California remains active

[NJFFSA16]

MOUNT BALDY VILLAGE, California (AP) - A wildfire burning near
this mountain hamlet was nearly surrounded, though high humidity
and rain made it difficult for firefighters to ignite necessary
backfires.
"The weather is controlling the fire right now," said Jon
Kohn, a Bureau of Land Management spokesman. The blaze was 80
percent contained Sunday night; full containment was expected by
Tuesday evening.
The 36,200-acre (14,480-hectare) fire still was less than 2
miles (3 kilometers) from Mount Baldy Village, but it was moving
slowly and no flames were visible from town.
The fire had burned 72 cabins and other buildings in the Angeles
National Forest and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

[NJFFSA16]

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Drought-parched California, which has lost
dozens of homes and nearly a half-million acres of wilderness so
far this fire season, could soon emerge from the ashes.
If recent cooler weather lingers, it could end the season next
month. But hot, gusting Santa Ana winds are more likely to prolong
it and increase danger - particularly in Southern California.
"If history repeats itself, we still are facing the worst,"
said Karen Terrill, a spokeswoman for the California Department of
Forestry.
"We're looking for at least another six weeks of fire season,"
predicted Rick Ochoa, fire weather program coordinator for the
National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
Experts say Californians should get used to the idea that
wildfires will be more frequent and dangerous in the future as
suburbs push ever farther into the foothills.
"There was a time 50 years ago when 100,000 acres could burn in
California and not lose a house," Terrill said. "Now it's hard to
see a 100-acre fire that doesn't threaten - if not take out - a
couple of homes."
The latest inferno, a 36,130-acre blaze that destroyed more than
70 cabins and other buildings in the Angeles National Forest,
continued to burn Sunday on the edge of suburban Los Angeles. The
Williams Fire was 80 percent contained.
The entire 650,000-acre forest northeast of Los Angeles, one of
the most heavily used national parks in the country, has been
closed indefinitely to avoid more fires.
In Northern California, a 3,127-acre blaze roaring through rural
neighborhoods along the Santa Cruz Mountains since Monday had
destroyed 31 homes. The fire was fully contained by 8 p.m.
Saturday, but would not be fully controlled for another two weeks,
CDF spokesman Bob Davis said Sunday.
Most wildfires are caused by humans, whether accidentally or on
purpose, Terrill said. In the 1940s, the state averaged 2,000
wildfires a year but over the past five years that number has
reached nearly 7,000 annually.
These days, wildland firefighters often run from house to house,
warning people as they knock down fences and navigate narrow,
winding roads.
Linda DeSalvio's home in San Dimas was threatened by the
Williams Fire until crews set backfires that raised 30-foot flames
to stop the main fire from creeping down the hillside into
backyards.
The mother of three children said the fire hasn't changed her
mind about living in the foothills, and she is confident that it's
safe, thanks to skilled firefighters, tile roofs and big back yards
to stop flames.
"I think it's a wonderful place to live," she said. "It's
very peaceful. We have the beautiful surroundings ... It's removed
enough that you don't have all the congestion of being in town but
it's close enough that you're accessible to everything."
She has only one complaint: "They want to build homes above
us."
So far this year, there have been more than 480,000 acres of
land lost in about 6,700 California wildfires, according to the
interagency fire center.
Earlier this year, the 62,000-acre Pines fire in San Diego
County destroyed 37 homes. Another 121,200 acres burned in the
Sequoia National Forest.
A 20,857-acre fire that began Sept. 1 in the Angeles National
Forest destroyed 73 structures, including 50 recreational cabins,
and injured 14 firefighters.
However, the number of fires on state and federal land has been
about normal compared to past years.
"The difference is that the fire conditions are a lot more
extreme and dangerous," said Kim Zagaris, fire and rescue chief
for the state Office of Emergency Services.
A drought has left brush tinder-dry. Much of Southern California
has seen a 150-year low for seasonal rainfall, according to the
center.
"You can go to a lumber yard and find wood that has more
moisture than some of the timber and brush that you have in
Southern California right now," Ochoa said.
Along with the drought, a devastating outbreak of sudden oak
death and a bark beetle infestation have turned tens of thousands
of trees into dead wood.
But this is not nearly the worst season on record, either in
acreage or homes lost. There were nearly 3,000 homes destroyed in
1991, most of them in the Oakland firestorm.
A record 13,476 wildfires destroyed 873,000 acres of brush and
timberland in 1987.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

