Monday, May 25, 2009

California Fire News - Updates in your mail box

California Fire News - Updates in your mail box

Link to California Fire News - Structure, Wildland, EMS

CA-JTP-Lost Horse - Wild land fire Joshua Tree Park - 50 acres

Posted: 24 May 2009 08:08 PM PDT


CA-JTP-Lost Horse - JTP 7519A2, Wild land fire

Update: 1800hrs- 50 acres inaccessible terrain. Evacuating some hikers in the area,
Crew 3 and 5 fron San Bernardino N.F. dispatched to the fire.
IC: Lost Horse IC.
Location: Sec7, T2S, R9E, Lat 33.56.4, Lon 116.08.0,
Resources: Reload at Hemet and Copter 554 in the area.
Comms: AA on 168.550
Victor 122.575
Cmd 171.575
Tac NIFC 1 168.050

CA-SBC-Aliso - Grass Fire - 320 acres Santa Barbra County

Posted: 24 May 2009 08:03 PM PDT


Update: 1650hrs- 320 acres as of 1650 hrs.
Update: 1620hrs- 2 Air Tankers have made their first drops and have been directed to load and return at Paso Robles.
Update: 1615hrs- Fire moving from SRA toward USFS lands in a southeast direction.
Update: 1600hrs- Per AA-07...150 acres, wind driven (15 mph from west), grass and medium brush.
Structure threat: Structures threatened within .5 miles of head.
IC requested one Type III Engine S/T IMMEDIATE NEED, one Type II Engine S/T IMMEDIATE NEED, two additional air tankers (any type, in addition to the initial two ordered at dispatch) and one additional copter (one on scene already)
Four air Tankers en route from Porterville.

View CA-SBC-Aliso Wildland Fire in a larger map

Location: Aliso Canyon Road. Southwest of New Cuyama. Google Map - Link
Reported location: Highway 166 and Aliso Canyon Road, New Cuyama, California
Initial Sizeup: 1545hrs - 10-15 acres, Moderate Rate of Spread in grass.
Aliso IC
Initial resources: Santa Barbara Co Type-3 strike team - 9322 C
Engines 331, 318, 351, 332, 314, Battalion 513
LPF-E37
LPF-E72
LPF-E74
LPF-C4
LPF-WT4
LPF-BC32
LPF-PT37
SBC-E41
From SLU: BC 3416, Engines- 3467, 3473, 3484, Dozer- 3440, Cuesta Crew- 2, 3
AA- 07
Comms:
Command channel - SBC Channel 3, 153.9800
Tac - CA White 3 - 154.2950
Air to Ground - 151.2200 (CalFire)
Online scanner: Aliso IC -http://santabarbara.ca.scanamerica.us/index.php

CA-SCU-Brunes - Brush Fire - 200+ acres, with power infrastructure threat

Posted: 24 May 2009 08:01 PM PDT


Brush Fire Near San Joaquin Alameda County lines.

Update: 1700hrs - AA and Tankers released.
Update: 1720hrs - Power pole just fell and a new fire has started.

Location: Initial address given was 3000 Armstrong Road.
Delta area - South of the town of Byron Byron, off the Byron Highway X Kelso Rd
Google Map - Link
Sizeup: Fire on both sides of aqueduct, and has potential of structure and infrastructure threat.
Resources: CAL FIRE SCU, Marin E1563 IA to the fire. Air Attack and Tankers on order.

