Posted on 09/02/2002 7:35:13 AM PDT by madfly
SAN DIEGO - A 19-year-old firefighter with the California Conservation Corps has been charged with starting five fires that destroyed two homes and prompted 200 people to evacuate their neighborhoods.
Jonathan Patrick Klausen, a firefighter specialist with the corps, which enlists young people to fight fires and perform other environmental work, was arrested Tuesday night on five counts of arson.
He was being held Wednesday on $250,000 bond.
The fires were set early Tuesday near Julian, a town about 40 miles northeast of San Diego that had fought off a 62,000-acre wildfire less than a month ago.
The largest arson-caused fire, which was fully contained but still burning Wednesday, charred 275 acres and destroyed two homes and five other structures. The other fires were contained Tuesday.
Local residents had seen someone acting suspiciously in the area before the fires, according to the California Department of Forestry.
boy howdy, there's two pursuits that go hand in hand these days.
boy howdy, there's two pursuits that go hand in hand these days.
Yes. Conservation Cultists after the minds of our youth. And I thought Scientology was bad.
Monday, September 2, 2002 0930 EDT
Nationally, 159 new fires were reported. Six new large fires (a fire greater than 500 acres in size) were reported, four in California, one in Arizona and one in Montana. Two were contained, one in Arizona and one in Idaho*. Very high to extreme fire danger was reported in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
* Containment indicates a non-burnable trail was constructed around the entire perimeter of the fire.
Fireline Headlines
Yesterday, approximately 16,700 people were supporting firefighting efforts on 18 wildland fires exceeding 500 acres in size. Currently there are three fires listed in this report that are being managed for resource benefits by fire use teams.
This report is based on the daily Incident Management Situation Report released at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise Idaho. All wildland fires in forested areas greater than 100 acres and in grassland areas greater than 300 acres are reported in the NIFC Situation Report. For the ease of our readers, this Morning Report only includes wildland fires greater than 500 acres. These are generally the fires that threaten homes, businesses, public and private property, and areas of special interest to our readers.
Fire Activity |
Yesterday |
Year to Date |
2000 yr to Date |
10 yr Average to Date |
Number of Fires |
159 |
62,747 |
------ |
63,861 |
Acres Burned |
15,771 |
6,343,656 |
6,482,016 |
3,208,130 |
All figures from NIFC websites www.nifc.gov/ and www.cidi.org/wildfire/
Crews (20 persons) |
Engines (5 persons) |
Helicopters (7 persons) |
Airtankers (2 persons) |
Overhead |
Total Personnel |
444 |
706 |
134 |
30 |
3,295 |
16,673 |
Regional Large Fires (500 acres or greater) are summarized below; for more detailed information on any specific fire, visit: http://www.nifc.gov
Southern California http://www.fire.r5.fs.fed.us/sops.htm
The Curve Fire, 30 miles north of Azusa is a plume-dominated fire exhibiting extreme fire behavior with flame lengths to 100 feet in mixed conifer forest and heavy brush. The fire is burning in steep, rugged terrain, with limited access, driven by gusty winds and high temperatures. Structure protection is in place for 200 residences. Campers have been evacuated and two residences were confirmed lost. Active fire behavior was observed from the Freeway Fire, nine miles northwest of Santa Clarita. The fire spotted across containment lines on several occasions. One hundred residences are threatened and structure protection is in place. Interstate 5 was closed for a brief period yesterday, but it is now open. The Lytle Fire, 12 miles north of Rancho Cucamonga experienced moderate fire behavior in grass, brush, and timber. Progress on the fire was limited due to the discovery of a possible explosive device. The Mt. Baldy Ski Area is threatened.
Incident Name |
State |
*Lead Agency |
Size (acres) |
Percent Contained |
Estimate of Containment |
Personnel |
Structures Lost |
Curve |
CA |
FS |
10,000 |
0 |
9/10 |
628 |
2 |
Freeway |
CA |
LAC |
800 |
40 |
9/2 |
450 |
0 |
Lytle |
CA |
FS |
554 |
46 |
9/6 |
750 |
0 |
LAC---Los Angeles County
Northwest Area Oregon, Washington http://www.or.blm.gov/nwcc
Oregon: The Biscuit Fire is located 26 miles southwest of Grants Pass in the Siskiyou and Six Rivers National Forests. Moderate fire behavior was observed along the northwest flank and west flanks. Crews are constructing firelines in the Mislantah Creek drainage and they successfully suppressed a slopover on the west perimeter. Structure protection remains in place. Firefighters are experiencing moderate fire behavior in heavy timber from the Apple Fire, 21 miles east of Glide. Crews are burning out, and mopping up. Structure protection remains in place for twenty residences. The Tiller Complex Fire, 25 miles east of Canyonville, consists of eight large and numerous small fires. The complex saw low fire intensity in grass, brush, and timber. Crews are patrolling and mopping up.
Washington: The Quartz Mt. Complex Fire, northwest of Winthrop, is burning within the Pasayten Wilderness and is being managed for resource benefits in a monitor status. Moderate to low intensity fire behavior was observed in lodgepole pine and subalpine fir on the Quartz Mountain and Middle Mountain fires. Three administrative sites are being protected.
Incident Name |
State |
*Lead Agency |
Size (acres) |
Percent Contained |
Estimate of Containment |
Personnel |
Structures Lost |
Biscuit |
OR |
FS |
499,937 |
92 |
9/6 |
2,897 |
13 |
Tiller Complex |
OR |
FS |
69,252 |
95 |
9/2 |
1,166 |
0 |
Apple |
OR |
FS |
13,130 |
75 |
9/5 |
1,251 |
0 |
Quartz Mt. Complex |
WA |
FS |
1,390 |
0 |
Unknown |
25 |
0 |
Southwest Area Arizona and New Mexico http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/fire:
Arizona: The Trick Fire, 17 miles southwest of Williams, has been contained. The Pack Rat Fire Complex, eight miles east of Pine, saw low intensity fire behavior in ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, and chaparral. Burn out operations were successfully completed. Crews are mopping up, patrolling, and rehabilitating fireline.
Incident Name |
State |
*Lead Agency |
Size (acres) |
Percent Contained |
Estimate of Containment |
Personnel |
Structures Lost |
Trick |
AZ |
FS |
5,550 |
100 |
--- |
193 |
0 |
Pack Rat |
AZ |
FS |
3,470 |
90 |
9/2 |
532 |
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