San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) is hoping to receive approval of their plan to turn off the electricity to large sections of San Diego County during periods of high fire danger. Some have complained that this is primarily a strategy that is less expensive than to harden their infrastructure against strong winds.
But they are taking a small step in the right direction, in that they are replacing some of their wooden power poles with steel poles. They already have about 700 steel poles and expect to replace 1,200 wooden poles in 2009. Ultimately they have plans to replace some poles in the communities of Alpine, Valley Center, Escondido, El Cajon, and Bonita.
That is the good news. The rest of the story is that they have 75,000 wooden poles in areas defined as “high” and “very high” fire risk by CalFire. At the current rate of replacement, all of those wooden poles would be replaced by 2071.
A Be-200 makes a demonstration drop, using the colors of the Russian (and U.S.) flag
A purpose-built, amphibious, Russian-made air tanker will be at Santa Maria, California on September 26 looking for work. Well, not looking for work right away exactly, since the Be-200 has not been approved by the FAA or the Interagency Air Tanker Board, both of which could be large hurdles to overcome. It is expected that the aircraft will do some demonstrations while it is at Santa Maria.
David Baskett, a Santa Maria businessman and founder of the now defunct Pacific Skyway airline, has been working with the Russian government to bring the plane to the U.S. Mr. Baskett envisions the air tanker, also known as Altair, replacing the aging air tankers presently being used that have an average age of 50.
A Be-200 air tanker, if I did the conversions correctly, can carry up to 3,000 gallons of water or retardant. It also can carry foam concentrate which can be mixed with the water in the tank. The amphibious plane has scoops on the bottom much like the amphibious CL-415 making it possible to skim across a body of water to refill its tank. The Be-200 can also land on a runway and refill with retardant.
The aircraft was designed specifically in the 1990s as an air tanker, one of the few large air tankers that can make that claim. It made its first flight in 2003.
Here is a 17-second video of the aircraft making a drop in Athens, Greece. The video was uploaded to YouTube in 2007.
(THE VIDEOS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE)
The 6.5-minute video below appears to be a promotional video about the plane. I want one.
This studly firefighter carries two hose packs on the Station fire. One on his back and one on his shoulder. No doubt he will soon roll down his sleeves and button his shirt. Photo: Al Seib, August 28, 2009.
We will update this information throughout the day on Saturday. See the MAP of the Station and Morris fires we posted earlier.
STATION FIRE, near La Canada-Flintridge. The fire has burned 5,500 20,102 acres and is 5% contained. Friday the fire was very active and exhibited extreme fire behavior with rapid rates of spread and flame lengths up to 80 feet. Mandatory evacuations are in effect.
There is potential for Saturday’s fire behavior to be similar to that of Friday with spotting up to 1/2 mile in front of the fire after the inversion lifts around noon.
The fire threatens mountain-top communications facilities, several communities, and major power lines. It is burning on extremely steep terrain with 40-year old 15 to 20 foot high brush.
MORRIS FIRE, near Azusa. This fire has burned 2,168 acres and is 85% 95% contained. They are beginning to wrap this one up and some resources are being released. Not much recent heat was detected by satellites in the map we posted earlier.
COTTONWOOD FIRE, eight miles east of Hemet. It has been mapped at 2,200 2,290 acres and is 10% 30% contained. On Friday the western flank was the most active. Not much recent heat was detected by satellites Saturday morning. Firefighters expect to open Highway 74 at 0800 Sunday morning. (See later posts for updated information and maps.)
BIG MEADOW FIRE, Yosemite National Park. This escaped prescribed fire has burned 2,644 3,511 acres and is 30%16% 50% contained according to the Southern California Geographic Area Coordination Center. The main access road for Yosemite is closed. There is the potential for Tioga road to close which is a main throughfare through the Sierras. Strong winds during the day and night have produced active fire behavior at all hours. Down canyon winds have been very strong the last few nights, with gusts to 20 mph. Johnson’s Type 2 incident management team transitioned out at 6 a.m. Saturday when McGowan’s Type 1 team assumed command.
UPDATE from the Park at about 1:30 p.m. PT, Aug. 29:
Yesterday, firefighters made good progress constructing and improving fire lines east of El Portal. Strong down canyon winds last night did not affect fire suppression efforts. Today, the highest priority continues to be strengthening and improving firelines east of El Portal and structure protection in Foresta. Firefighters are aided by eight water dropping helicopters and six air tankers. Control difficulties continue to be hot weather, low humidity, and steep terrain.
This map of the Big Meadow fire shows heat detected by satellites at 3:14 a.m. Saturday morning. The red areas depict the most recently detected heat.
Big Meadow fire, Yosemite National Park, 3:14 a.m. Aug. 29. GEOMAC
The Park has posted a list of frequently asked questions about the fire HERE, including, why ignite the fire in August, what went wrong, and will someone be held accountable.
Here is an updated map of the Station and Morris fires, showing heat detected by satellites at 3:14 a.m. PT August 29. We will post more information about the fires later this morning.
Laura asked if the smoke she was seeing in Carson City, NV is from the Big Meadow fire in Yosemite. Carson City is east of Lake Tahoe and south of Reno.
Yes, according to the map below. The smoke from the Big Meadow fire is going straight north to Lake Tahoe, Carson City, and Reno.
It looks like the folks in northern Idaho, Missoula, British Columbia, and Alberta have some air quality issues as well.
Yosemite National Park’s escaped prescribed fire, the Big Meadow fire,
…got out of control when one cedar tree took off and cast embers into a lot of dry fuel,” spokesman Gary Wuchner said. “Then the winds changed direction, to the west, and the fire crossed Big Oak Flat and Foresta roads.”
The Big Meadow fire as seen from the Wawona road tunnel, Thursday afternoon. Photo: Maggie Beck
The park says the fire has now burned 2,244 acres, up from the 2,200 reported yesterday.
From the Union Democrat:
On Thursday, turnouts along Wawona Road were jammed with tourists observing the fire’s rapid spread across the stumpy forest and the vibrant cloud of smoke hovering over it.
“It’s exciting but sad,” said Laurie Larson, of San Pedro. “You don’t want to see a controlled burn get out of control.”
Sharon Griffiths, visiting from Reading, Pa., was atop Half Dome watching the prescribed burn begin to get out of control on Wednesday.
“You could see the smoke beginning to really come off the fire,” she said.
Resources from across the state have shifted to the blaze as quickly as it has grown. As of Thursday, 500 firefighters, three helicopters, four air tankers and 24 fire engines were fighting the flames.
Included in the personnel is an interagency team headed by Stanislaus National Forest Division Chief Alan Johnson. Forest Service Hotshot crews from all over the state are fighting the blaze.
On Thursday, air tankers were disappearing into the cloud of smoke to make fire-retardant drops on the fire. Simultaneously, helicopters, sucking water from the Merced River near El Portal, made water drops on the perimeter of the fire. Dozers cut fire lines along the fire’s southern edge.
The smoke seemed to be blowing away from Yosemite Valley, which was relatively clear considering the growing blaze bordering it. Late in the day, along El Portal Road just outside of the valley, the landscape had a golden hue from the blanketing smoke.
Wuchner said, unfortunately, hindsight is not a tool the fire crews can use to douse the flames.
“We are trying to take advantage of not having very many fires in the state,” he said of the large force congregating to extinguish the fire.
Mymotherload.com put together some time-lapse images of the fire:
