California Fire News

[EDIS] flash flood watch in effect - LASSEN - EASTERN PLUMAS-EASTERN SIERRA COUNTIES AND SURPRISE VALLEY CALIFORNIA

Posted: 23 Jul 2007 06:41 PM CDT

[EDIS] flash flood watch in effect from tuesday afternoon through tuesday evening

SURPRISE VALLEY CALIFORNIA-LASSEN-EASTERN PLUMAS- EASTERN SIERRA COUNTIES- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CEDARVILLE...EAGLEVILLE..

. FORT BIDWELL...PORTOLA...SUSANVILLE...WESTWOOD...SIERRAVILLE THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RENO HAS EXPANDED THE * FLASH FLOOD WATCH TO INCLUDE A PORTION OF NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA...
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...LASSEN-EASTERN PLUMAS-EASTERN SIERRA COUNTIES AND SURPRISE VALLEY CALIFORNIA. * FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING * THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP TUESDAY IN A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE SLOWLY...WHICH WILL CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL RATES OF OVER AN INCH AN HOUR. * RECENTLY BURNED AREAS FROM THE ANTELOPE COMPLEX SOUTH OF SUSANVILLE ARE ESPECIALLY PRONE TO FLASH FLOODING. IN THESE AREAS AS LITTLE AS A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF RAIN PER HOUR COULD CAUSE RAPID RUNOFF AND DEBRIS FLOWS.

Instruction:
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS... CREEKS AND OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA. PEOPLE IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEATHER AND BE PREPARED FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION SHOULD HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING OCCUR...OR A FLASH FLOOD WARNING BE ISSUED.

Area: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV

Affected Counties or parts of: Modoc, Plumas, Placer, Mono, Lassen, El Dorado, Nevada, Sierra, Alpine,

Sent: 2007-07-23T15:14:47-07:00

Original Sender: KREV@nwws.oes.ca.gov

From: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV

[EDIS] flash flood watch - EAST CENTRAL CALIFORNIA... GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA AND MONO.

Posted: 23 Jul 2007 06:36 PM CDT

[EDIS] flash flood watch remains in effect from tuesday afternoon through tuesday evening

GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA-MONO-MINERAL AND SOUTHERN LYON COUNTIES- GREATER RENO-CARSON CITY-MINDEN AREA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SOUTH LAKE TAHOE...TAHOE CITY... TRUCKEE...MARKLEEVILLE..

.BRIDGEPORT...COLEVILLE...LEE VINING... MAMMOTH LAKES...HAWTHORNE...YERINGTON...SMITH VALLEY...MINA... SCHURZ...GLENBROOK...INCLINE VILLAGE...SPARKS...VERDI... GARDNERVILLE THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR * PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AND WESTERN NEVADA... INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN EAST CENTRAL CALIFORNIA... GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA AND MONO. IN WESTERN NEVADA...GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA...GREATER RENO-CARSON CITY-MINDEN AREA AND MINERAL AND SOUTHERN LYON COUNTIES. * FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING * THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP TUESDAY IN A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE SLOWLY...WHICH WILL CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL RATES OF OVER AN INCH AN HOUR. * RECENTLY BURNED AREAS FROM THE ANGORA FIRE NEAR SOUTH LAKE TAHOE...AND THE HAWKENS FIRE NEAR SOUTHWEST RENO...ARE ESPECIALLY PRONE TO FLASH FLOODING. IN THESE AREAS AS LITTLE AS A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF RAIN PER HOUR COULD CAUSE RAPID RUNOFF AND DEBRIS FLOWS.

Instruction:
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS... CREEKS AND OTHER DRAINAGE AREAS IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA. PEOPLE IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEATHER AND BE PREPARED FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION SHOULD HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING OCCUR...OR A FLASH FLOOD WARNING BE ISSUED.

