California Fire News

News: Interstate 5 truck tunnel re-opens

Posted: 15 Nov 2007 11:45 AM CST

LOS ANGELES (CFN) - The Interstate 5 Newhall Pass truck bypass tunnel is reopening a month after a fiery chain-reaction collision that killed three people and involved thirty Semi-trucks, attached trailers and a car which were caught up in the fiery Oct. 12 pile up in the southbound tunnel.

The Contractor Security Paving Company, completed the work a week ahead of schedule and is being paid $11 million for the work plus a $2.9 million incentive bonus for finishing early, and had faced a $150,000-a-day penalty if work ran behind schedule.

California Department of Transportation engineers inspected the work Wednesday afternoon and gave the OK for a Thursday evening opening.

TCU Burn permits - Ban lifted on debris burning on private land

Posted: 15 Nov 2007 11:32 AM CST

SAN ANDREAS - The Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection lifted its ban Tuesday on debris burning on private land.

Residents must still have the proper CDF permit to burn and must comply with restrictions on burning days and hours.

The Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit includes Tuolumne and Calaveras counties as well as eastern portions of San Joaquin and Calaveras counties.

To check burn-day status in Calaveras County, call (209) 754-6600

Inciweb: So Cal BAER - 122,440 acres - 0%

Posted: 15 Nov 2007 11:15 AM CST

So Cal BAER Coordination Burned Area Emergency Response

INCIDENT UPDATED

DOI BAER Rasumssen Discusses Watershed Concerns
Credit: DOI BAER

view pictures || view maps

Summary

Forest Service and Department of Interior and California State Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams are conducting ground and aerial reconnaissance on the recent southern California wildfires. The BAER teams consist of resource specialists such as Hydrologists, Soil Scientists, Geologists, Biologists and Engineers with experience working on BAER teams throughout California and the Western United States.

A Multi-Agency Support Group has also been established to provide overall coordination for federal and state BAER and damage assessment efforts by facilitating multi-agency coordination and communication, coordinating public information, and providing support to the individual BAER teams. Forest Service BAER teams, a Department of the Interior (DOI) Interagency BAER team, California State BAER teams,and USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) damage assessment teams are working cooperatively to address emergency stabilization needs on a watershed basis across mutiple federal jurisdictions.

One of the first priorities for each BAER team is to finalize a Soil Burn Severity map to determine the pattern of the burn on the landscape. Hydrologists and Soil Scientists refine the initial map received from a satellite image of the fire produced from the Remote Sensing Application Center (RSAC) and by the USGS Earth Resources Observation System (EROS) Data Center. Further modification and revision is expected as more field data is collected and observations are made. The Soil Burn Severity map is critical as it "sets the stage" to assess potential impacts to resources and downstream values at risk. Final Soil Burn Severity maps have been completed for the following recent southern California fires: Buckweed Fire, Grass Valley Fire; Harris Fire, Poomacha Fire, Ranch Fire, Santiago Fire, Slide Fire, and Witch Fire.

SoCal BAER teams are meeting with interagency cooperators to discuss initial issues and potential values and threats such as: Life, Property and Safety. Threats to: 1) people and property; 2) trails, roads and highways; 3) recreation sites; and 4) water systems; and Resources. Threats to: 1) water quality; 2) soil productivity; 3) cultural resources; 4) species of special concern; 5) OHV incursion into fire areas; and 6) noxious weeds. SoCal BAER teams continue to coordinate during the emergency assessment and implementation phases with affected agencies, cooperators and other interested parties.

Weather Forecasting and Flood Information is available from the following agencies:

American Red Cross Flood and Flash Flood News and Tips at http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_240_,00.html

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works at 626-458-5100 and at http://dpw.lacounty.gov/wrd/Flood/index.cfm

Orange County Flood Control Division at 714-834-5618 and at http://www.ocflood.com/

San Bernardino County Flood Control District at 909-387-7995 and at http://www.sbcounty.gov/flood/

San Diego County Emergency Services at 858-694-3900 and at http://www.sdcountyrecovery.com/erosion_control.html

National Weather Service Forecast Office for Los Angeles Area at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/lox/

National Weather Service Forest Office for SW California Area at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sgx/

California State OES BAER Team Update -- November 14, 2007:

Four interagency State OES BAER teams continue to evaluate several affected areas impacted by the numerous Southern California wildfires. These teams continue to gather information to identify and document threats to life, property, and natural resource on the following fires: Santiago, Canyon, Rice, Harris/ Poomacha/ Witch, and Sedgewick/ Magic/ October/ Nightsky/ Cajon/ Rosa/ Roca/ McCoy/ Mountain/ Coronado Hills/ Walker Fires.

Department of Interior BAER Team Daily Update -- November 14, 2007:

BAER Team field assessments have been completed. A Type III Implementation organization has been established to implement emergency home protection treatments and is working out of Rincon Fire Station. As of today, three hand crews are working under the Type III organization.

