California Fire News
California Fire News |
| NEWS- County ramps up fire protection Posted: 04 Jul 2007 09:12 AM CDT County ramps up fire protection: YUCCA VALLEY — Yucca Valley will be gaining firefighters and enhanced fire protection this season thanks to spending approved recently by the board of supervisors, said fire department spokesperson Tracey Martinez.
Summers said the extra money will ensure the department has a safe contingent of firefighters.
"Due to the continuing wildland fire threat, the onset of the hot weather season, the depletion of federal and state fire resources and the lack of rain, there is a critical need to ensure the county's fire stations and dozer operations are adequately staffed," he said. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CA-SCU-CROCKET Fire - Wild land fire Posted: 03 Jul 2007 10:58 PM CDT CA-SCU-Crockett Incident -CA-SCU-Crockett Fire Today, 15:19 Location: I80 near the town of Crockett in Contra Costa County. size up:40 Acres grass Strike team of engines en route. Many spot fires. 4 tankers. 2 new fires ahead of the main fire. Ca-SCU-Crockett Fire Resource order: 1 more helicopter (total of 3) 5 engines 2 overhead 2 crews 2 more dozers Spotting ahead of the head. CROCKET IC - BC1616 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| [EDIS] excessive heat warning - Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial Posted: 03 Jul 2007 10:43 PM CDT [EDIS] excessive heat warning remains in effect from 10 am mst /10 am pdt/ to 8 pm mst /8 pm pdt/ wednesday... ... excessive heat warning remains in effect from 10 am mst /10 am pdt/ to 8 pm mst /8 pm pdt/ thursday... ... heat advisory has expired Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial .HOTTEST WEATHER OF THE YEAR EXPECTED BY THE FOURTH OF JULY. THE HEAT ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM MST /10 AM PDT/ TO 8 PM MST /8 PM PDT/ WEDNESDAY. AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM MST /10 AM PDT/ TO 8 PM MST /8 PM PDT/ THURSDAY. VERY STRONG HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES WILL CONTINUE TO INTENSIFY INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. THIS WILL PRODUCE VERY HOT CONDITIONS OVER THE DESERTS OF ARIZONA AND SOUTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY. FORECAST HIGHS ON THE FOURTH OF JULY INCLUDE 114 AT COOLIDGE... 116 AT PHOENIX AND YUMA... 117 AT BLYTHE... IMPERIAL AND GILA BEND... AND 119 AT PARKER. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY WILL CHANGE VERY LITTLE AND SHOULD REMAIN AT NEAR RECORD OR RECORD LEVELS. IT WOULD BE WISE TO COMPLETE AS MUCH OUTDOOR ACTIVITY AS POSSIBLE IN THE EARLY MORNING WHEN THE SUN AND HEAT ARE LESS INTENSE. DURING PERIODS OF EXCESSIVE HEAT...INDIVIDUALS CAN SUFFER HEAT- RELATED ILLNESS WHEN THE BODY TEMPERATURE SYSTEM CAN NO LONGER COOL ITSELF. Instruction: IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUTSIDE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME IN THE AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING...STAY IN THE SHADE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND DRINK ABUNDANT AMOUNTS OF WATER. WEAR LIGHT-COLORED AND LOOSE-FITTING CLOTHING. IF YOU WEAR A WIDE-BRIMMED HAT... YOUR HEAD AND BODY WILL BE MUCH COOLER. STOP OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES... DRINK LOTS OF WATER OR OTHER NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES...AND IF POSSIBLE...SPEND MORE TIME IN AIR-CONDITIONED OR WELL-VENTILATED PLACES. Area: LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AZ-WEST CENTRAL DESERTS-NORTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-GREATER PHOENIX AREA-YUMA/MARTINEZ LAKE AND VICINITY-SOUTHWEST DESERTS-SOUTHWEST MARICOPA COUNTY-NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL PINAL COUNTY-LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY CA-RIVERSIDE COUNTY/EASTERN DESERTS-IMPERIAL COUNTY-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF... EHRENBERG... PARKER... BOUSE... QUARTZSITE... SALOME... LAKE PLEASANT... MORRISTOWN... NEW RIVER... TONOPAH... BUCKEYE... WICKENBURG... CAREFREE... CAVE CREEK... CHANDLER... FOUNTAIN HILLS... GILBERT... GLENDALE... MESA... PEORIA... PHOENIX... SCOTTSDALE... SUN CITY... TEMPE... SAN LUIS... SOMERTON... YUMA... FORTUNA FOOTHILLS... DATELAND... TACNA... WELLTON... GILA BEND... APACHE JUNCTION... CASA GRANDE... COOLIDGE... FLORENCE... BLYTHE... CHIRIACO SUMMIT... DESERT CENTER... EAGLE MTN... MIDLAND... BRAWLEY... CALEXICO... EL CENTRO... GLAMIS... IMPERIAL... AND THE SALTON SEA Affected Counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial Sent: 2007-07-03T20:13:29-07:00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 03 Jul 2007 10:33 