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CA-LPF/SBC Jesusita Incident - Wildland Fire.

Posted: 05 May 2009 04:16 PM PDT

CA-SBC Jesusita Incident - brush fire is currently burning in the Santa Barbara foothills.

CA-SBC Jesusita Incident - Helicopter working bucket 0n the fire
Photo credit: keyt.com

View CA-SBC-Jesusita in a larger map

Update: 1555hrs - All traffic on La Cumbre north of State St. and Foothill Rd is being shut down. Reverse 911® calls issued for the areas East of Hwy 154, North of Foothill and West of Mission Canyon.

Update: 1455hrs - Evacuation orders issued: Holly Road, Spyglass and Foothill Rd and Spyglass and Tunnel Road. Ops requesting tanker(s) out of Hemet. Helicopters talking about the wind shifting to more northerly which would push the fire more in the Santa Barbara, Laurel Reservoir, Mission Canyon area.

Update: 1435hrs - Some evacuations being initiated according to SBC dispatch.
Fire is midslope on LPF property. Currently a slope driven fire above Spyglass Lane. Upper level winds are offshore. Eye level winds are upslope.

Update: 1415hrs - 10 acres, rapid rate of spread, mid slope, heavy fuels. Wind in the area. No structures threatened.

Possible Evacuations: According to emergency scanner traffic, evacuations have now been ordered for the Mission Canyon Road area north of the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens.
Informational reverse 911 calls: Authorities are issuing an informational reverse 911 call for people west of Highway 154, north of Foothill Road and west of Mission Canyon Road. It is only to let people know there is a fire near them so they can start preparing.
Emergency shelter: The Red Cross is opening a shelter at the Presbyterian Church at the corner of 21 East Constance Street and State Street in Santa Barbara.
Road closures: The Santa Barbara Police Department says that Mission Canyon and Mission Ridge roads are both closed at Foothill Road.

IC: Jesusita Incident - joint command post at 1400 San Roque Road.
Staging: Staging area being set up at Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara.
Initial sizeup: 1330hrs - about four acres, Slow rate of spread, no structures threat at this time, but the fire is burning near power lines.
Fire behavior: It is burning in a north-easterly direction upslope.
Weather: Evening sundowner winds expected, Strongdown canyon wind is expected this evening.
Location: San Roque Canyon near the Tunnel Road area north of Santa Barbara.
Google map link
Resources: Santa Barbara City Fire and U.S. Forest Service fire crews are also on scene, two helicopters H-309 & 308 are responding with an air attack.
Live video:
live coverage on Local KEYT channel 3 - Link
KCOY live streaming footage. Link
streaming live on a sbcams.com webcam: Link

Redding: Buckhorn incident - Cal Fire interagency aviation training

Posted: 05 May 2009 03:13 PM PDT

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) is conducting interagency training today and Wednesday.

The training, which involves the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, is based at Redding Municipal Airport. The class is designed to help pilots and ground personnel.

The aerial firefighting exercise, which officials are calling the Buckhorn incident, will include coordination of air tanker drops, scouting and sizing up fires, and working with ground crews and other air resources in the area.

Vandenberg Air Force Base Delta II rocket launch successful

Posted: 05 May 2009 02:17 PM PDT

Launch Vehicle: Delta II
Date: May 5
Launch Period: 1 - 2 p.m.

Vandenberg Air Force Base says they have successfully launched a Delta II rocket Tuesday afternoon.

The rocket launched at 1:24 p.m.

The rocket is carrying an experimental research satellite for the Missile Defense Agency. The satellite will be used to detect missile launches from space.

The last Delta II launch was in February. Vandenberg AFB says the launch success rate for a Delta II rocket is 98.7 percent.
Google map - Link
Vandenberg Air Force Base - http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/

CAL FIRE to immediately mobilize more personnel, engines, helicopters and planes.

Posted: 05 May 2009 01:45 PM PDT

DAVIS - Governor Schwarzenegger signed an executive order directing CAL FIRE to immediately mobilize more personnel, engines, helicopters and planes. Each engine will carry a crew of four firefighters rather than three."

The governor pledged during a news conference at Davis that the state 'will not be caught off guard or understaffed or under equipped."

As part of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's ongoing commitment to emergency preparedness, today he issued Executive Order S-05-09, which mobilizes the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to secure and deploy the additional resources and personnel that are necessary to save lives and protect homes statewide from wildfires.

"Last summer when California was engulfed by 2,000 fires, California's brave and hard working firefighters beat back every one of those fires, but it was not without great sacrifice and great cost," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "A third straight year of drought only heightens the danger we face this summer, and we need every firefighting tool on ready alert, so we can spring into action when disaster strikes. This Executive Order directs CAL FIRE to immediately mobilize more personnel and equipment, which means more crews, more engines, more helicopters and more planes to ensure our firefighters have the tools they need again this year to keep us safe."

As part of the Executive Order, the Governor directed state agencies, including the California Emergency Management Agency, California National Guard, California Conservation Corps, and California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to coordinate their actions with federal and local agencies, prepositioning resources and maximizing California's fire prevention and fighting capabilities.

Earlier this week, the Governor issued a proclamation declaring May 2-9, 2009 "Wildfire Awareness Week."

Below is text of the Governor's executive order:

WHEREAS changing climate has impacted California's weather patterns and fuel conditions, resulting in an increased risk of wildfire; and

WHEREAS current below-normal precipitation, seasonally higher-than-normal temperatures, strong winds, and low relative humidity combined with dead, dying and diseased trees have contributed to heavy fuel loads and the early drying of wildland vegetation; and

WHEREAS these readily available fuel loads create an imminent threat of catastrophic fires; and

WHEREAS last year California experienced devastating wildfires that destroyed lives, property, businesses, critical infrastructure, and the environment and resulted in the largest deployment of firefighting resources in state history; and

WHEREAS this year, California once again finds itself facing an imminent threat of devastating wildfires and imminent peril to people and property; and

WHEREAS federal aviation assets continue to be limited; and

WHEREAS coordinated fire prevention, aggressive fuel reduction programs and strong initial attack resources are essential to protect people, property and the environment in California; and

WHEREAS the increased risk of catastrophic wildfires throughout California may result in harmful, secondary environmental effects, including increased emissions of air pollutants; diminished air and water quality; impacted watershed and soil stability; and compromised populations and habitats of sensitive and endangered fish and wildlife species; and

WHEREAS the increased risk of catastrophic wildfires could significantly impact state efforts to reduce greenhouse gases due to significant uncontrolled emissions of greenhouse gases caused by wildfire; and

WHEREAS immediate action is needed to respond to these conditions and to protect people, as well as the property, economy and environment throughout California, from the negative impacts of catastrophic wildfires.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the State of California, do hereby issue the following orders to become effective immediately:

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) shall secure and deploy additional resources that are necessary, as determined by the Director, to protect the safety of persons and property from wildfires during periods of elevated fire risk as follows:

(a) Staff additional fire crews, fire engines, helitack crews, fire bulldozers, equipment and aviation resources as warranted based on fire threat conditions.

(b) Assign a crew of four firefighters to CAL FIRE fire engines as warranted based on fire threat conditions.

(c) Assign additional resources in the CAL FIRE Contract Counties as warranted based on fire threat conditions.

(d) Coordinate with the California Emergency Management Agency (CAL EMA) and the California National Guard for those military resources that may be available for assistance during emergencies in California.

(e) Assign additional fire safe inspectors where and when beneficial to reduce fire risk, assist with fire hazard reduction, conduct defensible space inspections, and promote fire safe practices, public education and prevention programs.

(f) Provide for supplemental detection, including staffing for fire lookouts, during peak fire conditions.

(g) Increase staffing for command and control functions at CAL FIRE Unit Emergency Command Centers, Northern and Southern Operations Centers and the CAL FIRE Sacramento Coordination Center when necessary to respond to significant fire events.

