Fire whirlwind in Pioneertown:
Flame front in Pioneertown:
Firefighters off Pioneertown Road in Yucca Valley:
Structure protection in Pioneertown:
Posted on 07/14/2006 7:41:46 AM PDT by Knitting A Conundrum
You're added!
They get a share of fire in the South, too...but not usually as wild. The South's burned over 2 million acres of its own, this year, unusually high, but they have, mostly in TX, OK and Florida.
Colorado fire:
CRAIG, Colo. -- Firefighters in northwest Colorado are hoping for a combination of light winds, cool temperatures and high humidity Friday as they battle a 500-acre wildfire in Moffat County.
Flames were first reported around 2:30 p.m. Thursday about 30 miles northeast of Craig.
Moffat County Undersheriff Jerry Hoberg said that lightning probably sparked the blaze on private land before it burned onto Bureau of Land Management property.
The fire quickly grew to 250 acres then doubled in size by 5 p.m.
There's no word of any imminent threat to homes or structures or any evacuations.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/9518407/detail.html
Fire whirlwind in Pioneertown:
Flame front in Pioneertown:
Firefighters off Pioneertown Road in Yucca Valley:
Structure protection in Pioneertown:
YUCCA VALLEY, Calif. -- Firefighters battling a massive wildfire burning on the edge of the San Bernardino National Forest were preparing for the possibility that the blaze could join another wildfire Friday and become even more difficult to control.
By late Thursday, the 48,000-acre Sawtooth fire had destroyed more than 150 homes and buildings. While containment was at 20 percent - which fire officials said was a sign of progress -- it was on course to possibly merge with the 8,200-acre Millard fire in the San Bernardino National Forest, where it could feed on vast stands of dead trees.
State fire officials told a Sacramento news conference that even if the fires joined, they were at least 15 miles from any areas of dead trees.
But if the fires did reach deadwood, it could be bad, said Kevin Olson, deputy chief of operations in the headquarters of the California Department of Forestry.
"You've got 100-foot-tall trees and those are kind of like a torch," said forest spokeswoman Robin Prince.
Officials have not estimated when the fires might merge, but early Friday they were about two miles apart, said CDF spokesman Jason Goedecke.
The area between the two fires was mostly unpopulated, officials said. But a combined blaze could "create erratic fire behavior and a very dangerous situation for firefighters," Rick Bogt, battalion chief with San Marcos Fire Department, told The Los Angeles Times.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County Thursday, citing "conditions of extreme peril to public health and safety of persons and property."
The declaration will provide immediate state assistance and sets the stage for a request for federal disaster funding, said Eric Lamoureux, a spokesman for the state Office of Emergency Services.
At a community meeting Thursday night in Yucca Valley, state fire officials said they doubted the wildfire would reach the Big Bear resort area thanks to a large firebreak cleared by crews.
"We don't foresee any event where it blows up and goes to Big Bear," said Rick Henson, who is leading CDF firefighting efforts.
Not taking any chances, San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies began warning residents east of Big Bear Lake, about five miles from the fire, that they should be ready to evacuate.
Dozens of homes in the Morongo Valley were ordered evacuated as flames crept down a hill a few miles away. Some residents stayed behind, their possessions in their cars, monitoring the shifting wind.
"Are we nervous? Yes. Will we stay up tonight? Yes," said Pam Bennett-Wallberg, whose 2½-acre ranch serves as a refuge center for African meerkats.
A few miles away, the Millard complex was a potential threat to 75 homes. Just 5 percent contained, it was burning at higher elevations that included both brush and timber.
Authorities said smoke from the blazes 100 miles east of Los Angeles was smelled in Las Vegas and Ogden, Utah.
Swaths of Southern California forests have been weakened by drought and killed by bark beetles. For several years, workers have been cutting down dead trees near communities and roads. Thousands of acres have been cleared but experts say it will take up to 20 years to remove all the deadwood.
Taking advantage of favorable wind conditions, firefighters continued their offensive in Morongo Valley Friday, using drip torches, grenades and pistols to light back fires while hand crews used bulldozers to draw fire breaks. The effort was aimed at keeping the fire from advancing by eliminating its fuel.