PM CDT OOPS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| News story: Heroes of the Rancho Fire Posted: 03 Jul 2007 09:11 PM CDT The Santa Barbara Independent Heroes of the Rancho Fire:  Photo by Blessing Martin Heroes of the Rancho FireHarrowing Images from Within the Red Rock Blaze on Paradise Road Here is a first-person account with photographs of the Rancho Wildland fire from Shelly Elnicky and Blessing Martin, who were trapped on Paradise Road watching firefighters attack the blaze for nearly four hours. The fire is now fully contained, according to Inciweb.org, and maxed out at 482 acres. Thankfully, no structures were damaged and no injuries occurred. Investigators have determined that it was caused by humans, but are unclear whether it was accidental or intentional. Anyone with information should call 681-4150 or go to sbsheriff.org. Here is the harrowing report from the fire's front lines. We were the first car of 20 behind the heroes, those firefighters from Santa Barbara and surrounding counties who were leading the "detained civilians" out of the Red Rock fire that started at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 30. As the clouds of smoke started rolling over the canyon, we realized that trouble was well on the way. We got to the truck as fast as possible only to be stopped by the firefighters. They had us blocked in and contained us for about three-and-a-half hours. In the meantime, they had five airplanes and three helicopters working triple-time to saturate the fire, and protect the only road out. At one point, a helicopter came in-between the canyon hills, not even a football field's length away from all of us, and scooped a 300-gallon bucket of water out of the very pool we had spent the day swimming in. Too bad they didn't get that shot for the paper — it was surreal and a true demonstration of the pilot's skill. The heroes were very calm and informative, which really helped keep everybody else calm. At about 8:30 p.m., they gave us the go-ahead to move out. There where two fire trucks ahead of us, allowing our vehicle to lead the remaining 19 cars out and through the flames. Everyone made it safely. We just wanted Santa Barbara and beyond to really know how brave all these men and women truly are — ALL of them. Here is a genuine "thank you" to all of you that helped evacuate the 20 cars out of Red Rock and through the flames safely. These are the first days of the rest of our lives, Thank you, From, Shelly Elnicky, Blessing Martin, Craig Gammel, Andrew Paul, Brent Olberding, and Lucy the dog | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LAFD ALERT- Brush Fire - 11500 N Topanga Canyon Blvd Posted: 03 Jul 2007 08:42 PM CDT [LAFD ALERT] 7/3/2007 Brush Fire: Brush Fire 17:51 hrs Location: 11500 N Topanga Canyon Blvd; TG 500-A1; LAFD assisting LACoFD & Ventura CoFD for 2 separate fires north of 118 Fwy in LACoFD jurisdiction Ch:9,14 @5:51 PM | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| InciWeb: OUT OF STATE - Neola North Fire Wildland Fire Posted: 03 Jul 2007 06:59 PM CDT Neola Fire  View of Neola North Fire from ICPCredit: Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team  InciWeb: Neola North Fire Wildland Fire ICP briefing map:Credit: Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team Editors comment: Firestorm - This fire has really taken off - To quote InciWeb INCIDENT UPDATED 1:09 HOURS AGO SummaryThe Neola North Fire was reported at 9 a.m. on June 29th about four miles north of Neola, Utah on the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. For the first two days, suppression of the fire was managed by a local Type III incident management organization. Rapid fire growth resulted in the need to call in a Type I National Incident Management Team from the Rocky Mountain Region, with Kim Martin serving as Incident Commander. The Type I team assumed management responsibility for the fire at 6 a.m. July 1st. Basic Information
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Incident: Neola North Fire Released: 2007-07-01 14:25:00 ET News Release -
