Heavy fuels and steep terrain set the scene for an intense battle of a wildfire that was named the Jerusalem Fire.
Fire crews were called to the Jerusalem Valley, near Middleton Calif., on Aug. 9. The fire quickly grew to a major emergency and critical rates of spread were observed at the onset of the fire.
Weather included temperatures in excess of 90 degrees with low relative humidity.
At one point, there were 2,214 personnel, 164 engine companies, 62 hand crews, 30 bulldozers, 21 water tenders, 15 helicopters, and four air tankers assigned to the fire.