[Engine101]

That little bit of rain we got helped crews on the Willams fire alot,They are expecting full containment by 10-10-02 by 6PM If the weather holds up maybe even sooner

[NJFFSA16]

That is GREAT news...let's hope they accomplish that, and also hope the weather prevents additional ignitions! Those Santa Ana winds are lurking.....

[NJFFSA16]

MOUNT BALDY VILLAGE, Calif. (AP) - With a 9-day-old wildfire
nearly under control, residents evacuated from this mountain
village began returning home Monday evening.
The Williams Canyon fire, which has scorched 36,530 acres and
destroyed 76 houses, cabins and other buildings, was 90 percent
contained Monday night, with full containment expected by 6 p.m.
Tuesday.
At one point the blaze extended some 15 miles through the
Angeles National Forest, threatening several foothill communities
30 to 45 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
The evacuation order for Mount Baldy Village, a rustic mountain
hamlet of 900 people, was lifted at 7 p.m., said U.S. Forest
Service information manager Gary Chase.
"We've had people tell us they loved us a lot today, and we're
not used to that," Chase said.
Firefighters said light rain, cooler temperatures and low winds
in recent days helped them surround the blaze, which so far has
cost $14.9 million to fight. Its cause remains under investigation.
About 1,300 firefighters remained on the lines. At the peak of
the fire last week, 3,500 firefighters worked to bring it under
control.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press

[Engine101]

It was another overcast day here and it was a bit cold tonight
Containment is now expected by tommarow evening

[Engine101]

100 % Contained
Size: 37,240 acres
Number of Incident Personnel: 598
Cause undetermined

[NJFFSA16]

MOUNT BALDY VILLAGE, Calif. (AP) - The largest wildfire in
Southern California this year, which charred more than 38,000 acres
and destroyed 76 houses, cabins and other buildings, has been fully
contained, officials said.
The Williams fire was 100 percent contained Tuesday night as the
number of firefighters had dwindled to 600 from a peak of 3,000,
said Angeles National Forest spokeswoman Kathy Peterson.
The blaze threatened several foothill communities 30 to 45 miles
northeast of Los Angeles. About 800 residents of Mount Baldy
Village who were evacuated last week were allowed to return to
their homes Monday night.
Lower temperatures, higher humidity and light rain helped
firefighters gain control of the fire before it could come within a
mile of the rustic hamlet.
Fire officials estimate suppression costs at $15 million, an
amount that will be shared by the federal government, state and Los
Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
The blaze began Sept. 22 and quickly spread to the Angeles
National Forest. Rugged terrain and triple-digit temperatures
worked against firefighters for more than a week. Officials also
closed the entire 650,000-acre forest to guests.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Los Angeles County assessor's office said that owners of
homes with damage of $10,000 or more might be eligible for some
property tax relief. County Assessor Rick Auerbach said that most
of the damaged homes appear to be on land leased from the federal
government, so such relief would not apply.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

