Headlines - Just News headlines all the time: Oct 15, 2007

Monday, October 15, 2007

California Fire News

Martis Valley Station Closed - Mold cleanup

Posted: 15 Oct 2007 12:38 AM CDT

Cal Fire closed the Martis Valley Station located on Truckee Tahoe Airport Road this week to investigate the discovery of mold in the building that state firefighters share with their Truckee counterparts.

Personnel moved out Wednesday from the station, State firefighters were ordered not to re-enter the building without protection. Cal Fire would normally shut down the station at the end of the fire season and this closure coincides with the end of the fire 2007 season.

I5 Fire - All southbound lanes will be open for commute

Posted: 14 Oct 2007 11:59 PM CDT

All southbound lanes will be open for commute

Cal Trans just announced all SB lanes for the 5 will be open in time for tomorrow's commute. Metrolink is adding trains for commute as well.

I-5 Tunnel Fire Updates: NO MORE FATALITIES EXPECTED

Posted: 14 Oct 2007 04:03 PM CDT

Santa Clarita - Newhall Pass - I-5 Tunnel Fire Updates:

THREE DEAD - NO MORE FATALITIES EXPECTED
WRECKAGE OF TWENTY EIGHT TRUCKS AND ONE CAR HAS BEEN CLEARED FROM TUNNEL

The freeway remains closed as officials try determine the cause of Friday's crash and the extent of structural damage.

Three people, two men and an infant, are confirmed dead and 10 injured in the I-5 tunnel vehicle accident and fire.

28 commercial vehicles and one passenger vehicle involved in the crash, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Bridge Damage:Bridge appears to be in good shape. "I'm very pleased with how well this bridge held up," said Cal trans Director Douglas Failing, Failing said it was still too early to estimate how long it would take to reopen and repair the tunnel. "If it goes well, it could be open in a couple of weeks," he said, but if damage proves more significant, it could take much longer.

Tunnel Damage extensive: Walls heavily damaged and have exposed rebar which has separated from the concrete, concrete spalling, heavy soot cleanup, no structural cracks found, the tunnel's roof appeared sound. Fire damaged road and the asphalt shoulders of the road,

About 10 workers had shored up the tunnel sides temporarily with wood and steel beams and were inspecting the tunnel, taking samples of concrete that would be examined for signs of structural damage.

NIIC - USFS - FINAL MORNING REPORT - The last morning report for 2007

Posted: 14 Oct 2007 02:46 PM CDT

Friday, October 5, 2007 – 9:00 A.M. EDT

GOOD MANAGEMENT AND SAFETY GO HAND IN HAND

PREPAREDNESS LEVEL	1
STATES MOST AFFECTED:
Print Today's Morning Report (PDF file)

CURRENT SITUATION

THIS IS THE FINAL MORNING REPORT. SHOULD ACTIVITY PICK UP AGAIN, WE WILL RESUME ITS PUBLICATION AND POSTING ON THIS WEBSITE.

Initial attack activity was light yesterday, with 107 new fires reported burning 1,485 acres. Currently, there are no fires or complexes and no Wildland Fire Use fires, reported over 500 acres in size. Yesterday, there were no new fire over 500 acres reported and one contained. Nationally, there are no Incident Management Teams assigned.

The National Preparedness Level is 1. There is minimal large fire activity nationally. Most Geographic Areas have low to moderate fire danger. There is little to no commitment of national fire management resources.

INCIDENT HEADLINES

Nationally, an estimated 1,878 structures have been destroyed to date.
520 personnel are assigned to the fires, a decrease of 141 or 21.33% from yesterday.
For the detailed National Situation Report (www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf).

SUMMARY OF FIRE ACTIVITY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

Fire Activity

Yesterday

Year-to-Date

2006 Fire Season

on This Date

2000 Fire Season

on This Date

10-Year Average

to Date

Number of Fires

107

74,031

82,214

81,884

67,557

Acres Burned

1,485

8,245,535

9,102,776

6,901,103

5,736,924

RESOURCES COMMITTED

Crews (20 persons)	Engines (5 persons)	Helicopters Assigned	Airtankers Assigned	Overhead Personnel	Total Personnel	Personnel Change
15	22	2	11	74	520	-141

MAPS OF CURRENT FIRE ACTIVITY

National Interagency Fire Center Fire Danger (www.fs.fed.us/land/wfas/fd_cls_f.gif)
National Incident Information Center Current Fires Over 500 Acres (www.fs.fed.us/news/fire/firemap.shtml)
National Interagency Coordination Center Monthly Fire Outlook (http://www.nifc.gov/nicc/predictive/outlooks/monthly_outlook.jpg)

WEATHER OUTLOOK

Discussion: Gusty winds are expected today over a wide area from the southern California mountains across the southern Great Basin and into Colorado and Wyoming. Gusty offshore winds are on tap this weekend over portions of southern California. The Southeast will see scattered showers today and Saturday with generally warm, dry weather in the Northeast.

A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM THIS EVENING FOR SOUTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA, THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY AND THE SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH-CENTRAL DESERTS OF ARIZONA DUE TO STRONG GUSTY WINDS, LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND HIGH FIRE DANGER.

National Weather Service – Warnings, Watches, and Advisories

IINTERNATIONAL LARGE FIRES

For further information, go to the Global Fire Monitoring Center at:
www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/current/globalfire.htm.
For further information on fires in Canada, please refer to: www.ciffc.ca/links.htm

The National Incident Information Center is here to serve you.

Monday – Friday, hours: 6:30 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. EDT

Weekends and Holidays, hours: 8:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. EDT

Contact: Kris Eriksen or Kathy Arnoldus

Phone number: (202) 205-1450

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

I-5 Tunnel Fire Updates: 3 confirmed dead in I-5 tunnel crash

Posted: 14 Oct 2007 02:37 PM CDT

There is no anticipated opening at this time of the southbound tunnel or the overhead northbound lanes of I5 pending access for structural inspection of the 550-foot-long tunnel.
This Vital north-south route will be closed at least until Tuesday.
Heat was so intense that firefighters and other officials could not explore the tunnel beyond its ends.
They did not yet know the cause of the crash, how much damage was done to the tunnel walls and roof, or how long it would take for traffic to flow again on the eight-lane freeway overhead.

Casualties: 3 confirmed dead in I-5 tunnel crash - Fatal Count as of 10-13 - 3 Bodies (2 Adults, 1 Child) - Ten others are injured in the fiery multi-vehicle pileup. - Still Conducting search 15-20 Various Types of Vehicles.
Coroner's official Ed Winter said the three bodies that were recovered had not been identified. "We are methodically going through the wreckage vehicle by vehicle" looking for other bodies, he said.

Traffic Info-Northbound /Southbound Interstate-5 at 14, Auto and Truck Lanes-Will Be Closed Possibly for the Next 72 Hours-Traffic Should Avoid the Area If at All Possible

Traffic detours: CHP on Interstate 5... Here are the latest detours:

— Northbound from Los Angeles to Bakersfield, Sacramento: Take northbound I-5 to State Route 14, continue north to State Route 58 in Mojave and head west to State Route 99.

— Southbound to Los Angeles from Sacramento, Bakersfield: Take southbound I-5 to State Route 126, continue west to State Route 101 and head south.

— Eastbound State Route 126 to the Palmdale-Lancaster area: Take northbound I-5 to State Route 138, continue east. Another route is eastbound on State Route 126, which becomes Newhall Ranch Road, continue east to Bouquet Canyon Road and then turn west. Continue westbound to Soledad Canyon Road, turn left and continue eastbound to State Route 14.

DOT and CHP are using the old road as a bypass and have made the road a one way road at times depending on commute traffic, at this time traffic is open in both directions on the old road bypass.

Google map I-5 Newhall Pass tunnel area
View Larger Map

CAL FIRE Burn Permits Available Monday

Posted: 14 Oct 2007 12:23 PM CDT

San Andreas, Ca -- Effective 8 am Monday, CAL FIRE will lift the suspension of burning on private lands within the Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit.

Burning will be permitted with no restrictions on burn hours but only on �Permissive Burn Days� as established by the Air Pollution Control District in each county.

CAL FIRE states that you must obtain a valid permit from the fire protection agency having jurisdiction in your area before conducting a burn. You must also follow the terms on the "no charge" permit. Call Burn info line: