CA-STF- Dome Rock - Wildland Fire - 220 acres 20%

Dome Rock Fire - WFU - Stanislaus National Forest

UPDATED: 10-03-08 - 0800 - Dome Rock (CA-STF-2458) -
Dome Rock fire is a lightning caused fire that The fire has burned 220 acres and is 20% contained. The fire is a WFU Stage 3. Heavy rains are forecast for this afternoon on the fire area.

Location: 12 miles North East of the town of Strawberry, off Highway 108 in the Stanislaus National Forest - Dome Rock and Bummer's Flat in Tuolumne County high country area - isolated area of the Stanislaus National Forest, approximately 10 miles north of Strawberry.
Size: 50-75 acres
Fuels: brush, conifers, Small runs in brush, single tree torching.
No known structures are considered at risk.
Resources: STF Hotshots, FUM crews.
Weather: Increasing winds next 24 hours, precipitation is expected to follow.
Web cam: Bald Mt. Helibase - link

News and Notes: Update on CA-SHF fires

Update on CA-SHF fires from yesterday.

News and Notes 10-02-08 - 0815

Castle fire, structure fire into the wildland contained at 3/10 of an acre.

Division fire, contained at 1/2 acre.

Half fire, 50 + acres. 10 miles west of Hayfork. A type 3 organization is in place. Poor access and steep terrain is hampering containment. Additional resources are on order for today. MWS

Editor note: The Half fire does not appear on MODIS this am.

Source: ONCC

CA-LPF- Chalk - Wildland fire - 10,073 acres 20%

Los Padres National Forest - Chalk Wildland fire slows down, rains due today.
Update: Chalk (CA-LPF-2754) 10-03-08 08:00hrs - The Chalk Wildland fire is 20% contained at 10,073 acres. Fire behavior has moderated considerably, Low rate of spread in all areas and fuel models as humidity rose sharply. Very little spread is expected with lower temps and higher RH, measurable rains due this evening.
Weather
Current Wind Conditions 9 mph NW
Current Temperature 58 degrees
Current Humidity 65 %

Chalk Wildland fire satellite perimeter map
Credit: California fire news - Geomac derived
HMS 2008-10-01 540 (GMT); Thermal MODIS 2008-10-02 851 (GMT); Fire Perimeters 2008-10-01; Sit Reports 2008-10-01

CA-LPF- Chalk, Los Padres NF. IMT 2 (Smith). (CA-LPF-2754) This incident is in unified command with Fort Hunter Liggett.
The fire is 20% contained after burning 7,079 acres. The fire continues to move outward in all directions at a slow to moderate rate while containment and contingency lines are being constructed and strengthened. The fire has moved through many of the residential areas with no reported structures destroyed or damaged.

Weather forecast: A low pressure system will bring showers and cooler weather today to the
Pacific Northwest, and northern California. Measurable rain is predicted for the area Friday and Saturday.

Location: Nine miles north of Gorda, CA. Chaparral.
Behavior: Moderate rates of spread with slope driven runs. The fire also closed in on Highway 1 on Wednesday, but the road is currently open. The blaze was reported to be about three-quarters of a mile from the highway in the area of Mill Creek. Structures threatened, but Threat to commercial has been removed due to successful protection efforts as fire moved through.
Evacuations and road closures still in effect.
Fire Growth: 1,597 acres in last 24 hours
Resources: 1,326 Personell, 69-Engines, 38-Crews, 12-Helicopters, 6 Dozers, Water tenders

Crews and Shots:

CDF SLU Cuesta 2, 3, 4, 5, CDF SLU Ventura 1 & 2,CDF BEU Gabilan 1, 4, & 6, CDF FKU Miramonte 1 & 2 BDU Owens Valley 2 & 3, CDF BDU Pilot Rock 2 & 4 Los Padres Hotshots, Arroyo Grande Hotshots, Monterey Hotshots, Ukonom Hotshots, Bear Divide Hotshots, Dalton Hotshots, Vandenburg Hotshots,Springville Hotshots, Fulton Hotshots Horseshoe Meadows Hotshots, Cobras 1 Type 2 Crew, Laguna Hotshots, El Cariso Hotshots, Palomar Hotshots, Kern Valley Hotshots, Del Rosa Hotshots, Big Bear Hotshots, Sierra Hotshots, Kings River Hotshots, Eldorado Hotshots.
Injuries: Two firefighters have been injured. A firefighter who was hit in the head by a log earlier in the week was transported to a hospital, treated and released. The same outcome is expected for a firefighter injured Wednesday when a tree limb fell and struck him in the face and head, reported shoulder/neck injury from the tree limb, FF transported to hospital.
Cost to date: 3.1+ million dollars, Significant cost increase due to addition of Air Ops cost over past four days.
Webcam: Nepenthe webcam link

Cal Fire takes over Atwater Fire Department

Resistance is futile...