Transient arrested for setting blaze ruled out in other fires
smgpvsew1
GLENDORA, Calif. (AP) - A transient arrested on suspicion of
starting a 5-acre brush fire has been ruled out as a suspect in
other fires he claimed he set, authorities said Sunday.
Danny Mendez, 46, was booked for investigation of arson Saturday
in connection with a fire in the south hills of Glendora, about 30
miles east of Los Angeles, said Glendora Police Sgt. Al Wadham.
Shortly after the fire was extinguished around 10:45 a.m.,
Mendez emerged from the brush and admitted setting the blaze and
others too, including last month's "Curve Fire" that scorched
18,700 acres and destroyed 72 buildings in the Angeles National
Forest outside Azusa, authorities said.
But after questioning by investigators, Mendez, who was jailed
in lieu of $50,000 bail, was ruled out as a suspect in the other
recent fires.
"We believe he is responsible for our fire yesterday," Wadham
said. "We have not established any connection between Mr. Mendez
and any fire other than our own."
Ed Gililland, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, said
investigators do not believe Mendez set the Curve Fire.
"Our law enforcement folks did question that man in Glendora
and it appears there is no connection between him and our
wildfires," Gililland said.
Firefighters, aided by helicopters and ground crews, quickly
extinguished the 5-acre brush fire in Glendora, Wadham said. No
injuries or property damage was reported.
Mendez is expected to be charged with arson Monday, Wadham said.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Facing the driest conditions in its recorded
history, the Cleveland National Forest will shut down indefinitely
Friday because of extreme fire danger.
"Fires this summer have burned with such intensity that they
are almost impossible to control," U.S. Forest Service supervisor
Anne Fege said Wednesday. "We must do everything possible to
prevent additional large fires in our forest."
Recreational use will be restricted to developed areas where
roads will give easy access during fire suppression. No campfires
will be allowed in any part of the forest. Remote camping also is
prohibited throughout the forest.
"We want to remind people to smoke only inside enclosed
vehicles, to be sure that all mechanical equipment has approved
spark arresters and to be careful when doing back yard barbecues,"
Fege said in a news release.
Hunting will be allowed in the Agua Tibia Wilderness and Indian
Flats.
The closure doesn't apply to private land within the forest,
which is north of the Mexican border and east of San Diego, or to
camps operating within the closure area.
Highways and roads will remain open for through traffic only.
Cleveland is the third major Southern California forest to be
closed in recent weeks because of fire danger.
The San Bernardino National Forest was closed last week because
of what officials called extreme fire conditions there. The vast
majority of the 671,686-acre forest east of Los Angeles was
expected to remain off-limits to the public for at least a month,
although the public may still visit towns within the forest.
The entire 650,000-acre Angeles National Forest just northeast
of Los Angeles was closed last month after a fire broke out there,
burning more than 38,000 acres and destroying more than 70
buildings.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[Engine101]

Firefighters get break
By Marshall Allen, Staff Writer


MONROVIA

A fire burned five acres in Monrovia Canyon Park Thursday morning, but it could have been much worse, Monrovia fire officials said.

The two-alarm fire started about 1:30 a.m. and 130 firefighters from several departments responded.

"Fires don't just develop in the middle of the night, especially with the moisture content we had in the area," Monrovia Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna said. "It looks like someone set it."

The weather favored the firefighters, but the fire fed on dry fuel and made a run on the steep terrain, DiGiovanna said. "Had this been a couple days ago, when temperatures were up, or during the Santa Ana winds, we'd be looking at a whole different ball game," DiGiovanna said.

A controlled burn seven years ago, and the fact that the departments have regular training exercises in the park, were also factors in controlling the fire, DiGiovanna said.

[Engine101]

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
200 PM PDT MON NOV 18 2002


...RED FLAG WARNING FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY DUE TO FOR STRONG
GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES ACROSS COASTAL...VALLEY AND MOUNTAIN
AREAS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES...ZONES 040...044...045
...046...047...088...053...AND 054.

DISCUSSION: HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER NEVADA WILL CAUSE WARM
AND GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS ACROSS VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES.
WINDS WILL BE NORTHEASTERLY 25 TO 35 MPH WITH LOCALLY STRONGER GUSTS
THROUGH PASSES AND CANYONS. HUMIDITIES WILL HOVER AROUND 10 TO 15
PERCENT ESPECIALLY IN THE PASSES AND CANYONS


This means Fire department's will most likely have increased staffing as well as increase patrol's in high fire area's

The Angeles National Forest has been reopended thanks to a good amount of rain that drenched California two weeks back

[NJFFSA16]

Santa Ana winds increase fire danger

(Riverside-AP) -- This week's warm temperatures and Santa Ana
winds have prompted Southern California fire officials to beef up
staffing and issue strong warnings about fire danger.
California forestry spokesman Bill Peters says the rains earlier
this month helped only for the short term, and now "we're
basically back to where we started."
Yesterday, C-D-F moved into a "special staffing pattern,"
bringing in three strike teams from central California.
A "Red Flag Warning" also was issued yesterday for both San
Bernardino County and western Riverside County. Fire officials say
that warning is based on wind, low humidity and low fuel moisture.
Winds in the Inland Empire are forecast to be 25 to 35 miles an
hour today, with gusts to 60 miles an hour below the passes and
canyons.
(The Press-Enterprise)

[NJFFSA16]

YORBA LINDA, Calif. (AP) - Firefighters gained Thursday on a
suspicious 476-acre blaze in brushy hills along the Orange-San
Bernardino county line.
The fire, which broke out Wednesday evening, was 80 percent
contained, with no structures damaged or lost. One firefighter was
treated overnight for heat exhaustion.
Santa Ana winds that had gusted up to 35 mph at times began to
fall off, helping 150 firefighters who were on the lines about 30
miles east of Los Angeles, said Garry Layman, a spokesman with the
Orange County Fire Authority.
The fire burned a quarter-mile from the closest homes, Layman
said. Several oil wells and houses under construction were also
close but a firebreak protected them.
The fire charred 408 acres of land in the Chino Hills State
Park, which was closed to visitors, park Superintendent Ron Krueper
said.
The fire was considered "incendiary or suspicious" but
investigators had not determined the specific cause, Layman said.
The blaze was spotted at the end of Wednesday's record-setting
heat in Southern California that had put fire agencies on alert.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Fierce Santa Ana winds raked Southern
California on Monday, toppling power lines, big-rigs and trees,
stirring up huge dust clouds and raising fire danger across the
region.
More than 40,000 Southern California Edison customers were
blacked out at times during the day, and some 8,400 were still
without power by night, the utility said. Three-hundred personnel
were working to restore service.
The winds flowing out of the interior and offshore were
unleashed by upper-level low pressure over southeast California in
combination with a strong high-pressure building over the Great
Basin, the National Weather Service said.
Powerful gusts were expected to remain a problem through Tuesday
night.
"Red Flag" warnings were issued because of the strong drying
effect that dramatically increased fire danger levels. Humidity
levels plunged to the teens and single digits by afternoon, the NWS
said.
State forestry and fire officials ordered special staffing in
the Riverside region east of Los Angeles.
The winds pushed well out to sea and forecasters warned that the
east-facing harbors and landings of the Channel Islands could be
affected by a significant wind-driven swell.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

Gusting winds spread fires in Sierra Nevada foothills

(Sonora-AP) -- Wind-driven wildfires are taxing firefighting
crews up and down the northern Sierra Nevada today - weeks after
the end of northern California's official fire season.
Problems in the Tahoe and Eldorado national forests and in
Calaveras County all began when high winds spread fires set by
Sierra Pacific Industries. The timber giant ignited the fires more
than two weeks ago to burn large piles of logging debris.
A thousand-acre fire is burning south of Highway 50, two miles
south of Riverton.
About 250 acres are burning mostly on Sierra Pacific land
northeast of Nevada City.
The largest of six Calaveras County fires is 30 acres near
Highway 4 near Dorrington.
No structures are reported threatened by any of the fires.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