Area: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV

Affected Counties or parts of: Modoc, Plumas, Placer, Mono, Lassen, El Dorado, Nevada, Sierra, Alpine,

Sent: 2007-07-23T15:14:48-07:00

Original Sender: KREV@nwws.oes.ca.gov

From: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV

World News: Firefighting Aircraft down in Greece, Italy

Posted: 23 Jul 2007 05:32 PM CDT

2 crew killed when firefighting plane crashes in Greece; similar crash in Italy leaves 1 dead, Another today in California, Tragic Day for Firefighting aircraft

iht.com

STIRA, Greece: A firefighting plane smashed into a hillside on a southern Greek island Monday, killing both crew members, as the country struggles to contain wildfires amid sweltering heat.

Another firefighting plane crashed Monday in central Italy, which is also struggling against wildfires fanned by soaring temperatures and persistent winds. One of the Canadair plane's crew died and the other was seriously injured when the plane went down in Italy's central Abruzzo region, the country's Civil Protection Department said.

In Greece, the CL-415 tanker was flying through thick smoke to douse a fire outside the resort of Stira, on Evia island, when it crashed, sending wreckage across an area over 100 meters (yards).

"From accounts we heard from witnesses, the plane flew very low to make its drop and then couldn't gain enough height in time," Stira Mayor Sofia Moutsou said. "They saved our village, but it cost them their lives."

The plane's crew members were aged 27 and 34, the Air Force said.

The fire on Evia burned several homes and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents.

Amid successive heat waves, more than 2,000 fires have broken out in Greece since June. With Monday's temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit) in parts of the country, an elderly man died of heat stroke on the island of Corfu, and 13 others were hospitalized elsewhere in Greece, officials said.

Politicians paid tribute to the Fire Service, which has lost five members this summer in fires. Three died July 11 battling a forest fire on the island of Crete.

"The pilots of these fire planes died defending us ... I express my deep sense of grief to their families," President Karolos Papoulias said Monday.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis cut short a visit to Bosnia to return to Greece, as six large fires raged out of control in parts of the country.

Hospitals have been placed on alert, and temperatures were forecast to rise to 44 Celsius (111.2 F) Tuesday, the health ministry said.

"We're prepared to deal with more heat stroke cases, but the most important thing is that people look after their elderly relatives — making sure they stay cool and hydrated," ministry official Panos Efstathiou said.

In June, 12 people — aged between 59 and 103 — have died from heat-related causes. A fire in central Greece on June 5 killed two people trapped by the flames.

The state power company urged people to limit midday use of air conditioners to avoid overloading the national grid, as electricity consumption reached a new record Monday of 10,610 megawatts.

In Italy, temperatures peaked at 40 C (104 F) Monday in the southern city in Bari, while many other cities registered temperatures in the upper 30s C (100s F).

InciWeb: Elk Complex News Release- Aircraft down w/ fatality

Posted: 23 Jul 2007 03:50 PM CDT

Elk Complex News Release 11:30 AM: Incident: Elk Complex Aircraft down - Fatality
Released: 9 min. ago

NEWS RELEASE

July 23, 2007 11:30 a.m.

At approximately 1015 a.m. on Monday, July 23, 2007, a type 2 helicopter was reported down on the Elk Fire burning within the Klamath National Forest. One fatality is confirmed and the pilot's name will be released pending family notification. The cause of the crash is under investigation and the National Transportation Safety Board has been notified. Fire crews and additional helicopter support are working to suppress a small ground fire associated with the crash.

The Elk Fire is one of 30 fires burning within the Elk Complex, Happy Camp Ranger District, Klamath National Forest. The Complex is 9,085 acres at 22% containment. Currently, there are 1,145 personnel assigned. The California Interagency Incident Management Team 5 is managing the Complex.

Additional information on the Elk Complex may be obtained by visiting http://www.inciweb.org/ (including other fires) or by calling the Klamath National Forest Fire Information Center at (530) 841-4451. Information on fire restrictions and area closures is available on the Klamath National Forest web site at www.fs.fed.us/r5/klamath/conditons/."

InciWeb: Elk Complex Wildland Fire - 9,085 acres acres Acres - 22% containment.