CA-MVU- Pala - Brush Fire - 100+ Acres San Diego County

Posted: 24 May 2009 08:07 PM PDT


CA-MVU-Pala - Wildland Fire San Diego County

Update: 1707 hrs - Currently the fire is still approximately 100 acres.
Aircraft and engines are make excellent progress. The head of the fire (North portion) has been significantly slowed due to an aggressive attack by air and ground resources.
The fire is now 10% contained.
Correction on evacuation road Pala Del Norte.
Update: 1645 hrs- Getting control of fire. Only one open flank
Update: 1615 hrs-Per MVU PIO at 1612 hours.
Pala Fire
Start time: 2:58
The fire is 100 acres
Reported Location: Highway 76 west of Pala, South of Temecula, CA
3 homes have been damaged,
Evacuations: Palomar Del Norte Road
Major transmition lines being effected
25 engines
8 hancrews
1 dozer
1 Air Attack
4 Airtankers
3 helicopter
IC Command Post established hwy 76 west of casino.
Update: 1605hrs- Voluntary evacs taking place per IC, San Diego Copter 2 enroute.
Update: 1545hrs- IC requesting 4 divs, PIO and Safety Officer.
Also requesting divert on the AA and tankers to a fire on RRU.
Update: 1542hrs- Immediate need type 3 ST enroute from San Diego North Zone
BC 1205, 1164, 1263, 2769, 7163, and 1362
Copters 10 and 12 assigned to incident and in route
Update: 1535hrs- Current size estimate 200 to 500 acres IC requesting 2 additional AT and a type 2 Copter. Per Air Attack, potential for 500 acres.
Update: 1530hrs- Fire is at 50 to 60 acres with a immediate structure threat. IC requesting 4 additional Water Tenders and 6 more crews.
Update: 1520hrs- 25 acres with a rapid rate of spread at this time, , 10 closest engines, any type needed for structure protection. About 6 structures immediate threat.

View CA-MVU-Pala - Brush Fire in a larger map
Initial Sizeup: Wildland fire near Pala, E-3381 on scene 1 acre, Moderate Spread, fire making a run for some power lines.
Road closure: SR 76 closed in the immediate area.
Location: near the Pala Casino in rural North San Diego County
Damages: 3 Homes reportedly damaged.
Webcams: Red Mountain - http://hpwren.ucsd.edu/cameras-a/RM.jpg
http://hpwren.ucsd.edu/cameras-a/RM.jpg

Yosemite Lightning Fires – Update #2

Posted: 24 May 2009 08:07 PM PDT


On the afternoon of May 18, 2009 Yosemite National Park experienced an afternoon thunderstorm, a common occurrence for the Sierra Nevada Range during the summer.
It is relatively uncommon for May, and according to National Weather Service this monsoonal storm was more typical for August.
It resulted in many down strikes in Yosemite and three confirmed fires. It was accompanied by measurable precipitation at higher elevations.
Yosemite Valley received approximately 1/3 of an inch of rain. There is a possibility of continuing thunderstorms for the rest of the week particularly in the afternoon hours, which may result in other fires.

Suppression Zone:
West (37⁰40'24.24" 119⁰45'19.45") - This lightning caused fire is in Mariposa County near the park boundary and north/west of the community of Yosemite West. It was necessary for crews to rappel into this fire due to steepness of the terrain. It is controlled and being mopped up. It was smoldering in pine needles and some down logs and was put out due to significant threats to the community of Yosemite West. It will be patrolled by air.

Cottonwood (37⁰54'13.68" 119⁰47'41.64") – This lightning caused fire is in Tuolumne County and is burning within the 1996 Ackerson fire perimeter. It is 2.5 miles east of the Mather Ranger Station and near Cottonwood Meadow. It is actively burning in whitethorn and dead and down timber. As of 10:00 AM on May 20, 2009 about 15 acres had burned. Fifty firefighters, one Type 2 Helicopter and two Hot Shot teams: Groveland from the Stanislaus NF and Sierra NF Hotshots. Fire managers are considering all suppression options.

Wilderness Zone:
Mono (37⁰40' 25.31" 119⁰33' 56.89") – This lightning caused fire is located in Mariposa County within the Illilouette Basin and in Yosemite's wilderness. Approximately ¾ of an acre is burning in brush and dead and down logs within the 2004 Meadow Fire perimeter at about 7500'. This area has a considerable history of natural wildfire that has been managed for restoration of forest systems. Fire crews are currently monitoring the fire. This fire has moderate potential for spread.

The protection of human life and property is the top priority for Yosemite's fire management staff, as well as the preservation of natural and cultural resources, and the preservation and restoration of fire-dependent ecosystems.
Each fire is managed individually to achieve one or more objectives in the safest, most efficient and cost-effective way possible.
In order to achieve this, strategies employed may include full suppression, containment line building, use of natural barriers, monitoring, and other management techniques or combination of techniques.

Smoke: Park staff will monitor smoke on a consistent basis. However, smoky conditions may exist within the park.
Residents and visitors are advised to take precautions to minimize smoke impacts to health. People with respiratory problems should use caution when exerting themselves in smoky areas.

Additional Information:
The park website, www.nps.gov/yose/fire, has information about fire activity and smoke effects in Yosemite. To reach the Fire Information and Education Office please call 209/372-0480 or email us at: _fire_information@nps.gov.

Space Shuttle landing this morning at Edwards anticipate twin sonic booms

Posted: 24 May 2009 11:28 AM PDT


Update: 0840hrs - Hubble update mission - Space shuttle Atlantis lands safely at Edwards Air Force Base.

The orbiter unleashed a thundering double sonic boom over the floor of the Mojave Desert as it streaked over Southern California on its approach to Edwards

Altman and pilot Greg C. Johnson began the hour-long glide back to Earth by firing Atlantis' twin braking rockets to leave orbit, shedding 257 feet per second (78 meters per second) to align the ship for a fiery freefall through the atmosphere.

Initially appearing from the ground as a pinpoint high over the northeastern horizon, the craft descended silently to the base's main landing strip, touching down with a puff of white-grey smoke as the rear wheels made contact with the runway surface.

The Atlantis crew returned with two Hubble instruments earmarked for the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum -- the telescope's wide-field camera, which took the first deep field image of a tiny sliver of sky to reveal a cornucopia of ancient objects and a package of corrective lenses that refocused light warped by Hubble's flawed prime mirror.

NASA has eight shuttle missions remaining before it retires the fleet at the end of next year. Its next flight is slated for launch in less than three weeks.

-------------------------
Space Shuttle Atlantis landing this morning at Edwards Air Force Base.
Southern California residents should anticipate twin sonic booms just prior to 8:39 PDT

Photo: Reuters
Some info: Yahoo News - Link

BTU: Cal Fire-Butte County engineer recovering - On Duty Heart Attack

Posted: 24 May 2009 11:21 AM PDT


"100 percent chance of coming back"
County firefighter coming back from massive on-duty heart attack

Firefighter Tony Sonday (foreground) talks about the heart attack that he survived with help from his boss, Capt. Sean Norman (back left) and Enloe Medical Center paramedic Mark Walker (back right). Here, he shows the marks from the defibrillator paddles that were used on him.(Ty Barbour/Staff Photo)

GRIDLEY -- Firefighter Tony Sonday said he remembers almost nothing about the massive heart attack that nearly took his life May 9.

If not for artery graft scars on his legs, burns from defibrillator paddles, and the stories of heroism and near tragedy flying around his fire station in Gridley, he might not believe it happened at all.

Three weeks after the attack, the Cal Fire-Butte County engineer is just starting to recall details, aided by relieved fellow crew members who are now anxious to fill in the blanks.

One of them is his boss, Capt. Sean Norman, a veteran emergency medical technician and the man most responsible for saving his life.

Sonday said the attack came on a Saturday morning as his crew was finishing up the second phase of a structure fire drill. He was about to start picking up hoses when he suddenly felt sick to his stomach and a little dizzy.

Norman was right there and at first thought Sonday was suffering from heat exhaustion. When he threw up some water, Norman asked if he was having chest pains.

Sonday said he was, but never recalled having that "elephant sitting on my chest" kind of pain other victims have described.

Norman called for an ambulance.

Within a few minutes, the stricken firefighter was being monitored for blood pressure. Norman, working with Enloe Medical Center paramedic Mark Walker, noticed signs of an irregular heartbeat, but figured that could be from heat.

Norman left Walker with the patient and began working on staffing changes for the day, realizing Sonday would be at least temporarily out of commission.

When he went back to check on Sonday, Norman said a 12-lead heart monitor Walker had hooked up showed some serious abnormalities.

He said the firefighter began to get anxious. Sonday was responding to questions about what he was feeling, but doesn't remember any of it. As he deteriorated, complaining about numbness and stabbing pains in his legs, Norman and Walker decided a fast trip to Enloe was in order. Norman said he still wasn't convinced it was a heart attack, but hadn't completely ruled it out.

Norman said Sonday at first asked him not to call his wife. Further down the road, near Biggs, Norman recalled Sonday saying, "I think you better call my wife."

Norman said he eventually reached her and said he felt comfortable reassuring her it was a "minor situation."

Within seconds, Norman said Sonday went into full cardiac arrest — the first of four during the 17-minute race against time to the Chico hospital.

Sonday said nearly all he remembers about the trip is the pain he felt while being defibrillated the first time. Norman said he screamed out and sat up. Sonday remembers a tremendous ringing in his ears.

A powerful drug was administered to block pain from the defib procedure, which Norman and Walker had to do at least 14 more times before reaching Enloe.

Norman said Sonday kept waking up in the ambulance, bouncing back and forth between full arrest and complete alertness. "Under those conditions it was really hard to manage the medications," Norman said. "I'm really glad there were two of us in the back."

Enloe paramedic Buck Wilken drove the ambulance, and said later his foot was sore from trying to push the accelerator through the floorboard.

Norman said he's dealt with an untold number of patients going into full cardiac arrest, but said it still feels "surreal" working on one of his own crew members. "When it happens to a member of your group, it just rocks you."

Cher Sonday gathered up the couple's two children, 13 and 16, and beat the ambulance to Enloe.

When it pulled in, Cher said her children could see Norman and Walker feverishly doing chest compressions and screaming at Sonday to get a response. One of her children asked, "Why are they yelling at dad, and how come he isn't answering?"

Sonday was defibrillated 10 more times in the emergency room, and "coded" once for 11 minutes, Norman said.

"Cardiologists gave him a very slim chance of surviving the night," Norman said. "We were told 20 to 30 percent," Cher Sonday recalled.

When he returned to the fire house, Norman said he was unsure what to tell his crew. He answered what questions he could, then said he didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Within a few days, Sonday was stabilized enough to receive triple bypass heart surgery.

Following the procedure, Sonday recalls a nurse coming into his room. "You're proof. You're proof that miracles happen," she told him. "When I came to work today I was an agnostic; not now."

His prognosis is good. Sonday said he could be back on light duty in three months, and eventually full duty.

"I've been told I have a 100 percent chance of coming back," he said.

Surrounded by his crew members at Gridley fire station 74 on Thursday, Sonday said he was getting most of the details about his heart attack for the first time.

Thursday was also the first chance Sonday had to thank Norman and Walker for all they did to save his life, and to thank his crew and other Cal Fire members who looked after his family. "They did everything for us," he said.

Sonday said he's feeling a little better every day, though he still suffers from extreme fatigue. "More than anything, this ordeal has really thrown off my sleeping pattern," he said. "But I think I'll be able to sleep tonight."

Sonday has shed 30 pounds since the attack, but said he doesn't recommend it as a weight-loss procedure.

Cher Sonday said she has no misgivings about Tony going back to work. "It's the job he loves; it's his passion," she said.

Sonday never got a hint that his heart might fail. Being adopted, he has no idea what his family medical history might be.

"All I know is I'm going to take better care of myself, and appreciate every day like I never have before," he said. "I wake up every day smiling, and I don't think you'll catch me ever complaining about anything again."

Sonday is 42, going on 43.

Story source: www.chicoer.com - Link

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