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SAN DIEGO UPDATE — more at the link

http://sosdfireblog.blogspot.com/2007_10_21_archive.html

Weather continuing to aid firefighters
Posted @ 11:15 AM

Improving weather conditions continue to aid firefighters around the county. Temperatures remain slightly above normal, but the winds are lighter and humidity levels are climbing.

Dense fog moved in and moistened the atmosphere in the coastal areas Friday morning, but the marine layer did not make into the inland valleys and mountains. Humidity levels in the mountains remained in the teens.

National Weather Service forecaster Noel Isla said wind speeds should be in the 5 to 15 mph range Friday and Saturday. The light winds are a big plus for the firefighters, but they won’t help the air quality, which is expected to remain poor for at least the next several days.

“There are no strong systems to stir it up or move it out,” Isla said. No rain is in the forecast for the next 10 days.

Coastal highs are expected to be in the mid 70s through the weekend. The inland valleys should hit the low 80s, and the mountains should be in the high 70s.

East winds are forecast to return Sunday and Monday, but the forecasters do not expect them to be strong. Gusts should not exceed 25 mph.

Palomar Observatory no longer threatened
Posted @ 10:58 AM

The Poomacha fire is no longer threatening any populated areas of Palomar Mountain, fire officials said Friday morning.

The fire is still active, but it is to the west of the historic Palomar Observatory in a rugged wilderness area that is inaccessible to firefighters.

Pat Bailey, an incident commander with Cal Fire, said the fire is burning into parts of the Pauma Indian Reservation and moving north toward the Agua Tibia wilderness area.

“We’re in the mop-up phase now on the mountain,” he said.

The fire also is moving slowly because there is virtually no wind on the mountain this morning.

Scott Kardel, a spokesman for the observatory, said firefighters may set up a base camp on the observatory grounds.

“We look pretty good right now. There are a lot of resources up here: many firefighters, bulldozers digging firebreaks,” he said.

The actual dome housing the 58-year-old 200-inch telescope is fairly immune to fire. It’s constructed of concrete and steel and actually serves as a refuge site in fire emergencies. Staff and residents at the observatory and nearby community, however, were evacuated Tuesday to other sites where facilities and provisions were better.