Posted: 23 Jul 2007 03:42 PM CDT

Elk Complex Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED 2 MIN. AGO

ANNOUNCEMENT

Elk Fire Complex Community Meeting 7/24/07
There will be a community meeting regarding the Elk Fire Complex Tuesday July 24, 2007 at 7pm, held at the Happy Camp Grange Hall. Representatives from the fire management team, local ranger district and the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office will provide an overview of planned fire operations, forest closures and potential evacuation plans.

Elk Complex Fire Progression Map

view pictures || view maps

Summary

NEWS RELEASE

July 23, 2007 11:30 a.m.

At approximately 1015 a.m. on Monday, July 23, 2007, a type 2 helicopter was reported down on the Elk Fire burning within the Klamath National Forest. One fatality is confirmed and the pilot's name will be released pending family notification. The cause of the crash is under investigation and the National Transportation Safety Board has been notified. Fire crews and additional helicopter support are working to suppress a small ground fire associated with the crash.

The Elk Fire is one of 30 fires burning within the Elk Complex, Happy Camp Ranger District, Klamath National Forest. The Complex is 9,085 acres at 22% containment. Currently, there are 1,145 personnel assigned. The California Interagency Incident Management Team 5 is managing the Complex.

Additional information may be obtained by visiting http://www.inciweb.org/ or by calling (530) 841-4451.

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Lightning
Date of Origin	07/10/2007 at 00 hrs.
Location	Happy Camp Ranger District
Incident Commander	Mike Dietrich

Current Situation

Total Personnel	1,145
Size	9,085 acres
Percent Contained	22%
Estimated Containment Date	07/29/2007 at hrs.
Fuels Involved	Mature heavy timber overstory with brush understory, large quantities of dead fuels and snags.
Fire Behavior	Slow moving fire with creeping, smoldering and roll-out on steep slopes.
Significant Events	Significant progress on the burn operation on the Little Grider fire near Happy Camp. Continued direct and indirect line contruction on the northern perimeter of the Wingate fire and on the western flank of the King Creek 2 Fire in Branch 1. Established direct line on the northern flank of the Elk fire to direct fire into Marble Mountain Wilderness.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Continue firing operation in Perkins Gulch on Little Grider fire. Continue direct line contruction on Wingate, King Creek 2 and Elk fires. Brush roads in southern portion of Branch 1.
Projected Movement	12 hours: Fine fuels becoming receptive to active fire. Limited spread expected. 24 hours: Continued spread expected due to further drying of fuels and potential burnout/backfire operations. 48 hours: Continued spread expected due to further drying of fuels and potential burnout/backfire operations. 72 hours:Continued spread expected due to further drying of fuels and potential burnout/backfire operations.
Growth Potential	High
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme
Containment Target	Likely to meet objectives based on current weather projections.
Remarks	Expect an increase in containment as direct strategy continues. A total of fifty miles of fire line has been contructed to date. This includes twenty-three miles of dozer line and twenty-seven miles of handline and brushed roads. Fire acreages and containment: Of the thirty identified fires in the Elk Complex, 24 fires are 100% contained. The remaining six fires are as follows: Little Grider 1,952 acres-50%; Titus 2,026 acres-5%; Wingate 916 acres-5%; King Creek 2 2,895 acres-25%; Elk 1,144 acres-40%; Hummingbird 80 acres-0%.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	Not available
Current Temperature	60 degrees
Current Humidity	100 %

California Fire News - Fire Information - Daily Report

Posted: 23 Jul 2007 03:26 PM CDT

National Preparedness Level 5

(On a scale from 1 to 5)

July 23, 2007

Favorable weather conditions has helped firefighter contain 40 large fires in the West since Friday. Currently, 45 wildland fires and more than 1.5 million acres are burning in 11 states.

Fire managers are preparing for possible dry lightning storms in parts of Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and Utah. Resource availability is expected to improve, as large fires in southern California, Nevada, and Oregon are contained in the next couple days.