Crews have installed over 10,000 sandbags on the Pauma Reservation for structure protection. Four hundred straw wattles were delivered to Pauma for cultural site protection. Since November 8, over 150 culverts have been cleaned of debris. Six drainages totaling over 1.5 miles have been cleared of floatable debris. All drainages are cleared on the La Jolla and Pauma Reservations. Over 300 K-rails have been staged, and 75 k-rails were put in place on the Pauma Reservation to protect structures and divert potential flooding and debris flow. Hazard tree removal has been completed on all reservation lands. An early warning system is being developed by the BAER Team to notify certain residents of imminent flooding and debris flow. Installation should begin in the next week, with the system being operational in the next two weeks, depending on availability of equipment.

For additional information, please contact the DOI BAER Team Information Officer, Jeanne Klein, at 541-261-3124.

Forest Service BAER Team Update -- November 14, 2007:

Forest Service Interagency BAER teams are currently working on eight (8) incidents. The teams have completed their initial assessments, and the four Southern California National Forests are transitioning to implementation of the prescribed treatments. The Forest Service has organized a sixth BAER team to assist the Department of Defense in its burned area assessment for the Ammo Fire that burned approximately 21,000 acres in Camp Pendleton.

For additional information, please contact FEMA-Pasadena News Desk at 626-431-3178 or the following National Forests for questions regarding specific questions related to Southern California Forest Service BAER efforts: Angeles National Forest at 626-574-5200; Cleveland National Forest at 858-673-6180; Los Padres National Forest at 805-968-6640; and San Bernardino National Forest at 909-382-2600.

Basic Information

Incident Type	Burned Area Emergency Response
Cause	N/a
Date of Origin	10/27/2007 at 00 hrs.
Location	Southern California National Forests
Incident Commander	Not available

Current Situation

Total Personnel	100
Size	122,440 acres
Significant Events	As a result of the recent Southern California wildfires, President Bush declared a major disaster for the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is facilitating the federal response with the California Office of Emergency Services (CA OES) to coordinate federal activities with those of the state, local, and tribal government agencies. To ensure a comprehensive approach and coordinated effort, the state and federal agencies have established a Multi-Agency Support Group (MASG) to coordinate federal and state efforts to minimize the effects of the post-fire flooding, erosion, and debris flows -- and to maximize available resources. Forest Service and Department of Interior interagency Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams are assessing post-fire conditions for eight (8) separate incidents: Ranch, Buckweed, Grass Valley, Slide, Witch, Poomacha, Harris, and Santiago fires. The State of California - OES has mobilized and deployed additional resources to form five interagency state BAER teams. These state BAER teams will coordinate with the Forest Service and DOI BAER teams to assess burned areas not evaluated by the federal assessment teams. The US Forest Service's Remote Sensing Application Center (RSAC) and the USGS Earth Resources Observation System (EROS) Data Center is providing remotely sensed maps and initial Burned Area Reflectance Classification (BARC) mapping for all the recent southern California wildfires. This tool assists the BAER teams and helps to prioritize where subsequent BAER teams may be deployed.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Interagency BAER teams of specialists survey and assess the burned areas and develop emergency treatment plans for the recent southern California wildfires. After the assessment reports are completed, BAER implementation teams install emergency treatments before the onset of the winter storm season.
Projected Movement	Initial BAER team findings are: hazard trees, rock slides, OHV damage to native vegetation recovery, potential storm damage to existing roads, hiking trails, recreation cabins and campgrounds, reservoirs, water quality and supply, downstream values-at-risk, cultural resources, and the spread of noxious weeds. Federal BAER team field assessments of values-at-risk are to be completed within seven days of when the wildfire is declared fully contained. Final soil burn severity maps have been completed for the Buckweed, Grass Valley, Harris, Poomacha, Ranch, Santiago, Slide, and Witch fires.
Remarks	The Forest Service, Department of Interior, and California State BAER efforts for Southern California are a multi-agency, cooperative, and coordinated effort. The SoCal BAER Coordination Team is co-located with the FEMA Multi-Agency Support Group (MASG) in Colton, California. The MASG is composed of FEMA, US Forest Service, US Department of Interior, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, CAL FIRE, CA Department of Water Resources, CA Geologic Survey, CA State Parks, CA OES, Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, Orange County Flood Control District, Riverside County Flood Control District, Santa Barbara County Flood Control District, Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Diego County Flood Control District, San Diego Gas & Electric, and San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	Not available
Current Temperature	Not available
Current Humidity	Not available

Inciweb: Ranch Wildland Fire - 58,401 acres - 97%

Posted: 15 Nov 2007 11:11 AM CST

Ranch Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED 18 MIN. AGO

Summary

November 15, 2007 Update

Fire Status: The Ranch Fire remains 97% contained, but some activity within the fire's perimeter was recently detected. A Helitanker (large helicopter) was dispatched yesterday to make water drops on a spot approximately 1/4 acre in size, located one mile northeast of Oat Mountain, in the Pole Creek drainage. Incident Command will be reassesing conditions today.