July 1, 2007 Contact: Lisa Roskelley Governor's Spokeswoman Office (801) 538-1503 Cell (801) 560-0137 Governor Huntsman Activates Utah National Guard to Neola Fire 100 Guardsmen to Support Law Enforcement Salt Lake City - Utah Governor Jon Huntsman has tasked the Utah National Guard to provide limited support to state and federal authorities in response to the Neola Fire in Duchesne and Uintah counties. Approximately 100 soldiers from Utah Army National Guard Engineer units will provide support to law enforcement at selected road-closure checkpoints and campground evacuation sites in threatened areas. Soldiers are expected to arrive at their posts Monday. This call-up is the first significant official activation of Utah Guard troops to support a state emergency since January 2005 when Soldiers were dispatched to Stockton and St. George, Utah, to assist with flood response in those areas. The Utah National Guard works regularly with State agencies to prepare for this and many other types of emergencies. Because of its dedicated members, leaders and versatile capabilities, it provides a responsive, well-trained and well-equipped force to assist civil authorities in helping keep our citizens safe. Media Notes: For more information on Guard support to the Neola Fire effort, please contact Maj. Hank McIntire at (801) 716-9052. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 03 Jul 2007 06:47 PM CDT Red flag warning remains in effect until 8 am pdt wednesday due to gusty sundowner winds and low humidities: A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM PDT WEDNESDAY. SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SOUTH COAST- Instruction: GUSTY NORTH WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH LOCAL GUSTS TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED BELOW THE PASSES AND CANYONS OF THE SANTA YNEZ RANGE IN SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS DURING THE NIGHTTIME THROUGH EARLY MORNING HOURS. WINDS GUSTING TO AS MUCH 44 MPH WERE REPORTED LAST NIGHT UNDER SIMILAR CONDITIONS. THE SUNDOWNER WIND CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BRING SIGNIFICANT WARMING AND DRYING TO THE FOOTHILLS AND WIND EXPOSED AREAS... WITH TEMPERATURES SOARING TO AROUND 90 DEGREES AND HUMIDITIES FALLING INTO THE TEENS ACROSS THESE AREAS. A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS... LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY... AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING. Area: SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SOUTH COAST- Affected Counties: Monterey, Santa Barbara, Kings, San Bernardino, Kern, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Orange, Los Angeles Sent: 2007-07-03T09:44:36-07:00" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 03 Jul 2007 06:43 PM CDT Red flag warning in effect through wednesday morning for the foothill areas of the santa barbara south coast due to gusty sundowner winds and low humidities: SANTA BARBARA COUNTY MOUNTAINS / LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST- RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF SANTA BARBARA...VENTURA...AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES DUE TO GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES... ...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY FOR THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE ANTELOPE VALLEY DUE TO GUSTY WEST WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES... .A VERY WARM AND DRY AIR MASS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS INTERIOR SECTIONS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THROUGH THURSDAY. THE DRY AIRMASS IS RESULTING IN VERY LOW HUMIDITY READINGS. IN ADDITION...NORTHWEST FLOW HAS LED TO PERIODS OF GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS ACROSS THE WARNING AREA. EVENING AND NIGHTTIME SUNDOWNER WIND CONDITIONS ARE OCCURRING THROUGH THE PASSES AND CANYONS OF SOUTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY. OCCASIONAL GUSTY WINDS ARE OCCURRING THROUGHOUT THE MOUNTAINS WITH THE FOCUS BEING THROUGH THE INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR AND OUT ACROSS THE WESTERN ANTELOPE VALLEY... MAINLY IN THE EVENING AND AT NIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF THESE GUSTY WINDS AND LONG DURATIONS OF VERY LOW HUMIDITIES ALONG WITH CRITICALLY DRY FUELS HAS PROMPTED THE RED FLAG WARNINGS. ... RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT THURSDAY DUE TO GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES... A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT THURSDAY. GUSTY NORTHWEST TO NORTH WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH LOCAL GUSTS TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE PASSES AND CANYONS OF THE SANTA YNEZ RANGE... WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS DURING THE NIGHTTIME THROUGH EARLY MORNING HOURS. WINDS GUSTING TO AS MUCH 44 MPH WERE REPORTED LAST NIGHT UNDER SIMILAR CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION TO THE GUSTY WINDS... THERE WILL BE VERY WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH A LONG DURATION OF HUMIDITIES IN THE TEENS...AND SINGLE DIGITS. THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE SANTA YNEZ RANGE. Instruction: A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW...OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS... LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY... AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL. PLEASE ADVISE THE APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OR FIRE CREWS IN THE FIELD OF THIS RED FLAG WARNING. Area: SANTA BARBARA COUNTY MOUNTAINS / LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST- Affected Counties: Monterey, Santa Barbara, Kings, San Bernardino, Kern, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Orange, Los Angeles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CA-SCU-CUMMINGS - Vegetation Fire Posted: 03 Jul 2007 06:23 PM CDT Location: Crockett in Contra Costa County - Interstate 80 and the Cummings Skyway Fire is bounded by Highway 4 on the east and southeast. Size up: Approximately 20 acres with spotting and multiple structures threatened. 14:37 pm - Resource request from CAL FIRE Battalion 1616 for the following:
CDF TAC 2 - 151.160 CDF SCU - 151.445 Update: 1800 hrs - Cummings IC releasing two 14xx units | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NEWS: Grand jury says merge fire departments Posted: 03 Jul 2007 06:09 PM CDT Modbee.com:: Merge fire departments, Stanislaus civil grand jury says: Merge fire departments, Stanislaus civil grand jury says
Stanislaus County supervisors should push to consolidate some small fire departments, civil grand jurors recommend in a report released this morning. The 18 separate departments in Stanislaus County are "inefficient and inadequate to meet the needs of a growing county population," the report reads. The grand jury's investigation follows a countywide review by a consultant who also found wide variations in standards, training and response times among the departments. "No government body has fully accepted the overall responsibility of addressing the need for change," grand jurors wrote. They recommend that county supervisors take the bull by the horns. Links to Grand Jury Reports: .PDF Files Civil Grand Jury fire department report Civil Grand Jury jail report Civil Grand Jury emergency planning report | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| InciWeb: ANGORA FIRE - Map Of Closure Order Posted: 03 Jul 2007 05:23 PM CDT InciWeb: Map Of Closure Order Map Of Closure OrderSummaryOn July 1, 2007 the Lake Tahoe Management Basin Unit has implemented an area wide closure within the Angora Fire area in order to protect natural and cultural resources. The order specifically prohibits: 1.Going into or being upon National Forest System lands within the Angora Fire Closure area, which is located in Sections 13, 23, 24, 25, and 26, Township 12 N, Range 17 E, MDBM, and Sections 6, 7, 8, 18, and 19, Township 12`N, Range`18 E, MDBM, as shown on the attached map. 36 CFR 261.52(e). 2.Being on any National Forest System trail within the Angora Fire Closure area.  Map of Closure OrderCredit: Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Basic Information
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| OUT OF STATE NEWS - Hot shot crews arriving as Uinta Basin firefighting army tops 700 Posted: 03 Jul 2007 04:02 PM CDT Headlines -Hot shot crews arriving as Uinta Basin firefighting army tops 700
 "It's a frightening sight. It really is an example of the vagaries and the dangers of mother nature," said the governor, who took an aerial tour of the wildfire The blaze is about 10 percent contained but continues to spread into the tinder-dry Ashley National Forest, where there is abundant fuel made up of dead and diseased trees. Sweltering temperatures and gusty winds also heighten the difficulty for crews trying to bring the fire to heel. Forest Service spokesman Mike Schmidt said today that four more "hot shot" crews have been ordered to the northwest end of the fire, and more water- and fire retardant-bearing helicopters are expected to arrive on the scene soon. "We are actually doing a good job," Dave Carter, an operations field chief for the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team, said Monday as a plume of smoke poured into the atmosphere in the distance. Ten miles away, red and orange tongues of flame were visible, leaping hundreds of feet. "This is a fuels-driven fire, and everything is really burning well and completely," he said, explaining an inferno that hot will burn even the greenest timber. The major challenge the firefighters face is the hot, dry weather and gusty winds. It's a situation expected to continue through the week. "Buckets of water don't do much when your humidity is in the single digits,"Marc Mullenix, an incident commander-in-training, said Monday. "This is some pretty tough weather to fight fires