Weather Discussion: Thunderstorm activity will increase in the West over the next few days. The number and coverage of the thunderstorms will be increasing as monsoon moisture spreads into the region. Thunderstorms today will be a mixture of wet and dry storms over the northern Great Basin, Montana and Wyoming, with wet storms over the southern Great Basin and southern California. Most of the thunderstorms will become wet on Tuesday.

Source: National Interagency Coordination Center


Daily statistics 7/23/07
Number of new large fires	7	States currently reporting large fires:
Number of active large fires	45	California (3) Florida (2) Georgia (1) Idaho (17) Montana (7) Nevada (8) Oregon (5) South Dakota (1) Utah (4) Washington (1) Wyoming (1)
Acres from active fires	1,523,737
Number of Wildland Fire Use (WFU) fires	5
Number of Wildland Fire Use (WFU) acres	28,335
Fires contained on 7/22/07	13
Year-to-date large fires contained	559
Year-to-date statistics
2007 (1/1/07 - 7/23/07)	Fires: 55,039	Acres: 4,359,680
2006 (1/1/06 - 7/23/06)	Fires: 67,768	Acres:4,859,927
2005 (1/1/05 - 7/23/05)	Fires: 36,186	Acres: 4,063,979
2004 (1/1/04 - 7/23/04)	Fires: 44,130	Acres: 4,843,962
2003 (1/1/03 - 7/23/03)	Fires: 32,838	Acres: 1,468,888
2002 (1/1/02 - 7/23/02)	Fires: 50,917	Acres: 3,710,809
2001 (1/1/01 - 7/23/01)	Fires: 48,311	Acres: 1,469,060
2000 (1/1/00 - 7/23/00)	Fires: 56,512	Acres: 2,860,880
10-year average
1997- 2007	Fires: 48,419	Acres: 3,051,258

Current Wildland Fires
California	Fires: 2	Acres: 39,327	New fires: 1	Fires contained: 1
WFU Fires: 1		WFU Acres: 110	New WFU fires: 1
Zaca (Santa Barbara County Fire Department): 31,000 acres at 51 percent contained. This fire is 15 miles northeast of Buellton and is burning in chaparral. Communities and campgrounds remain threatened. Moderate fire behavior was reported. Forest roads are closed in the area. Information: Call 805-961-5770 or visit the web site.
Elk Complex (Klamath National Forest): 8,487 acres at 22 percent contained. This complex is one mile south of Happy Camp and is burning in timber. The communities of Happy Camp and Elk Creek are threatened. River recreation activities are restricted. Information: Call (530) 841- 4451 or visit the web site.
NEW Willow (Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park): This WFU fire is 12 miles southwest of Lone Pine, burning in timber and chaparral. Active fire behavior was reported.
NEW Digier (Kern County): This fire was contained at 364 acres.

News: Mariposa fire burns 33 acres

Posted: 23 Jul 2007 11:39 AM CDT

mercedsunstar.com :: Mariposa fire burns 33 acres:

By DOANE YAWGER

MARIPOSA — Thirty-three acres of oak woodland, brush and grass were blackened Saturday in a fire believed to have been started by a pickup towing a boat — and dragging a chain on the road.

Cal-Fire Unit Chief Mikel Martin said the fire was located south of the town of Mariposa near Highway 49 and Allred Road. It was reported at 11:20 a.m. Saturday.

While the fire remains under investigation, Martin said the truck-boat trailer combination is believed to have started four separate fires, either dragging a chain or just creating sparks near dry vegetation.

Twenty engines, two helicopters and 127 firefighters fought the fire. The fire initially threatened homes in the area but no evacuations were necessary before it was controlled and only one outbuilding was burned.

Sixty to 70 cattle nearly escaped onto Highway 49 when the fire burned the fence holding them in. California Highway Patrol officers kept the cattle off the road.

Highway 49 was closed between Silva and Allred roads for about six hours. Fire investigators and highway patrolmen couldn't find the vehicle believed responsible for starting the fire.

Two air tankers and a National Park Service helicopter were deployed to fight the fire. The Mariposa County Sheriff's Department also assisted. One volunteer Mariposa County firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion.