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US Forest Service firefighter dies during physical training

Bill GabbertJuly 10, 2017July 10, 2017UncategorizedCalifornia, lodd2 Comments

On July 8 a firefighter on the Six Rivers National Forest died during physical training activities, according to media articles and the Wildland Firefighter Foundation which reported that the Forest issued this press release.

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“Dear Six Rivers Family and Friends,

It saddens me to announce the untimely death of a William Jaros. William, Bill a firefighter with the forest service for over twelve years was with engine crew 312 assigned to the Gasquet/NRA Ranger District.

[Saturday June 8], Bill was on a conditioning hike with several crew members and became ill, then collapsed. Immediate life-saving efforts were initiated, however Bill was not able to be revived.

USFS LEI helped us inform Bill’s next of kin in a Georgia early today and so I’m sending this out immediately after the family is notified.

A Critical Incident Stress Management team was been requested and are in route to the Gasquet/NRA district to support all that would like to talk about this sudden and tragic loss of life.

In accordance with agency protocols, a serious incident team will be arriving on the Gasquet/NRA district to gather all information concerning the loss of our fallen Six Rivers Family member. I will personally be on the Gasquet/NRA Ranger district to assist in all aspects related to Bills passing.

As we get more information surrounding Bill’s sudden and untimely passing, I will provide you this information in a timely manner. It is my intention to have an all Forest Members VTC meeting on Monday to provide you with the latest information as it becomes available.

My heartfelt condolences goes out to all that have served with Bill. This is a difficult time for the forest, and together we will make it through.
My heart and prayers goes out to the family, friends and colleagues of Bill—it is a loss for us all.

Sincerely
Michael Green
Acting Forest Supervisor”

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Our sincere condolences go out to Mr. Jaros’s family, friends, and coworkers.

Update on the Alamo Fire east of Santa Maria, Calif.

Bill GabbertJuly 10, 2017UncategorizedAlamo Fire, California1 Comment

Above: Map of the Alamo Fire east of Santa Maria, California. The red line was the perimeter at about 10 p.m. PDT July 9. The white line was the perimeter about 22 hours earlier.

(Originally published at 9:11 a.m. PDT July 10, 2017)

On Sunday and Sunday night satellites did not find a great many large heat sources on the Alamo Fire east of Santa Maria, California. However they did detect a fair amount of heat on the south end and on the east side near the fire’s edge.

CAL FIRE is calling it 28,926 acres. Technically, that is an increase of about 5,000 acres over the previous 24 hours, but some of that could be due to more accurate mapping.

Portions of Highway 166 and Twitchel Canyon Road are closed. Mandatory evacuations are in effect for Tepusquet Canyon.

A sea breeze on Monday will moderate conditions to be more in favor of the firefighters. The prediction for the fire area is 80 degrees, a minimum relative humidity of 46 percent, and winds out of the west at 7 to 10 mph gusting up to 15.

Whittier Fire was very active Sunday, but was slowed overnight by high humidity

Bill GabbertJuly 10, 2017July 12, 2017UncategorizedCalifornia, Whittier Fire4 Comments

Above: Whittier Fire, looking west from Santa Ynez Peak at 5:53 a.m. PDT July 10, 2017.

(Originally published at 6:25 a.m. PDT July 10, 2017)

The Whittier Fire was very active all day Sunday and into the evening and as of 10:30 p.m. a mapping aircraft observed intense heat along most of the perimeter. The exception was the north side near Lake Cachuma and the lower slopes along San Marcos Pass Road.

Sunday night after midnight the relative humidity at Santa Ynez and Los Prietos climbed into the 60s and 70s and by dawn some of the cameras on Santa Ynez Peak captured what looked like either fog or smoked trapped in a valley inversion.

map Whittier Fire — Map of the Whittier Fire showing the perimeter acquired from an aircraft at 10:30 p.m. PDT July 9, 2017. Click to enlarge.

The Incident Management Team announced Monday morning the fire has burned 10,823 acres. Evacuations are still in effect and San Marcos Pass Road, Highway 154, is closed.

The weather forecast for the fire area on Monday is moderate by fire behavior standards. Temperatures on the north side of the fire near Lake Cachuma should be in the low 80s, the relative humidity in the low 40s, and a sea breeze will be southeast to southwest at 7 to 9 mph with gusts up to 14.

map Whittier Fire 3-D — 3-D map of the Whittier Fire showing the perimeter acquired from an aircraft at 10:30 p.m. PDT July 9, 2017.

All of the articles we have written about the fire are tagged “Whittier Fire” and can be found here, with the most recent at the top.

Whittier Fire as seen at Santa Ynez Peak

Bill GabbertJuly 9, 2017July 12, 2017UncategorizedCalifornia, Whittier Fire

Cameras on Santa Ynez Peak nine miles northwest of Goleta recorded these images Sunday between 10 a.m. and 2:21 p.m. PDT. As you can see the fire burned up to the peak which has many electronic sites, various radio repeaters, transmission towers, and cell phone facilities. The fire caused the commercial electricity to be interrupted at the site, but the tower these cameras are on and probably others are being powered by emergency generators.

The cameras are operated by the High Performance Wireless Research and Education Network (HPWREN), a University of California San Diego partnership project led by the San Diego Supercomputer Center and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics.

Whittier Fire Santa Ynez Peak — This camera was hit by fire retardant, which covered the lens.

All of the articles we have written about the fire are tagged “Whittier Fire” and can be found here, with the most recent at the top.

Whittier fire burns structures and forces evacuations northwest of Goleta, CA

Bill GabbertJuly 9, 2017July 12, 2017UncategorizedCalifornia, Whittier Fire26 Comments

Above: A camera on Santa Ynez Peak captured this image of the Whittier Fire at 11:11 a.m. PDT July 9, 2017.

(Originally published at 8:35 a.m. PDT July 9, 2017)
(Updated at 5:51 p.m. PDT July 9, 2017)

The Whittier Fire has been spreading very rapidly through very old, decadent, thick brush since it started at about 1:45 p.m. Saturday near Lake Cachuma six miles southeast of Santa Ynez in southern California.

Sunday morning’s National Situation Report said 20 structures have been destroyed, and the resources assigned include 7 hand crews, 32 engines, and 11 helicopters, for a total of 400 personnel. These numbers, probably assembled Saturday evening, may be a little behind the power curve for such as rapidly spreading wildfire.

Whittier Fire Santa Ynez — The Whittier Fire near near Lake Cachuma was photographed by a web camera on Santa Ynez Peak at 4:23 p.m. PDT a few hours after it started Saturday afternoon. Click to enlarge.

The Southern California Geographic Area Coordination Center reported Sunday morning that it had burned 7,800 acres.

The weather forecast for the fire area is not extreme, by fire weather standards. It predicts, depending on the elevation and the proximity to the coast, temperatures in the high 80’s to low 90’s, humidities in the low 30’s, and south to southwest winds of about 7 mph gusting to 11.

This is one of two wildfires burning in Santa Barbara County. The other is the Alamo Fire about four miles east of Santa Maria.

According to Inciweb late Saturday night, mandatory Evacuation Orders have been issued for:

Highway 154 from Armour Ranch Road on the west to Paradise Road on the east;
W. Camino Cielo from the Winchester Gun Club east to Highway 154;
Kinevan Road, and;
Farren Road

Hwy 154 is closed from State Route 246 to Foothill Road.

Mark Von Tillow’s Type 1 Incident Management Team has been dispatched and should arrive at the fire Sunday.

All of the articles we have written about the fire are tagged “Whittier Fire” and can be found here, with the most recent at the top.

Alamo Fire grows to 23,000 acres near Santa Maria, California

Bill GabbertJuly 9, 2017July 9, 2017UncategorizedAlamo Fire, California1 Comment

Above: 3-D map of the Alamo Fire as determined by a USFS mapping aircraft at 12:30 a.m. PDT July 9, 2017.

(Originally published at 6:35 a.m. PDT July 9, 2017)

The Alamo fire was very active again on Saturday, growing on the east, south, and west sides to within four miles of US Highway 101 and the city of Santa Maria. A mapping flight very early Sunday morning determined that it has burned 23,867 acres. It is possible some grassy areas in a previous fire on the west side burned in the afternoon and then cooled before the heat detectors on the aircraft passed over the fire after midnight early Sunday, so it could be a couple of thousand acres larger.

Evacuations have affected about 200 residences, but there have been no reports of structures being destroyed. CAL FIRE’s Type 1 Incident Management Team led by Brett Gouvea has assumed command of the fire.

Saturday night the resources assigned included 27 hand crews, 38 engines, 4 helicopters, and 613 personnel.

This is one of two wildfires burning in Santa Barbara County. The other is the Whittier Fire about five miles northwest of Goleta.