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Firefighters are attacking a new fire in the Los Padres NF in California

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories WildfireTags ,

The Willow Fire has burned more than 700 acres

4:17 p.m. PDT June 18, 2021

Willow Fire map California
Map showing heat detected on the Willow Fire by satellites at 3:36 a.m. PDT June 18, 2021.

The Willow Fire was discovered Thursday at 8:10 p.m. in a remote area of the Ventana Wilderness in the Los Padres National Forest about a mile from Tassajara Hot Springs. Friday at 3 p.m. it was putting up a large column of smoke and had burned an estimated 750 acres.

The fire is 6 miles east of the Pacific Coast, 18 miles west of King City and Highway 101, and two miles north of the Dolan Fire that burned 124,000 acres in August and September of last year.

Willow Fire
Smoke from the Willow Fire as seen from Millers Ranch at 3:37 p.m. PDT June 18, 2021.

From the US Forest Service Friday afternoon:

“There are approximately 300 firefighters on the ground including five Type 1 Interagency Hotshot crews. Air support including fixed-wing air tankers and water-dropping helicopters are assisting crews. The fire is burning in steep, rugged, and brushy terrain accessible only by hiking in.

“The weather is hot and dry with temperatures hovering around 100 degrees with low humidity levels. Winds out of the southwest are 5-10 mph with gusts up to 20 mph. The Arroyo Seco Recreation Area is closed. Tassajara Road is closed from the Tassajara Zen Center to China Camp. Residents have been evacuated from Tassajara Zen Center to China Camp. Arroyo Seco Road is under an evacuation advisory to Carmel Valley Road.”

Willow Fire,
Willow Fire, June 18, 2021. USFS photo, looking west-southwest.

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Author: Bill Gabbert

After working full time in wildland fire for 33 years, he continues to learn, and strives to be a Student of Fire.

7 thoughts on “Firefighters are attacking a new fire in the Los Padres NF in California”

  1. Nasty piece of real estate. Glad I’m retired. Prayers for the safety of the young folks.jw

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  2. Sweet… we get slid into some infrastructure bill like we are some sort of side show. Mad respect out to our agencies and politicians to show respect. At least we didn’t get wrapped up in a bill to study why there’s a difference between how birds and human defecate differently.

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    1. First year firefighter on the Marble Cone; Arroyo Seco camp; Myron Lee Class 1 Fire Boss; I had the worse case of poison oak of my 32 year career.

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      1. Good to hear.
        I was Co-Plans Chief with Dave Nelson’s team at the north end of the fire where we got the authority to build a 7-blade cat line across the Wilderness to backfire from and stop that monster.

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        1. I was Co-Plans Chief with Ed Pulaski’s team on the Fires of 1910. We built an 8-blade wide cat line. No big deal.

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