in."Still, crews successfully have thrown back the fire -- which grew Monday to about 35,000 acres -- on its east, south and west fronts. They have protected homes, power lines, water and hydropower plants and other structures. But because the wind and dry fuel have created countless hot spots, crews must remain on the line to "mop" them up. "We aren't releasing as many resources from the southern part of the fire to the north as quickly as I thought we would," Carter said. The cause of the fire Monday remained under investigation. Officials also dispelled talk that the fire could have been knocked down in its early stages. Dale Jablonski, area manager for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, called such speculation "absolute horse crap," labeling the Neola Fire Department's 15-minute response "awful doggoned good." Some locals were restricted from responding, following forestry rules that ban anyone who is not trained in firefighting to get involved, Jablonski said. "Years ago, they would pull people out of the bar and hand them a shovel and say, 'Let's go fight the fire,' and they buried their fair share of people doing that," Jablonski said. "If we're going to do it, we're going to do it safely." That's no comfort to Blane Warren, who said his cousin, Jeremiah, was restricted from bringing a bulldozer to the scene to fight the fire. Blane Warren said he watched as trucks with water hoses sat ready but unable to enter tribal land as the blaze burned Friday. During a public meeting Monday night in Whiterocks, on the Ute Reservation, other residents continued to question whether the fire could have been doused early on. "I'm mad because my house was in jeopardy," said Ruby Atwine, a tribal elder who was evacuated from her home over the weekend. Atwine also questioned officials why there were no firefighters on the reservation who were trained to handle this sort of blaze. Jablonski said training of local departments, including the one in Neola, paid off with a fast response time. Firefighters from the Bureau of Indian Affairs soon took over, eventually handing over the effort to a Type 1 Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team. "I can say with an extreme amount of pride that everyone worked really good on this fire," Jablonski said. "I could not be prouder." Because the fire still is spreading northward up mountain canyons, the level of containment reached only 10 percent by late Monday. The ferocity of the fire has made it difficult to make an accounting of destroyed buildings. "The fire was so intense, it mangled structures so bad. It's not easy to tell if it was a residence, a barn or an outbuilding." said Mullenix, who observed about a dozen charred structures. About 100 Utah National Guard troops were dispatched to the Uinta Mountains to enforce road closures to the public in Ashley National Forest. Fire teams and equipment still are flowing into the area from across the West. "We are looking really good," Mullenix said. "Because we are the only large fire in the nation, we got a lot of the resources we requested." Everything except rain. "We are not seeing much out there in the way of a [weather] break," Mullenix said. "Wednesday, Thursday we may receive some moisture, but that is going to bring some dry lightning. We aren't out of the woods yet." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Posted: 03 Jul 2007 11:26 AM CDT [EDIS] Excessive heat warning remains in effect from 12 pm to 8 pm pdt wednesday... ... excessive heat warning remains in effect from 12 pm to 8 pm pdt thursday
AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 12 PM TO 8 PM PDT WEDNESDAY. AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 12 PM TO 8 PM PDT THURSDAY. HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL RISE TO AROUND 120 DEGREES EACH AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. Instruction: AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF DANGEROUSLY HOT TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE LIKELY. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS... STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM... STAY OUT OF THE SUN... AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS. AVOID STRENUOUS OUTDOOR ACTIVITY IF POSSIBLE. IF YOU HAVE TO BE OUTSIDE... DRINK PLENTY OF NON-ALCOHOLIC... NON-CAFFEINATED FLUIDS. WEAR LIGHTWEIGHT LOOSE-FITTING CLOTHING. WEAR A HAT TO SHIELD YOURSELF FROM THE SUN...AND USE SUN SCREEN TO REDUCE POSSIBLE SUNBURN. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AIR CONDITIONING AND SHADE IF POSSIBLE. NEVER LEAVE CHILDREN OR PETS IN ENCLOSED VEHICLES... EVEN BRIEFLY. Area: COACHELLA VALLEY-SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS- Affected Counties: San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Kern, Orange, Imperial, Los Angeles Sent: 2007-07-03T06:26:52-07:00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Priest Accident - Witness gave authorities a pinpoint location Posted: 03 Jul 2007 11:21 AM CDT New West Network: OUT OF STATE - NEWS Priest Accident Witnessed By MotoristBy Joseph Friedrichs, 7-03-07 Almost immediately after a Jesuit priest drove his car off a highway and down an embankment in a wooded area of Highway 26 west of Portland, a witness who saw the accident called 911 and gave authorities a pinpoint location where the car left the roadway, according to Oregon State Police. But crews sent to the scene couldn't locate the accident scene and called off the search, said Gregg Hastings, public information officer for the state police. It wasn't until nearly three weeks after the witness' call and one day after the bodies of David Schwartz, a priest from Garden Grove, and his friend Cheryl Gibbs were pulled from the wreckage, that authorities connected the 911 call to their disappearance, Hastings said, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. Schwartz's family members, who spent weeks doing their own search, were distraught after hearing of the 911 call and wondered how Oregon authorities could have subsequently failed to review tape recordings of emergency calls in the middle of the far-reaching search for Schwartz and Gibbs, the Chronicle reported. "It was 100 percent incompetence and negligence,'' said Tom Mulligan, Schwartz's brother-in-law, who spent two weeks and drove roughly 1,500 miles scouring Oregon for the missing duo. "We're heartbroken and disappointed.'' The Chronicle reported that the timeline coincides with the 911 call, which came in around 4:20 p.m. June 8. During the 911 call, a man, who identified himself as Doug, told the dispatcher that a red compact car had driven off Highway 26 about a quarter-mile west of milepost 26 and was not visible from the road. The witness said he didn't know if anyone was hurt. Hastings said the caller's information could be "a model" for 911 callers, but because Schwartz's car was hard to see from the roadway, emergency crews who responded to the scene, a wooded area heavy with brush, were unable to locate the wreckage, the Chronicle reported. The missing car, a 2005 Toyota Corolla, was finally spotted Sunday afternoon by searchers in a Civil Air Patrol plane. The 911 tapes also revealed confusion about which emergency response team had jurisdiction over the accident scene. He compared the incident to the troubled search for the Kim family last November. The San Francisco family got lost on their way home from a Thanksgiving trip and were stranded with their car for more than a week. Rescuers eventually found Kati Kim and her two daughters with the car, but James Kim died after he tried to hike out to get help for his family. Authorities were widely criticized for what many believe was a botched search and the governor promised to tighten search and rescue operations. "This is 10 times worse than the Kim case,'' Mulligan said, as reported by the Chronicle. "They knew exactly where (Gibbs and Schwartz) were and no one could find them." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deer Fire - General Information - FINAL Posted: 03 Jul 2007 11:00 AM CDT Deer Fire General Information:
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| CA-TMU-Angora - Sheriffs Office has lifted the roadway access Posted: 03 Jul 2007 10:54 AM CDT As of 1800 hrs, 07-02-07, the L.T.B.M.U. (Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit) resumed command and responsibility for the Angora Incident. The Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team will begin their assessment of the burned area focusing on emergency stabilization of the watershed. On 07-01-07, the L.T.B.M.U. has implimented an area wide closure within the Angora Incident fire area in order to protect natural and cultural resources. The El Dorado County Sheriffs Office has lifted the roadway access restrictions for the impacted residential areas located within the Angora Incident perimeter. However, they (the El Dorado County S.O. & local residents) are asking that people respect the privacy of the local residents & their families and refrain from driving through the area unless you are a resident, or family member of a resident, or have business to conduct in the area so that the many residents & families who lost their homes can begin to rebuild their lives in some sort of peace and quiet. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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