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Tag: Valley Fire

Firefighters attacking the Valley Fire north of Pine Valley, California

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories WildfireTags , 7 Comments on Firefighters attacking the Valley Fire north of Pine Valley, California

UPDATED at 2:27 p.m. PDT August 23, 2022

Firefighters have stopped the spread of the Valley Fire north of Pine Valley, California. It was not active overnight and is being held at 188 acres. Pine Creek Road is still closed and there never were any evacuations.

On Tuesday crews are working on constructing fire line along the perimeter.

The cause is under investigation.

Updated at 5:45 p.m. PDT August 22 2022

The cameras are showing very little smoke at the Valley Fire north of Pine Valley, CA. The latest size estimate is 127 acres. All air tankers have returned to their bases but a couple of helicopters and Air Attack are still on scene.

There is very little radio traffic, which reminds me of the old saying, “When the radio traffic stops, the fire goes out.”

UPDATED at 3:21 p.m. PDT August 22, 2022

Valley Fire map, 1:33 p.m. PDT Aug. 22, 2022
Valley Fire map, 1:33 p.m. PDT Aug. 22, 2022.

The Valley Fire north of Pine Valley, California was mapped by an aircraft at 1:33 p.m. August 22 at 120 acres. About an hour later the size was estimated at 175 to 200 acres.

It is burning on both sides of Pine Creek Road at the intersection of Deer Park Road near Noble Canyon two air miles north of Old Highway 80.

UPDATE at 2:53 p.m. PDT August 22, 2022

At 2:29 p.m. the Incident Commander on the Valley Fire reported that it had grown to 175 to 200 acres, with a moderate to rapid rate of spread.

Valley Fire
Valley Fire looking NNE from Los Pinos at 2:43 p.m.
Valley Fire
Valley Fire north of Pine Valley, CA, August 22, 2022. CAL FIRE photo.

No evacuations are in effect and it is spreading away from structures in the Pine Valley area.

UPDATE at 1:10 p.m. PDT August 22, 2022

Valley Fire, 1:10 p.m. PDT Aug. 22, 2022
Valley Fire, 1:10 p.m. PDT Aug. 22, 2022. ABC10.

Firefighters from the Cleveland National Forest and CAL FIRE are attacking the Valley Fire which was reported Monday at about 11:37 a.m. a few miles north of Pine Valley, California near Pine Creek Road and Noble Canyon.

At 1:36 p.m. the size was estimated at 120 acres with a moderate rate of spread.

Aircraft over the Valley Fire at 1:27 p.m. PDT Aug. 22, 2022.
Aircraft over the Valley Fire at 1:27 p.m. PDT Aug. 22, 2022.

In addition to numerous engines, aircraft dispatched include several helicopters plus approximately nine air tankers, one of which is a DC-10.

Valley Fire
Valley Fire looking NNE from Los Pinos at 1:19 p.m.

At 2:02 p.m. the weather at Cuyamaca Peak northwest of the fire was wind out of the west at 12 mph, 70 degrees, with 44 percent relative humidity. The fire is in the large valley that runs north from the community of Pine Valley, so until the fire spreads up onto higher slopes it may be partially sheltered from the 12 mph wind measured at the top of Cuyamaca Peak. Brush fires rarely spread rapidly when the humidity is above 40 percent, but the fuel moisture, depending on what it is during this drought, may also be a major factor.

The Valley Fire is about 36 air miles east of San Diego, north of Interstate 8.

Valley Fire east of San Diego spreads east across Lyons Valley Road

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories WildfireTags , 11 Comments on Valley Fire east of San Diego spreads east across Lyons Valley Road

About 8 miles east of El Cajon

Updated September 7, 2020  |  12:39 p.m. PDT

Map of the Valley Fire
Map of the Valley Fire at 9:19 p.m. PDT September 6, 2020. Perimeter provided by the incident management team.

The Valley Fire was very active Sunday especially on the east side where it spread across Lyons Valley Road. At 9:19 p.m. Sunday the head of the fire was four miles east of the road, it had skirted across the north end of Barrett Lake, and was four miles northwest of the dam at Lake Morena. Much of the growth of the blaze was in the Lawson Valley and Carveacre areas.

On Sunday firefighters held the spread to 408 acres, bringing the total to 10,258.  The military has been activated, adding an additional six helicopters to the fire suppression efforts.

The forecasted cooler and lighter winds Monday should provide a slight reduction of fire spread.  However, there are a lot of dead fuels that will continue to be receptive to fire spread. Santa Ana winds are expected to develop Tuesday and continue through Wednesday with gusts over 40 mph.

Evacuations are in effect. San Diego County has more information.

 Updated September 6, 2020  | 6:20 p.m. PDT

Valley Fire map
Map of the Valley Fire at 8:19 a.m. PDT September 6, 2020. The perimeter was supplied by the incident management team. The fire may have spread significantly on Sunday since it was mapped at 8:10 a.m.

The incident management team reported at 3:48 p.m. that the Valley Fire 8 miles east of El Cajon, California had burned 5,350 acres and was spreading dangerously. Structures are being threatened in the Carveacre, Lawson Valley, Wood Valley, Lyons Valley, and Deer Horn Valley areas.  There is an immediate threat to the Sunrise Power 500 KV power lines supplying a large portion of San Diego County.

There are reports that the fire is moving east or southeast, has crossed Lyons Valley Road, and is approaching Barrett Lake and the nearby Honor Camp. The most accurate fire-mapping satellite confirms this, detecting spot fires very close to the north end of Barrett Lake at 4:20 p.m. Sunday.

Firefighters are working against extreme fire behavior with wind driven runs and long range spotting. 10 Structures have been destroyed. California Incident Command Team 15 transitioned command at 7 a.m. Sunday.

Evacuations are in effect. San Diego County has more information.

Valley Fire
Valley fire, looking east from Lyons Peak at 5:22 p.m. PDT Sept. 6, 2020.
Valley Fire
Valley Fire looking northeast from Otay at 5:23 p.m. PDT Sept. 6, 2020.

Resources assigned include 2 hand crews, 49 fire engines, 4 dozers, 5 water tenders for a total of 355 personnel. In normal times a fire like this would have 15 to 25 hand crews. With only 2 hand crews, firefighters don’t stand much of a chance of stopping the fire unless the weather changes significantly.

Continue reading “Valley Fire east of San Diego spreads east across Lyons Valley Road”

Valley Fire — from one extreme to another

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 1 Comment on Valley Fire — from one extreme to another

Firefighters on the 1,000-acre Valley Fire on the San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California are experiencing unusual weather. Extreme heat was on the agenda Friday, and Saturday brought several thunderstorms through the area, resulting in some flooding and debris flows along Valley of The Falls Drive and Highway 38.

The Arrowhead Hotshots, the National Park Service crew that posted these photos on Twitter, wrote Saturday night about conditions on the fire:

From one extreme to the next. Hot, fire, thunderstorms, lots of rain, hail, flash flood.

Arrowhead hotshots Valley Fire weather

Arrowhead hotshots Valley Fire weather

The Incident Management Team reports that the fire is far from being out:

The higher elevations of the fire have not seen significant rainfall, and continue to burn. The fire is moving north and east, higher into the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area.

Southern California firefighters being tested by record heat and windy conditions

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , ,

On Saturday there is a slight chance of isolated dry lightning strikes across the eastern San Gabriel Mountains during Red Flag Warning conditions

Above: Photo taken from the back yard of the USFS District Office in Alpine, CA during the West Fire July 6, 2018. USFS photo.

(Originally published at 9:20 a.m. PDT July 7, 2018)

The predictions for record heat in Southern California were accurate Friday as high temperatures soared into the triple digits. In downtown Los Angeles the old record for the date was broken by 10:15 a.m. when it hit the previous mark set in 1992 of 94 degrees. By the end of the day it was 108. The temperature at UCLA reached 111 degrees, the hottest temperature ever recorded there.

Other record-setting daily temperatures Friday in Southern California:

  • 117 – Van Nuys Airport
  • 114 – Burbank Airport
  • 115 – Ramona
  • 118 – Riverside

Firefighters were challenged by not only the heat but dry winds as fires broke out in several areas.

As the temperature reached 109 degrees, U.S. Forest Service firefighters on the Cleveland National Forest found themselves in a structure defense mode at their District Office in Alpine, with the West Fire adjacent to the building’s back yard and the rest of the 400-acre blaze across the street. Live footage shot by a local TV station showed numerous structures were destroyed.

forest service district office fire
Photo taken from the front yard of the USFS District Office in Alpine, CA during the West Fire. USFS photo.

On the Santa Barbara coast sundowner winds pushed the Holiday Fire through the hills above Goleta, burning 10 to 20 homes according to fire authorities. Even into the night temperatures at the fire scene remained above 100 degrees.

holiday fire goleta
At the Holiday Fire, Santa Barbara County Fire Department firefighters apply water at a home off Fairview Avenue in Goleta. SBFD photo.

The Valley Fire that started Friday has burned at least 1,000 acres near Highway 38 on the San Bernardino National Forest. At last report it was headed into the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area. Mandatory evacuation are in effect for the Forest Falls Community east of the highway. Southern California Incident Management Team 2 will be assuming command.

Much of Southern California is again under a Red Flag Warning Saturday as the huge high pressure dome lingers over the area, bringing more of the same very high temperatures, 2 to 8 percent relative humidities, and gusty winds.

And just to make the situation more interesting, there is a slight chance of isolated dry lightning strikes across the eastern San Gabriel Mountains along with thunderstorm-driven winds.

map Red Flag Warnings, July 7, 2018
Red Flag Warnings, July 7, 2018.

Pawnee Fire in Lake County, California continues to spread east and south.

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , , 5 Comments on Pawnee Fire in Lake County, California continues to spread east and south.

Above: 3-D Map of the Pawnee Fire looking north at 10:43 p.m. PDT June 25, 2018. The shaded areas indicate where the fire was very active.

(Originally published at 8:52 a.m. PDT June 26, 2018
(UPDATED at 1:27 p.m. PDT June 26, 2018)

The Pawnee Fire in Lake County, California continued to spread actively south and east Monday. It has not spotted across Indian Valley Reservoir, but burned around the south end of it in a long finger that ran uphill for 2.5 miles and kept going when it crossed Bartlett Springs Road at the top of a ridge. Additional spread to the east beyond that point should be slower on the downhill slope to the valley below.

The Governor’s office has declared a state of emergency for Lake County. According to CAL FIRE the Pawnee Fire has destroyed 22 structures and 600 others remained threatened. Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for the entire Spring Valley community which is now virtually surrounded by blackened hills. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has more information about evacuations.

Monday afternoon CAL FIRE reported that the fire had burned 10,500 acres, and Tuesday morning updated it to 11,500 — which is a very conservative number.

The weather forecast for the rest of this week for the fire area does not predict any extreme fire weather, with highs around 90, wind less than 10 mph, and relative humidity in the teens or low 20s. However, these conditions will not cause the fire to lie down. Firefighters will still have their hands full.

During the previous three years residents of Lake County have been seriously threatened by three other fires, the Rocky and Valley Fires of 2015 and the Clayton Fire of 2016. It is possible that the Pawnee Fire could burn into the footprint of the Rocky Fire, slowing its spread to the southeast.

rocky fire valley fire clayton fire pawnee fire
Map of the perimeter of the Pawnee Fire at 10:43 p.m. PDT June 25, 2018. Also shown are the perimeters of the Rocky (2015), Valley (2015), and Clayton (2016) Fires.

Resources assigned to the fire include:

  • 110 Engines
  • 35 Hand crews
  • 15 Helicopters
  • 58 Dozers
  • 10 Water tenders
  • 1,422 personnel, total
Map perimeterPawnee Fire
Map of the perimeter of the Pawnee Fire at 10:43 p.m. PDT June 25, 2018. The shaded areas indicate where the fire was very active.

Clayton Fire burns more than 175 structures near Lower Lake, California

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , , 11 Comments on Clayton Fire burns more than 175 structures near Lower Lake, California

The fire is burning near the scars from three very large fires from 2015

(UPDATED at 7:35 p.m. PDT August 16, 2016)

The Clayton Fire grew by 67 acres on Monday, but it was on the northeast side near the footprint of last year’s Rocky Fire.  This brings the size of the burned area up to 3,945 acres.

****

(UPDATED at 8:40 p.m. PDT August 15, 2016)

CAL FIRE is now reporting that the size of the Clayton Fire at Lower Lake, California is estimated at 4,000 acres. There has been no change in the number of structures burned.

A man has been arrested for starting the Clayton Fire and numerous others. Below is an excerpt from an article in The San Francisco Chronicle:

County officials arrested a 40-year-old Clear Lake man Monday on 17 counts of arson related to numerous fires set over the last year, including the 4,000-acre Clayton Fire that has so far claimed 175 buildings and displaced hundreds of people.

Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin and Cal Fire Chief Ken Pimlott announced the arrest of Damin Pashilk at a community meeting packed with evacuees at a casino doubling as a Red Cross shelter south of the blaze. Residents gasped at the announcement.

“All 17 counts resulted from a very extensive investigation of numerous fire starts over the last year,” Pimlott said.

****

(UPDATED at 9:03 a.m. PDT August 15, 2016)

CAL FIRE public information officer Daniel Berlant reported at 9 a.m. on Monday that the Clayton Fire has burned approximately 175 structures.

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(UPDATED at 7:33 a.m. PDT August 15, 2016)

The Clayton Fire burned into the community of Lower Lake, California Sunday afternoon preceded by spot fires started from the burning embers the wind threw out ahead of the blaze igniting many homes and businesses.

At 6:45 a.m. on Monday CAL FIRE estimated that “100+” structures and 3,000 acres have burned.

The fire started Saturday and had died down Sunday morning, but strong erratic winds developed that pushed the fire very rapidly to the north into Lower Lake.

The fire occurred in an area that experienced three large fires in 2015, the Valley, Rocky, and Jerusalem Fires which together burned approximately 159,000 acres.

The Twitter images below are from Sunday afternoon.

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Originally published at 8:32 p.m. PDT August 14, 2016 Updated at 10:06 p.m. PDT August 14.).

CAL FIRE reports that as of 8 p.m. on Sunday the Clayton Fire has burned 10 structures, including at least 4 residences, near Lower Lake, California, just southeast of Clearlake and 31 air miles northeast of Santa Rosa.

Based on reports from other sources, the actual number of structures destroyed is likely to rise.

After the fire started at 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 13, it burned aggressively north, crossing Morgan Valley Road and Cache Creek, impacting the communities of Lower Lake and Clearlake. St. Helena Hospital in Clearlake has been evacuated. Additional structures are threatened and mandatory evacuations are in place.

Continue reading “Clayton Fire burns more than 175 structures near Lower Lake, California”