CDF preparing for worst as winds head for San Diego County

(San Diego-AP) -- The California Department of Forestry is
putting resources in place in preparation for Santa Ana winds
expected to begin in San Diego County tonight (Sunday).
The C-D-F is bringing 15 people and five engines back on duty
tonight. Two dozers and four handcrews are also getting ready in
case things get out of hand.
Fire danger is expected to be very to extremely high with the
coming Santa Ana winds. Recent rains have helped dampen the ground,
but the water hasn't made its way into the heavier brush.
There's currently a ban on burning brush or incinerators in the
county.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) - A 1,200-acre wildfire stoked by fierce
Santa Ana winds threatened hundreds of homes Monday in the hills
overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
An estimated 250 homes were at risk, said Los Angeles County
Fire Department spokeswoman Maria Grycan. Two homes were damaged,
along with a car.
"Right now the wind is the most dangerous aspect of this,"
Grycan said as flames danced around homes, some protected by green
lawns, others by fire engines.
The cause was under investigation, but it is believed a downed
power line sparked the blaze, Inspector Mike Brown said.
It broke out at midmorning in the Trancas Canyon area near the
west end of 27-mile-long Malibu and quickly moved northwest at a
speed of more than 3 miles per hour, said Los Angeles County Fire
Capt. Brian Jordan. It was less than 10 percent contained by 7 p.m.
as it continued to jump from ridge to ridge, burning its way up the
coast.
A mandatory evacuation was ordered for Encinal Canyon and a
voluntary evacuation was urged for Decker Canyon, said sheriff's
Lt. Phil Abner.
About 100 people left their homes. They were directed to Malibu
High School, where the Red Cross had set up a shelter, and
evacuation points at two state beaches.
About 600 firefighters were at the scene, some rushing from as
far away as Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo
counties.
Tom Sprafke, 40, owner of one of the two Malibu homes damaged by
the blaze, said after rushing home from work he began clearing
brush surrounding his home with a chain saw.
He thanked firefighters for defending his home, then noticed
smoke poring through vents. Embers apparently flew in through a
dryer exhaust vent and sparked a blaze that burned the second and
third floors of the 3,200 square-foot house.
"Material things can be replaced, that's part of living in
Malibu," Sprafke said. "You have 365 beautiful days a year, this
is just one bad one."
Also burning Monday was a 150-acre fire in a rural area near
Norco, 45 miles east of Los Angeles. An estimated five homes were
damaged, said Joanne Evans, a Riverside County fire spokeswoman.
Jane Adams, 60, walked with her daughter along Pacific Coast
Highway on Monday night to retrieve her car from her Malibu home.
Adams said she and previous owners of her Malibu house rebuilt it
after fires in 1942, 1956 and in the 1970s.
"Malibu people are stupid, they rebuild," said Adams, who has
lived in Malibu for 27 years. "We do. We stick it out."
Adams said she and her daughter were walking back to protect the
house overnight from embers that could ignite a wooden deck.
"I think we're lucky this time, now the brush will be all
burned up. We'll have another 20 years," she said.
Maren Scaccia, 33, said she rushed home as soon as she heard
about the fire to check on her 90-year-old grandmother who was
visiting from Chicago. She was relieved to find her grandmother
safe and the house spared.
"They do a good job, these firemen," Scaccia said.
The dangerous Santa Anas typically blow between September and
February. In October and November 1993, the winds fanned fires that
charred thousands of acres, killed three and destroyed 1,000
buildings in Malibu, Altadena and Laguna Beach.
The blaze in the Trancas Canyon area was the third since the
northeasterly winds hit Southern California late Sunday. A 5-acre
blaze in Latigo Canyon and a 10-acre blaze in Corral Canyon, both
to the east of Trancas, were contained early Monday.
The two earlier fires caused no damage or injuries. The cause of
those fires remained under investigation.
The seasonal winds are formed by dry air rushing from the
western interior toward the coast, gaining speed and warmth as they
descend from the high desert. They are known as Santa Anas below
the mountains and passes of Southern California.
The National Weather Service warned they would last through
Tuesday morning, with sustained speeds from 25 mph to 45 mph and
gusts to 70 mph.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Santa Ana winds returned to parts of Southern
California on Wednesday, warming the region and raising fire
danger.
The temperature topped out at 80 degrees in downtown Los
Angeles, 12 degrees above normal and just 4 degrees below the
date's record. San Diego was 5 degrees above normal at 71.
Several days of fierce Santa Anas 1½ weeks ago extensively
damaged power poles, causing blackouts that affected nearly 1
million utility customers, and whipped brush fires among homes in
Malibu and in Norco, damaging several.
The winds were being produced by strong surface high pressure
building over the Great Basin, the National Weather Service said.
The offshore flow was expected to be moderate to strong.
A so-called Red Flag warning was issued for the Santa Ana
Mountains and foothills, and areas below passes and canyons in the
Riverside-San Bernardino area.
Winds reached speeds between 25 mph and 40 mph in the mountains
of Los Angeles and Ventura counties Wednesday afternoon,
accompanied by locally higher gusts.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)