About 1,350 firefighters worked the blaze. Nine firefighters and two civilians have been treated for minor burns or smoke inhalation.
The Sawtooth fire was ignited by lightning during the weekend and roared into an inferno Tuesday, racing through tiny high desert communities. Forty-five houses, 118 other buildings and 91 vehicles were destroyed in Pioneertown and other communities near Yucca Valley.
Pioneertown, established in the 1940s as a location for filming cowboy movies, lost none of its Western-style storefronts. Residents weren't so lucky.
County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger told Yucca Valley residents his board planned to waive building permit fees for people who suffered fire damage.
"It has been one of the most difficult fires to manage on the ground," said Hansberger. "This isn't over."
http://www.theksbwchannel.com/weather/9517477/detail.html
Wednesday, it got very smoky in Ogden. Supposedly some of the smoke was drift smoke from the Sawtooth, while some of it was local. It's amazing how far smoke can go.
Texas fire:
Wildfire burns near Abilene
7/14/2006 12:10 PM
By: Associated Press
ABILENE -- Crews worked Friday to contain a wildfire near Abilene that's scorched at least 500 acres.
Officials say the blaze, which started Thursday afternoon, is a threat to about 50 large wind turbines.
Windy and dry conditions quickly spread the fire, Texas Forest Service spokeswoman Traci Weaver said.
Investigators have not determined what caused the fire, which began about 15 miles southwest of Abilene.
Authorities say the fire burned a small hunting cabin.
http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=166589
from an email:
Sawtooth is at 50,000 plus acres, millard is at around 9000 acres. The two
fires are only about a mile a part now and could merge today (not that it
means anything).
The media is playing it out like DOOMSDAY for Big Bear, however, we have a
HUGE airshow going on up here and they have completed some large fire breaks
just to the east of Big Bear.
I personally think Big Bear will be spared without incident, however, I hear
other reports that there is a good chance Onyx Summit and maybe Big Bear
could get hit.
The command post is being setup at Bear Mountain Ski Resort (tent city, lots
of buildings, etc). I work at Bear Mountain, so I'll probably be over there
later helping with some of the telephone and other logistics.
Drift Smoke Fades Sky Across Big Bear Valley; Fire Lying Down
Breaking News
By RIMOFTHEWORLD.net
Friday, July 14, 2006
Smoke drifted across eastern Big Bear Valley this morning from the Sawtooth Fire. Aside from the drift smoke, however, very little fire activity can be observed from the Onyx Summit area. The areas where torching occurred Thursday night show only a few columns of white smoke. The winds are generally calm. Forest Service crews from Mill Creek pulled into the small community and are working with Big Bear fire crews to shore up the "contingency line" from Onyx Peak to the Arrastre Fire burn area. Additionally, crews are continuing to work in Burns Canyon to the east.
http://www.rimoftheworld.net/columns/rotw/fire_creeps?PHPSESSID=7ee50c1232b14f0d532636532663ca30
Texas fire
Moore Station, Texas -- High winds helped spread a wildfire that destroyed a home and two barns as it consumed more than 100 acres in Henderson County.
The fire destroyed a mobile home and threatened a church, a civic center and chlorine tanks at the water treatment plant in Moore Station, just west of Lake Palestine. That forced several evacuations in the rural East Texas county.
Texas Forest Service firefighters worked alongside local fire departments to cut fire lines, and two helicopters dropped water onto the blaze about 20 miles southwest of Tyler.
Westside Fire Captain Chris Moore says that the fire is partially contained, but firefighters would work through the night to battle flare-ups.
Moore says that he doesn't know what sparked the fire.
http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=4382730&nav=0s3d6fQJ
fires in Montana:
PINE RIDGE COMPLEX, Southern Land Office, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. A Type 1 Incident Management Team (Bennett) has been ordered. This complex, comprised of five fires, is 30 miles east of Billings, MT in sagebrush and agricultural fields.
Evacuations are in progress. Numerous residences, ranches, rangeland, agricultural crops, timber, powerlines, petroleum pipelines and a rest area are threatened. Weather and ongoing drought conditions are hindering containment. Extreme fire behavior was observed. 20,000 acres, 10% contained.
BUNDY RAILROAD, Billings District, Bureau of Land Management. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (McNitt) will assume command today. This fire is eight miles northeast of Worden, MT in timber, grass and sagebrush. Evacuations are in effect for several ranches. High
winds, low relative humidity, and drought conditions are hampering efforts to contain the fire. Extreme fire behavior and rapid rates of spread were reported. 25,000 acres, 0% contained.
HORTON-HAY, Eastern Land Office, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Grant) has been ordered. This fire is 35 miles southwest of Miles City, MT in ponderosa pine, grass and sagebrush. Structures and utility
infrastructure are threatened. An evacuation order is in effect for the Moon Creek area. Rapid rates of spread and growth to the south were reported. 4,000 acres, 5% contained.
WATT DRAW, Miles City District, Bureau of Land Management. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Reid) has been ordered. This fire is 13 miles southeast of Ashland, MT in grass, timber and sagebrush. Three residences, outbuildings, and grazing allotments are threatened. Isolated
torching, running, and spotting were observed. 1,300 acres, 10% contained.
SHANE RIDGE, Southern Land Office, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Heintz) is assigned. This fire is 10 miles southeast of Columbus, MT in timber, grass and understory. Significant progress was made in
completing the control line. Single and group tree torching was observed. The Team is also managing the Saunders fire. 806 acres, 75% contained.
IRON JAW, Eastern Land Office, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. This fire is 15 miles southwest of Miles City, MT in timber and grass. No further information was
received. 200 acres, 80% contained.
SAUNDERS, Southern Land Office, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. A Type 2 Incident Management Team (Heintz) is assigned. This fire is four miles west of Columbus, MT in grass and timber. Numerous residences remain threatened. Brumfield and Countryman Creek Roads remain closed to non-residents. Minimal fire behavior with smoldering in heavy woody material and deep duff was reported. 3,175 acres, 95% contained.
http://gacc.nifc.gov/nrcc/information/information.htm
Blaze update
Wildfires threatening to merge
YUCCA VALLEY (AP) — A 53,000-acre wildfire crept through tinder-dry Mojave Desert brush and Joshua trees as of about noon Friday to within a half-mile of another blaze in the San Bernardino National Forest, threatening to merge into an unpredictable wave of flame that could burn its way toward a mountain full of dead trees.
The Sawtooth fire that destroyed more than 150 homes and buildings earlier this week was 20 percent contained but it was burning through dense, dead brush in a desert canyonland that has not burned in recent decades, authorities said at a morning briefing for firefighters.
A half-mile away, the 8,300-acre Millard fire (which is the result of four smaller fires) was burning in the San Gorgonio wilderness, a forest area southwest of the Sawtooth blaze. It posed a threat to about 75 scattered homes and was just 5 percent surrounded.
“The fires are very close together. … it’s likely that will occur today,” fire spokesman Rick Vogt said.
“If they come together, there’s a potential for significant fire behavior,” said Glenn Barley, a spokesman with the California Department of Forestry.
He said large fires can create their own weather patterns.
“It can make for strong, erratic winds,” Barley said.
The main concern is that the huge fire front would leap up ridges and devour thousands of trees killed by drought and bark beetle infestations.
Both fires were sparked by lightning, and a chance of thunderstorms over the weekend brought concern that new blazes might erupt in the parched stretches of the Mojave Desert and foothills, where temperatures this week have hit triple digits.
http://www.vvdailypress.com/2006/115290641742682.html
WILDFIRE MOVES SLOWLY, TURNS AWAY FROM SANTA CLARA CO.
07/14/06 12:00 PDT
Thousands of firefighters overnight pushed back a huge wildfire that had spread to Santa Clara County on Wednesday evening, containing the blaze to about three-quarters of a mile across the county line.
The fire has consumed 28,137 acres and destroyed 10 homes and one outbuilding but is no longer threatening any structures, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Henry DeKruyff said today.
The blaze, which started in the Del Puerto Canyon west of Patterson near the Frank Raines Regional Park in Stanislaus County on Sunday afternoon, is now moving south about four to six air miles from Henry Coe State Park, the largest state park in Northern California covering 87,000 square miles.
"Now it's looking pretty good on the Santa Clara side," CDF spokesman Chris Morgan said earlier today. "It hasn't reached into Henry Coe State Park at all. It probably won't -- but then again, if we have dramatic winds, all bets are off."
DeKruyff said the fire is moving more slowly and producing less smoke today. The current low wind speeds of 8 mph with gusts up to 16 mph help keep the fire away, he said, though the 20 percent humidity is "not good." Fire crews expect gusts in the canyon to pick up between 2 and 4 p.m. today, when DeKruyff said the forecast is indicating a hot wind pattern.
CDF hopes to have the blaze, now 45 percent contained, under control as of 11 p.m. Saturday, DeKruyff said.
Nine miles of fire lines were built in two days but bulldozers and hand crews still have another 16 double lines to set up to contain the flames, DeKruyff said.
The effort has cost $5.9 million and engaged 2,022 firefighters, four of whom have suffered minor injuries. No injuries to civilians have been reported, DeKruyff said, adding that so far only voluntary evacuations have taken place.
http://cbs5.com/localwire/localfsnews/bcn/2006/07/14/n/HeadlineNews/WILDFIRE-SLOWING/resources_bcn_html
No remember, no logging or road building.
We have to protect the varmits.
Montana fire:
Wildfires roar near Hardin
BECKY BOHRER Associated Press Writer
BILLINGS — Firefighters trying to control a massive wildfire north of Hardin expected little relief from the sweltering temperatures and swirling winds that have helped the fire make dangerous runs. The Pine Ridge fire was the biggest of at least two named blazes that by today had burned on an estimated 85,000 to 90,000 acres, information officer Paula Rosenthal said. That’s an area equivalent to nearly 140 square miles. The new estimate is much as three times the combined estimate of 30,000 acres released Thursday. She said the new figure is the result of both better information and of the rapid fire growth and erratic burning that caused firefighters to pull back from the lines Thursday. “Mother Nature is largely dictating what we can do on this fire,” Rosenthal said. A team trained to manage complex wildfires and emergency situations was set to assume management of the Pine Ridge fires, she said, and additional firefighters and equipment also were expected. Elsewhere in southern Montana, a wind-stirred fire near Ashland reportedly destroyed at least one house; crews planned to work on fire line on a 50,000-acre blaze north of Pompeys Pillar, and firefighters hoped to have contained by this evening a fire west of Columbus that officials say destroyed four buildings earlier this week. About 50 structures, including 20 houses, were considered threatened by another blaze, the Horton-Hay Creek fire, which was burning south of Hathaway, in eastern Montana, and estimated at 10,000 acres, said Erin Fryer, a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Land Management. The fire, which has burned in trees, sage and grass, grew from 500 acres to 8,000 acres Thursday, she said; it was considered 50 percent contained.
Winds Thursday helped push the Pine Ridge fire, which posed a potential threat to 152 structures, including 63 homes, Rosenthal said. She didn’t know how close the fire had come to any structures, but said this morning that there had been no reports of losses or damage. She didn’t know how close the fire was to Hardin, a small town about 50 miles east of Billings. Shaun Goldsberry, a Big Horn County undersheriff, said Thursday afternoon Hardin wasn’t at imminent risk. He said some rural residents were being told they may need to consider evacuating their homes, and “to keep a close eye on the fire.” A late-day posting on an incident information Web site on Thursday said the fire had come so near Hardin that an evacuation of about 1,000 residents was under way. Goldsberry said the report was untrue and it was quickly pulled from the site. Information officers said information for the posting came from the incident commander, though they didn’t know where the commander got it. A telephone message left for the sheriff or undersheriff was not immediately returned this morning. Information officer Dwayne Andrews said the winds will dictate which direction the fire may spread. Winds were calmer this morning for crews on the 50,000-acre Bundy Railroad fire, north of Pompeys Pillar, said Don Smurthwaite, a BLM spokesman. A special team assumed management of the blaze, and plans called for work constructing fire line. Firefighters had been pulled from the line for a while Thursday amid safety concerns, he said. About a dozen structures were considered threatened, some of which were homes, he said; Smurthwaite couldn’t provide more accurate figures.
Near Ashland, the Sage fire destroyed at least one house and a trailer, and prompted authorities to urge evacuation of the St. Labre area, said Bill Hedges, of the Rosebud County sheriff’s department, who said he aided the evacuation effort Thursday. The fire, just outside of Ashland, in southeast Montana, was estimated at 1,500 acres, Fryer said. She said she’d heard reports of “some structures” lost but could not immediately confirm those. She said the fire could kick up again this afternoon, under searing temperatures and low relative humidities. A separate fire, about 18 miles southeast of Ashland, was estimated at about 1,300 acres, with 10 percent containment, she said. It threatened six structures, she added. In south-central Montana, firefighters expected by day’s end to fully contain the 3,175-acre Saunders fire west of Columbus. Authorities on Thursday began to allow any evacuated residents to return to their houses, fire information officer Jack de Golia said. Officials reported a firefighter on the Saunders fire had been taken to a hospital Wednesday for dehydration. A wildfire near Billings burned on about 4,000 acres in a rural area with terrain that included prairie and gullies, Assistant Billings Fire Chief Paul Gerber said. It destroyed more than $60,000 worth of hay, he said. The Shane Ridge fire west of Joliet was considered 75 percent contained. The revised acreage — nearer 810 acres than the roughly 850 acres estimated earlier — likely was due to better mapping, de Golia said Thursday. The large Pine Ridge fire was among a group of wildfires, which fire officials estimated fell from 30 to 60 miles east of Billings. When a fire like the Pine Ridge blaze starts moving quickly, it essentially “preheats” grasses, trees or other fuels ahead of it, further drying them, Andrews said. “When the flames hit these fuels,” he said, “it’s explosive.”
http://www.havredailynews.com/articles/2006/07/14/local_headlines/state.txt
Sorry to hear re Pine Ridge ... Lakota country.
Bet it's the first fire of the season to break 100,000 acres...Montana is good country for that...
Yes, that's a big one. I didn't read carefully, was thinking of Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Did not know of a Pine Ridge in Montana.
I am not watching TV for reports of Sawtooth/Millard, so thanks for the reports here. It appears Sawtooth covered at least 10,000 more acres in the past 24 hours.
Montana Fire
Incident Contact: Dwayne Andrews (406) 593-2960
Incident: Pine Ridge Complex Wildland Fire
Released: 2006-07-14 10:55:00
The Pine Ridge Complex, once made up of as many as five seperate fires, now has two: Waco and Pine Ridge. Some of the smaller fires have burned together and/or into these two.
Firefighters are hoping today's weather forecast is realized as, while hot dry conditions will persist, the wind is not expected to be as erratic or gusty as it was the past several days. Such a break would enable firefighters to sieze opportunities to make progress suppressing the fire.
"As always, firefighter safety as well as public safety are our highest priority," said Paula Rosenthal, DNRC Fire Information Officer. "Whenever we can safely take suppression action on these fires, we do it. The windy conditions yesterday certainly didn't create any opportunities, but we are hoping for better progress today."
Fire managers put the total acreage of the Pine Ridge Complex at 85,000-90,000 acres, up considerable from the reported 17,000 acres just two days ago. The increase is attributed to two key factors: yesterday's rapid fire spread as a result of hot, dry, windy conditions, and also due to better mapping of the fire.
Plans today call for use of all available resources, including engines, water tenders, dozers, helicopters and air tankers, to continue suppression operations and structure protection measures. Additional resources arrived overnight to begin working on the Pine Ridge Complex, and total personnel assigned to the incident is estimated at 190.
http://inciweb.org/incident/news/article/282/542/
That's about right, 10,000 acres from Wednesday evening to thursday evening, according to the 209s... It's grown some since then of course, but today it hasn't been as crazy, which gives the firefighters a chance to get ahead.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.