Areas in and around the Zaca Fire and the Ranch Fire, will remain closed until further notice.

For more information about the Ranch Fire, or areas that will remain closed, please call Los Padres National Forest Headquarters at: 805-968-6640, or Angeles National Forest Headquarters at: 626-574-5200.

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Under Investigation
Date of Origin	10/20/2007 at 2142 hrs.
Location	West of Castaic, CA; North and East of Fillmore,CA
Incident Commander	Mike Stout

Current Situation

Total Personnel	Not available
Size	58,401 acres
Percent Contained	97%
Fuels Involved	Heavy chaparral and oak woodland.
Fire Behavior	Some hot spots remain along the western edge of the fire in very steep, inaccessible terrain.
Significant Events	Mop-up and patrol the existing firelines.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Crews are available to rapel into the fire area should any flare-ups occur. Terrain is very hazardous with little to no access.
Projected Movement	No fire movement anticipated.
Growth Potential	Very low.
Terrain Difficulty	The difficulty of the terrain is extreme, due to steep slopes and inaccessible terrain.
Containment Target	The Ranch Fire may not be considered fully contained until the fire area receives significant rainfall.
Remarks	Not available

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	Not available
Current Temperature	Not available
Current Humidity	Not available

News: Home saved from fire -- against owner's will

Posted: 15 Nov 2007 10:48 AM CST

Cranky homeowners resented super-strict fireproofing regulations
Rules covered landscaping, building materials, watering shrubs
Flames came within 200 feet of house -- but stopped
Community now grateful that neighborhood spared by fire

RANCHO SANTA FE, California (AP) -- Dr. Jorge Llorente became irritated recently when the fire department kept rejecting his plans to landscape his hacienda-style home with jacarandas and avocado trees.

Fire-blackened hills surround the yard of Dr. Jorge
and Barbara Llorente in Rancho Santa Fe, California.

But he is grateful now.

Those restrictions may well have saved his multimillion-dollar home when a wildfire passed through last week.

"Now that we have a chance to see how it works we are tickled pink," the retired surgeon said. "I'm a convert. I'm a true believer."

Rancho Santa Fe has lots of converts after braving last week's Southern California's wildfires, the first major test of the stringent construction and landscaping standards adopted by the community in 1997. The San Diego suburb lost 53 houses, but none of them were in the five subdivisions that embraced restrictions designed to be so tough that people can stay in their homes if they cannot evacuate.

As Southern California begins to rebuild from the blazes that killed at least seven people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes, homeowners and government officials are looking at places as far away as Australia and as nearby as Stevenson Ranch in Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles, that have adopted super-strict standards that require such precautions as nonflammable roofs, indoor sprinklers and regular watering of shrubs.

Rancho Santa Fe practices a strategy known as "shelter-in-place," designed to insulate homes from flames if people cannot evacuate.

The fire department in Rancho Santa Fe, whose past residents include Bing Crosby and Howard Hughes, scrutinizes plans for every tree and bush and sends inspectors with measuring tapes to make sure its orders are obeyed.

Trees and bushes must be a certain distance from the house and cannot exceed a certain height. Roofs must be nonflammable; shrubs near the house must always be watered. Indoor sprinklers are a must.

Columns must be masonry, stucco or precast concrete; windows must be dual-paned or tempered glass; wood fences cannot touch the home.

"Rancho Santa Fe has done some really, really pivotal work," said Ron Coleman, former California state fire marshal and vice president of Emergency Services Consulting Inc. in Elk Grove, California. "It's a success story."

Cliff Hunter, Rancho Santa Fe's fire marshal, believes the standards saved homes.

"I just go by the results," he said as he drove through the wide streets of The Crosby subdivision, where hillside flames stopped just short of homes.

Fire experts caution that no home is fireproof; they prefer the term "ignition-resistant." Advocates say such precautions give firefighters time to save more vulnerable homes in fast-moving fires.

But some critics say the shelter-in-place strategy may lull homeowners into a false sense of security, leading them to stay put when they should flee. And some say it only encourages construction in tinderbox areas in California and elsewhere across the West.

Nearly 1 million homes in 11 Western states border undeveloped wildlands, and builders are increasingly breaking ground on the edge of wooded areas, according to a study last month by Headwaters Economics, a consulting firm in Bozeman, Montana.

Despite the destruction in Southern California -- and widespread acknowledgment that fire will strike again -- there is little doubt homeowners will be allowed to rebuild on the same lots. San Diego County has already issued its first building permit for a home destroyed in last week's fires.