ATWATER -- The Atwater Fire Department has been dissolved.

On Wednesday morning, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, officially took over operations from the city of Atwater in a ceremony at Station 21.

Under the contract between the state and city, the department will be run by the state's fire department at a cost of roughly $1.4 million a year.

While Cal Fire will run Atwater's fire department, the city will still be responsible for maintaining equipment and facilities.

"Service levels will be transparent," said Atwater City Manager Gregory B. Wellman. "When someone rolls up to an accident or a fire, services will be the same -- they'll just wear a different uniform."

The city estimates that in four to five years the city will see a savings of up to $500,000 a year, said Stanley Feathers, assistant city manager. Training and access to state fire resources will be available immediately in this deal, he added.

The city will save money and increase training opportunities and resources for local firefighters.

Almost all of Atwater's 14 firefighters will be sent to the state fire academy for training within the next 12 months.

Tim Adams, president of the now-dissolved Atwater Fire Fighter's Association, saw little to critique about the changeover. "Overall, I think the city will benefit, the employees will benefit," he said. Adams believes the increased weekly hours from 56 to 72 will give firefighters more income, which will help them concentrate more on their careers. Another boon, said Adams, is the range of advancement open to local firefighters in Cal Fire as a whole.

Since 1940, Cal Fire has been working with local governments in such agreements. Atwater's two stations will be two of 575 fire stations across the state that contract with Cal Fire. The department will now be led from Cal Fire's regional headquarters, which oversees Madera, Mariposa and Merced counties. Atwater is the first city in the county to enter such an agreement with Cal Fire, said Scott Newman, Cal Fire division chief for Merced County.

Malibu's Corral Canyon wildfire suspect pleads

One of five men accused of starting last year's wildfire in Malibu's Corral Canyon has admitted that he and his friends accidentally ignited the blaze that burned 53 homes.

Brian Franks changed his plea to no contest Wednesday, after pleading not guilty in December to a felony charge of recklessly causing the fire.

The 27-year-old said he and his friends rekindled an abandoned campfire on a windy night in November.

As part of his plea deal, Franks agreed to testify against the other defendants.

Earthquake: 4.1 event 6 miles NE of Yucaipa, CA.

Update: 10:00 hrs - Earthquake magnitude has been downgraded to 3.8 M by Cal Tech(1). There have been reports of very light damages.
Location: 6 miles NE of Yucaipa, CA -
Latitude:
34.0858
Longitude:
-116.9667

A light earthquake occurred at 2:41:49 AM (PDT) on Thursday, October 2, 2008.
The magnitude 4.1 event occurred 10 km (6 miles) NE of Yucaipa, CA.
The hypocentral depth is 12 km ( 8 miles).

Magnitude 4.1 - local magnitude (ML)
Time Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 2:41:49 AM (PDT)
Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 9:41:49 (UTC)
Location: Epicenter 6 miles northeast of Yucaipa.
Distance from Yucaipa, CA - 10 km (6 miles) NE (51 degrees)
Mt. San Gorgonio, CA - 13 km (8 miles) W (262 degrees)
Mentone, CA - 14 km (9 miles) E (81 degrees)
Moreno Valley, CA - 30 km (18 miles) NE (54 degrees)
Los Angeles Civic Center, CA - 118 km (73 miles) E (88 degrees)
Coordinates: 34 deg. 5.0 min. N (34.084N), 116 deg. 58.1 min. W (116.968W)
Depth 12.5 km (7.8 miles)
Event ID# ci14396336
Additional Information map with fault names
Google Earth KML (Requires Google Earth.)

Fire Chief of the Year - San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman

SAN DIEGO: San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman was named Fire Chief of the Year by the California Fire Chiefs Association, a decision that was announced Monday night in Riverside at the group's annual meeting.

Thirteen fire chiefs from 1,100 fire agencies and organizations in the state were nominated, and Jarman was the unanimous choice, said San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque.

Jarman, a 23-year veteran of the San Diego fire department, was appointed chief in June 2006 by Mayor Jerry Sanders.

She is one of 34 female fire chiefs in the United States and the first in San Diego.

Jarman, 51, supervises a department that includes 928 firefighters, 124 lifeguards, 85 emergency medical services personnel and 121 civilian employees.

Credit: Photo of San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman - SDFD

News: Steve Fossett plane wreckage, DNA found

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. - Inyo National Forest -- National Transportation Safety Bureau officials news conference - Authorities said they are doing an initial survey of the debris field, which is about 150 feet wide and nearly 400 feet long.
Wreckage containing some body parts have been located
The aircraft appeared to have crashed head-on into the side of a mountain, leaving a debris field, which is about 150 feet wide and nearly 400 feet long. "The plane moved up for 100 feet and disintegrated. The engine was found about 300 feet farther than the fuselage."