(h) Assign additional staff as necessary to provide emergency incident support and burn area emergency assessment and response activities.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL FIRE utilize staff as necessary to support a heightened level of fire prevention public awareness and education utilizing CAL FIRE Volunteers in Prevention, Fire Safe Councils, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL FIRE continue, within its authority, to expedite the processing of contracts and grants of federal funds to communities, and continue to support local and regional wildfire hazard mitigation and community emergency planning efforts.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL EMA shall, in consultation and coordination with CAL FIRE and as fire threat conditions warrant, (a) deploy CAL EMA fire engine strike teams to ensure a substantial response capability to any wildland fire situation in California, with the costs of the deployment to be reimbursed consistent with the California Fire Service and Rescue Emergency Mutual Aid Plan and the California Fire Assistance Agreement; and (b) augment personnel at CAL EMA operations centers and emergency incident support teams as necessary to respond to significant fire events.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the California National Guard prepare to provide its aviation assets, identify personnel to train for hand crews and pre-position ground support equipment as appropriate for response to major wildfires, and report to CAL EMA on the status of all aircraft on a weekly basis.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, including the Division of Juvenile Justice, establish the highest priority for assignment of minimum custody or camp-approved inmates and wards to Conservation Camp Fire Crews.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the California Conservation Corps (CCC) report to CAL FIRE daily on the readiness of all CCC support crews for response to wildfires.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL EMA review the preparedness of state agencies and departments to assure readiness for response to wildfires.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL FIRE and CAL EMA work closely with federal, state and local government agencies, bordering states, and the Mexico border states to maximize California's fire prevention and firefighting capabilities and to provide appropriate reciprocal assistance when requested.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, to the extent authorized by applicable law, the purchasing authority of CAL FIRE and CAL EMA (and other state agencies and departments as deemed necessary by the Secretary of CAL EMA) shall be raised to $100,000 to expedite the contracts necessary to prepare and respond to emergencies during this fire season.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Department of General Services (DGS), in coordination with CAL EMA, shall establish short and long-term procurement mechanisms to secure the unique goods and services that may be required to support communities in an emergency.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL EMA, in consultation and coordination with the California Natural Resources Agency and the California Environmental Protection Agency, initiate necessary preparedness and training efforts for local governments to ensure that post-fire watershed assessments, emergency protective measures, effective debris removal efforts, post-fire burn area assessments, and mitigation efforts to evaluate potential hazards, are implemented to address needed remediation.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Natural Resources Agency shall oversee the Climate Action Team's development of measures for wildfire fuels reduction and biomass utilization.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL FIRE shall provide educational information to homeowners on defensible space and California Building and Fire Codes ignition-resistant building materials, and shall develop training for defensible space inspection and building ignitability in consultation with the Department of Insurance, CAL EMA, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL FIRE shall conduct vigorous defensible space inspections pursuant to applicable authority.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that to assist landowners to meet their 100-foot defensible space requirements to reduce hazardous vegetation and landscaping, CALFIRE, in consultation with the California Biomass/Biofuel Collaborative, may enter into contracts, agreements, and arrangements for the chipping, hauling, burning, or other methods of disposal of hazardous vegetation removed by landowners as required by Public Resources Code section 4291 and Government Code section 51182.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL EMA, in coordination with CAL FIRE, shall continue to support the development of fire hazard information and shall continue to make it available to the public.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that CAL EMA shall assist local communities to help ensure that federal hazard mitigation grants are focused on the areas of greatest vulnerability in the Wildland Urban Interface in California.

This Order is not intended to, and does not, create any rights or benefits, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, against the State of California, its agencies, departments, entities, officers, employees, or any other person.

I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this Order be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given to this Order.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 5th day of May 2009.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
Governor of California

ATTEST:
DEBRA BOWEN
Secretary of State

Governor threatens cuts to public safety, state firefighting resources

Posted: 05 May 2009 12:39 PM PDT

Editor: Blackmail? If voters reject Props. 1C, 1D and 1E, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger threatens to seek the elimination of more than 1,700 state firefighting positions and closure of scores of fire stations just prior to the beginning of the wildland fire season in the State.
The CDF Firefighters union has endorsed the special election measures.

Governor threatens cuts to firefighters

Sacramento - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to seek the elimination of more than 1,700 state firefighting positions and closure of scores of fire stations if voters reject key ballot measures in the May 19 special election, according to documents obtained by The Chronicle on Monday.