But government officials and fire experts say the blazes may lead to stricter standards.

San Diego County, which was hardest hit, will revisit building codes and may add restrictions, said Supervisor Dianne Jacob. In March, the county Department of Planning and Land Use expanded the shelter-in-place concept as an option for new subdivisions in areas where the topography prevents the building of a second escape road.

It is difficult to say how much a shelter-in-place design adds to the cost of a home. Roofing and sprinkler systems can easily run tens of thousands of dollars, said Dan Bailey of the International Code Council, which advises governments on building restrictions. Other measures, such as trimming trees, cost little.

Rancho Sante Fe is a community of about 10,000 people with giant homes on large lots, where golfing and horseback riding are popular pastimes. The median household income in the 92067 ZIP code tops $200,000.

Residents in the five protected subdivisions get a fire department brochure that tells them that they can survive a fire without evacuating and that they should keep a three-day food supply. Those who live outside the area get a brochure titled "Getting Out Alive."

Llorente, who moved to his 21/2-acre lot last year from San Diego, thought Rancho Santa Fe's restrictions were overkill until he and his wife were ordered to evacuate their home. They fled the nearby flames October 22 with their two cats and a computer. That night and the next day, they were convinced they lost their home.

The couple drove north to the first hotel they could find -- out of range of San Diego television stations -- and waited for morsels of news. A friend said a fruit stand burned near the gated entrance to their subdivision, where homes sell for $2 million to $12 million.

The flames came within about 200 feet of the house, wilting rose petals next to one wall and dumping ash on the pool and hot tub. But the house itself was unscathed.

"We were very, very lucky," he said Monday on the patio on his hillside lot, which is filled with peppermint willows and olive and citrus trees, with views to the Pacific Ocean on clear days.

His neighbor, 47-year-old investor Don Ceglar, also felt the rules went too far when he moved from Connecticut in 2003. The fire department refused to let him in until he removed two 8-foot cypress plants near the front door.

Ceglar ignored three reverse 911 evacuation calls the morning of October 22, thinking it made more sense to stay put than to drive narrow, winding roads surrounded by fire.

He said the community's fire-protection standards passed last week's test with flying colors.

"The fire surrounded our community like a doughnut," he said. "It's remarkable. It literally looks like someone took a torch and went to the edge of these properties, and the fires just stopped.

Source: CNN

Coastside fire board appoints pro-Cal Fire member, union threatens recall

Posted: 15 Nov 2007 10:12 AM CST

The Coastside Fire Protection District board of directors appointed J. B. Cockrell of Montara as its ninth member on Tuesday. Cockrell told the board that he supported contracting services to Cal Fire. Union representative Tony Slimick threatened a recall as a result of the appointment.

Slimick and Alan Davis of IAFF Local 2400 addressed the Board a couple of times each. They both appealed to the Board not to promote acting Chief Cole and not to appoint a ninth member, until the new Board is seated in December.

In last week's election, four union-backed candidates defeated four pro-Cal Fire candidates for positions on the fire board.

Directors Silva, McShane, Burke, Lees and Donovan (Cal Fire supporters) voted for Cockrell. Directors Eufusia and Riddell (both Cal Fire critics) voted for volunteer firerighter Matt Connors of Half Moon Bay. Director McKimmie (Cal Fire supporter) voted for Michael Gaynes, of Moss Beach.

The ninth position is the swing vote on the board. Once the newly elected board members are seated, there will be four union-backed Cal Fire critics and five Cal Fire supporters including Cockrell.

Source: Coastsider.com

News: Wildland Fires Continue To Expand In Yosemite National Park

Posted: 15 Nov 2007 09:46 AM CST

Jack Fire - Yosemite National Park
Vista Grande Hot Shots - San Bernardino NF
Photo Credit: NPS

BJ Hansen - News Reporter

Source: MML

Yosemite, Ca -- Two wildland fires continue to burn in Yosemite National Park that were started during a lightning storm late last month, and park officials will continue to allow the fires to burn out naturally.

The Jack Fire, located two miles north of Wawona, is currently 300 acres in size. While the Devil Fire, located north of Yosemite Valley, is 180 acres.

According to Yosemite officials, when the fires started on October 29th, fire managers considered many factors before deciding to place the fires under a wildland fire use management strategy. Some of these considerations were location of the fires, time of season, available resources, potential smoke impacts, and projected fire behavior and growth.

Decades of fire suppression, long term drought, and other factors have created heavy fuel loads in some park areas, including the area north of Wawona where the Jack Fire is located. Using fire as an ecological restoration tool, as well as to create defensible space around fire prone communities, can reduce the chance of future catastrophic fires like those seen in many parts of California this year.

Air quality is being monitored by Yosemite officials, and they say that there is no reason for tourists to stay away from the park