expected to be contained by 2200 this evening, however, if the winds do come up there is a chance that it will jump the lines. This remains as the major control problem for this operational period.

Update: 10:00 5-21 - 2000+ acres - 40% - Full containment expected by 18:00hrs today: The National Weather Service says wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour are expected throughout the day.

Update: 08:53 5-21 - 2000+ acres - 25% - Full containment expected by 18:00hrs today:
Injury: One firefighter had to leave the site because of a possible serious knee injury suffered while walking on the steep and rocky terrain.
GACC News and Notes: 08:00 -Avocado (CA-FKU-005963), near Avocado Lake on Tivy Mountain (Fresno Co.). Fire has burned 2,000 acres of tall grass and is 25 percent contained.This incident was a wind driven fire with low humidities and is inaccessible to engines. Winds have diminished assisting ground resources in containment progress as the fire changes from wind-driven to fuels/slope-driven at slower rates of spread. An evacuation warning for 20 residences has been lifted.

News story with video - kmph.com link: One property owner watching his own land burn, hoped the flames would stay put on his land. "If it jumps this ridge, Wonder Valley is in trouble, a lot of homes there. So you protect the homes, you don't worry about my range land," said property owner Pete Filippi.

Update: 2053 hrs - All evacuation notices have been lifted, per Incident Command
Update: 19:30hrs -Avocado Fire - Fresno County: 2,000 acres 15% contained
Structures threatened - Fire is expected to slow with sundown and lessening of wind, fire is expected to become terrain driven at that point
Control problems continue to be the weather; single digit RH and winds in the 20's, and much of the terrain is inaccessible to engines
Fire is burning mainly in grass with 100 chains to tie in
Update: 15:15hrs - AA updates over 1000+ acres immediate structure threat, heavy spotting and very active burning ( fire is on the South slope )
20+ homes threatened, Request 2 Type1 ST Immediate need for Structure Protection
and 2 more Type 3 ST code three to the fire
Location: Vegetation Fire in FKU (Fresno County), -Avocado Lake on Tivy Mountain , Foothills east of the community of Piedra, access is off Piedro Rd.
WUI: Immediate threat to 15 homes.
Date Started: May 20, 2008 3:10 pm
Sizeup: Heavy Powerlines at the heel of the fire in, Structure Threat, with strong winds
IC: Avocado IC (4320)
Staging Area: Piedra Rd and Crawford Rd - All incoming resources respond and come in off HWY 180 / Crawford RD
Fire behavior: Twenty-mile-an-hour winds are driving the fire east toward a heavily sloped area.
WUI: Structure protection groups have been dispatched to protect another 15 homes about a mile ahead of the main fire.
Problems: High winds are hampering fire crews' efforts, AA reports spotting problems
Fuels: light fuels, brush and scrub oak
Resources: 270+ firefighters, BC 4608, Engines 86, 84, 77, 4361, 4363, 4373, 4360, 4391, 4151, 4152, 4181, 4665,4666,4664 and 4660 as strike team 9460 C
Miramonte Crews 1, 2, 3, 4,
dozer Transports - 4340, 4143, 4245, 4643 and 4645, water tenders - WT 86
Safety Officer is 4306
Division Officer 4303
Air Resources: AA - 410
ATs - 20, 76, 81, 82, 48 out of fox
Helicopter 406, 404,
Aircraft are using Fresno AB and Porterville AB for reloading.
Communications:
FKU Local 151.385
Air 151.310
TAC 7 151.340
Air / Grnd 151.220
Resource orders: IC just request an additional Type 3 ST of engines-
and additional ST dozers - IC just requested 2 additional dozers, 1 additional ST of type 3 engines, 4 additional Crews, Res. order 2 more type 2 doz, st of type 3's and 4 more crews.
Evacuation: ADVISORY evacuation order
Administrative Unit: CAL FIRE Frenso-Kings Unit
Information Phone Numbers: (559) 292-2371 (Avocado Fire Information)