Photo of Steve Fossett plane wreckage
Credit: Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008 handout photo released by the Mono County Sheriff's Search & Rescue.

Update: 1300 10-02-08 - National Transportation Safety Board acting chairman Mark Rosenker said Thursday that searchers had found "very little" at the scene but enough to provide coroners with DNA. Rosenker refused to say what exactly searchers had found, but said it was not surprising how little they uncovered considering how long it had been since the crash.
Madera County Sheriff John Anderson said "The aircraft appeared to have crashed head-on into the side of a mountain" Most of the fuselage disintegrated on impact, and the engine was found several hundred feet away.
"It appeared to me, just looking at the pictures, that it was a head-on crash into the side of a mountain," Anderson said. "The plane moved up for 100 feet and disintegrated. The engine was found about 300 feet farther than the fuselage."

Update: 0800 10-02-08 - The aircraft wreckage of missing adventurer Steve Fossett's airplane appears to have crashed head on into the side of a mountain peak in the Los Padres National Park near Mammoth lakes / Minaret mines area.
Most of the fuselage disintegrated on impact, and the engine was found several hundred feet away. Madera County Sheriff John Anderson said no human remains were found in the wreckage.
Teams led by the sheriff's department would continue the search for remains Thursday, while the National Transportation Safety Board was en route to probe the cause of the crash, he said.

Update: 0700 10-02-08 - After an aerial search late Wednesday spotted what appeared to be wreckage near the town of Mammoth Lakes, Search teams found the wreckage of missing adventurer Steve Fossett's airplane on this morning. Search teams have confirmed the tail number of the aircraft matched Fossett's single-engine Bellanca plane.

At about 7 a.m., Madera County Sheriff John Anderson said an aerial search late Wednesday spotted what appeared to be wreckage in the Inyo National Forest near the town of Mammoth Lakes. He said ground crews were sent to verify the sighting, and they confirmed Thursday morning that it was Fossett's single-engine Bellanca plane.

Some of world renowned adventurer Steve Fossett's personal belongings have been found in the California not far from the Nevada state line near Mammoth Lakes California.

Multimillionaire adventurer Steve Fossett vanished in 2007 after taking off by plane from a remote Nevada ranch.
Credit: Charlie Riedel / AP file

Inyo National Forest spokeswoman Nancy Upham said Wednesday that a hiker found the items near the town of Mammoth Lakes.

A new search team is now being organized to comb the area. (Minaret Lake area in Madera County was mentioned early on- misinformation?)

Items were found by local ski shop owner Preston Morrow, The weather damaged items included two laminated cards found with Steve Fossett's name on them that were issued by the Federal Aviation Administration in Illinois, a sweat jacket and he also found 10 $100 bills, and a $5 bill, while hiking near his home in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.,

The man also found and brought the items back to his wife, a California Fire captain.
The hikers didn't find any signs of the light plane Fossett, 63, was flying when he disappeared last September.

Fossett Facts:

• Fossett was the first person to ride the jet stream around the world in a balloon. He climbed some of the world's tallest and toughest mountains, sailed and set a number of world records.
• In 2002, Fossett became the first person to circle the world solo in a balloon.
• Fossett disappeared Sept. 3, 2007, after taking off in a single-engine plane borrowed from a Nevada ranch owned by hotel magnate Barron Hilton.
• He was declared legally dead in February.
• In August, an attorney for Fossett's widow pleaded for an end to speculation circulating on the Internet that the millionaire balloonist and air adventurer may have faked his own death, possibly because he was heavily in debt.
• Fossett, who made a fortune trading futures and options on Chicago markets, took off from a private airstrip in Nevada last September on a solo flight in a light plane,
• He never returned, and searchers have found no trace of the plane.

CA-KNP - Hidden Fire - 3,700acres - 100% Contained

Containment of The Hidden Fire Now 100%

Incident: Hidden Wildland Fire
Released: 8:15AM 10/1/2008

Fire crews have reached containment of the Hidden Fire which has consumed close to 3,700 acres since it was first discovered on September 10, 2008.

The Hidden Fire started from a lightning strike in Sequoia National Park, 12 miles north of the community of Three Rivers. An initial assessment was done and National Park Service firefighters began to immediately contain this fire. The fire grew in spite of firefighter efforts to stop this fire from burning in extremely steep terrain and heavy fuels at an elevation of approximately 6,000 to 7,000 feet. On September 16, management of the fire was transferred to an interagency incident management team. After reaching their goal of containment using indirect fire fighting methods to strengthen the perimeter and suppress spot fires, the fire was then returned to the National Park Service under a smaller incident command team on September 24. This team was responsible to further secure the fire line, begin mop up, patrol and rehabilitate areas affected by the suppression activities.