Schwarzenegger's proposal involves slashing $80.8 million from Cal Fire's spending plan - a 10 percent reduction - by eliminating 602 full-time positions and 1,100 seasonal firefighting positions. The cuts would be part of a series of deep cuts to the state budget.

Cal Fire, the state's fire agency, has about 5,000 full-time firefighters. At the peak of last year's fire season, more than 2,700 wild fires ravaged the state and the agency hired extra help: 3,000 seasonal firefighters.

The plan would also shutter 11 conservation camps and 20 single-engine stations throughout California.

Closing fire stations would affect response times and the agency's ability to make inspections on defensible spaces, according to the document.

Schwarzenegger's staff disclosed the plan Monday to various groups, including firefighter unions and fire chiefs in a conference call, said Terence McHale, public policy director for CDF Firefighters, a union that represents Cal Fire employees.

"I think what is happening is that the governor recognizes that we need to have these kinds of discussions - what kind of cuts can be made without undermining the integrity of Cal Fire's response," said McHale, whose union has endorsed the special election measures.

One opponent of the ballot measures called the governor's proposal a "blatant scare tactic."

Jon Coupal, president of Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, argued that rather than targeting public safety, the governor should find "waste, fraud and abuse" in the state.

The governor's spokesman, Aaron McLear, said the administration is merely preparing for a possible worst-case scenario.

In two weeks, voters will decide the six ballot measures that were part of the February budget deal reached between Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders to close a nearly $42 billion shortfall through June 2010.

Prop. 1A limits spending and creates a rainy day fund; Prop. 1B guarantees education funding in future years; Prop. 1C allows the state to borrow against future lottery sales; Props. 1D and 1E shift taxes collected for children and mental health programs to other programs; Prop. 1F freezes lawmakers' pay during tough budget years.

If voters reject Props. 1C, 1D and 1E, the state would immediately see a $5.84 billion shortfall in the new fiscal year that begins July 1 - and the governor would call for cuts as he's outlined for the firefighters.

Source: http://www.sfgate.com - Link

Camp Pendleton: Aerial wildland firefighting exercise

Posted: 05 May 2009 09:41 AM PDT

Aerial firefighting exercise to take place on Camp Pendleton this Thursday

CAMP PENDLETON- An aerial firefighting exercise involving U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) helicopters to attack a simulated fire will take place from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Thursday, May 7, at Camp Pendleton.

The aerial firefighting exercise is the final event in a three-day wild land firefighting exercise conducted by Marine Corps Installations West, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, CALFIRE and other regional, state and federal agencies at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton May 5-7.

The second annual exercise is an element of the Operating Plan developed jointly by the Marine Corps, CALFIRE, and the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region following the 2007 Southern California wildfires. The operating plan was signed in January, 2008.

Helicopter crews from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Navy Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 85 and CALFIRE will participate in the exercise. Media will be in a good position to observe both water pickup from a lake and delivery against a simulated fire.

Source: thevillagenews.com - Link

Earthquake 3.1 M - Northern California, Seven Trees, CA

Posted: 05 May 2009 07:23 AM PDT

Earthquake Details

Magnitude	3.1
Date-Time	Tuesday, May 05, 2009 at 10:00:52 UTC Tuesday, May 05, 2009 at 03:00:52 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location	37.285°N, 121.663°W
Depth	6.1 km (3.8 miles)
Region	NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Distances	15 km (10 miles) E (91°) from Seven Trees, CA 17 km (11 miles) ESE (122°) from Alum Rock, CA 18 km (11 miles) N (354°) from Morgan Hill, CA 21 km (13 miles) ESE (107°) from San Jose City Hall, CA
Location Uncertainty	horizontal +/- 0.1 km (0.1 miles); depth +/- 0.2 km (0.1 miles)
Parameters	NST=161, Nph=161, Dmin=3 km, Rmss=0.06 sec, Gp= 25°, M-type=local magnitude (ML), Version=2
Source	California Integrated Seismic Net: USGS Caltech CGS UCB UCSD UNR
Event ID	nc51221051