All fire fighting teams are to be commended for their exemplary effort in maintaining fire fighter and public safety. This incident met with only two fire fighter injuries. There were no threats to life or property during this fire.

Park managers made the decision to close Crystal Cave, the Crystal Cave Road, and the Muir Grove Trail (trailhead located at Dorst Campground) as a safety measure. Advisories were posted on the Colony Mill Road to warn visitors of the danger of fire ahead. Crystal Cave is now closed for the season, and the Crystal Cave Road and Muir Grove Trail will remain closed until further notice for public safety.

As mop up and patrol of this fire continues some smoke may still be noticeable over the next several days in some areas within the park.

The Hidden Fire Information phone number is (559) 565-4287 or (559) 565-3703. For information on the internet go to www.nps.gov/seki/fire/fireinfo/current.htm

Current Situation

Total Personnel	124
Size	3,700 acres
Percent Contained	100%
Estimated Containment Date	Tuesday September 30th, 2008 aprox 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved	8 Closed timber litter and heavy mixed conifer.
Fire Behavior	Very little active fire. Last nights I.R. flight showed mostly scattered heat with very little intense heat, all well inside the perimeter area.
Significant Events	Ground resources continued mop up and patrol of the containment lines. Fire suppression rehabilitation of the control lines has begun and will continue for the next 6 to 7 days.

Outlook

Planed Actions	Ground and air resources will monitor the areas showing heat in the interior fire area and continue mop up and patrol of containment lines. Fire suppression rehabilitation will continue.
Growth Potential	Low
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme
Remarks	This will be the final ICS 209 issued for this fire.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	3-7 mph SW
Current Temperature	82-84 degrees
Current Humidity	17-22 %

CA-LPF - Chalk Fire - 3,760 Acres - 13%

Summary

MORNING UPDATE IN PROGRESS.....

CHALK FIRE UPDATE

Monterey Ranger District, Los Padres National Forest

Wednesday October 1, 2008 (6:00 AM)

Incident Information: 805-961-5770 (8:00a.m. to 8:00p.m.)

Inciweb: http://www.inciweb.org/

Current Status:

Evacuations:

· An Evacuation Warning is in effect for the immediate fire area south of Chalk Peak and South Coast Ridge Road. This warning is given for affected areas where there is imminent threat to life and property. Persons who receive this notice should evacuate in accordance with the direction of the deputies on scene. Approximately 7 homes, the Forest Service Nacimiento Fire Station, and 4 outbuildings are within this Evacuation Warning area.

· An Evacuation Watch is in place for the Lucia, Mill Creek, Hare Creek and Limekiln State Park. This order is for areas where a threat to life and property exists. Persons issued this notice are not required to evacuate but should be prepared to evacuate should an Evacuation Warning be issued.

The SPCA for Monterey County Disaster Response Team is available to assist residents with emergency animal evacuations. Contact the SPCA at 831-373-2631 or 831-646-5534 (after hours) for information or assistance with evacuating pets and livestock. For disaster preparedness information and a listing of pet-friendly hotels and motels, visit http://www.spcamc.org/disaster-preparations.htm.

Highway, Road and Area Closures: Nacimiento-Fergusson Road and South Coast Ridge Road are closed. Highway 1 is open.

Weather:

Agencies: The incident is being managed under a Unified Command between the U.S. Forest Service and Fort Hunter Liggett. The Incident Command Post is located at Ft. Hunter Liggett. Media access is restricted (contact the Los Padres National Forest Fire Information Call Center 805-961-5770 for assistance.

Chalk Fire Perimeter Map - 09/30/08 PM
Credit: USFS

DC-10 Air Tanker drops fire retardant on the Chalk Fire

Credit: Rich Phelps - USFS

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Under Investigation
Date of Origin	Saturday September 27th, 2008 aprox 07:30 PM
Location	22 mi southwest of King City, CA
Incident Commander	Jim Smith - Usfs / Alan C

Current Situation

Total Personnel	1,410
Size	3,760 acres
Percent Contained	13%
Fuels Involved	4 Chaparral (6 Feet) Large volume of dead and down material in fire fuel bed. Oak woodland and pockets of timber. No prior recorded fire history in area of involvement.
Fire Behavior	Slow rate of spread, creeping and smoldering.
Significant Events	Contingency line is complete in Div C and D, good progress on Div B

Outlook

Planed Actions	Continue to construct and improve line, contingency line construction, structure protection.
Growth Potential	High
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme
Remarks	Threat to commercial has been removed due to successful protection efforts as fire moved through. This incident is in unified command with Fort Hunter Liggett.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	Not available
Current Temperature	70 degrees
Current Humidity	35 %