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Lightning Ignites Hundreds of California Wildfires

SACRAMENTO, California, June 24, 2008 (ENS) - Hundreds of strike teams with fire engines and 4,300 firefighters from local agencies have been dispatched across northern and central California to do battle with more than 800 wildfires. Conditions of summer rain, wind and lightning along mountains and deserts over the last few days have caused hundreds of small fires and several larger blazes.

At least 57,940 acres have burned due to the Indians Fire in the Ventana Wilderness area of Los Padres National Forest in Monterey County. It is considered to be 66 percent contained. Two residences and 13 outbuildings have been destroyed, while 1,063 homes, 265 outbuildings and five commercial properties remain threatened. Nine firefighters have been injured as a result of this fire.

Although no evacuation orders have been issued at this time, a voluntary evacuation is in place for upper Pine Canyon and Arroyo Seco. An evacuation advisory is in place for lower Pine Canyon and Thompson Canyon.

Some 2,000 acres have burned due to the Gallery Fire, which began to burn on Saturday in the Big Sur area, causing imminent danger to a large number of residential and commercial properties and resulting in widespread evacuations.

On Friday, lightning strikes ignited a series of wildfires, known as the Lime Complex Fire, in Trinity County. This complex fire in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, five miles south of Hyampom, consists of more than 70 separate wildfires, ranging in size from one to 400 acres, which are driven by continuing dry conditions and wind.

The Lime Complex Fire has burned more than 4,000 acres. It is not yet contained, and the flames are threatening 1,200 residences and 300 outbuildings, as well as several youth camps, forcing evacuations.

In Shasta and Trinity counties, over 130 fires are burning on a total of 5,000 acres, threatening 13 communities. Eastbound Highway 299 may be affected by these fires.

The Basin Complex Fire is located near Big Sur in Monterey County. The fire is burning on 2,000 acres and is about 10 percent contained. At least 00 residences and 20 commercial properties in the Big Sur area are threatened.


Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, center, is briefed by
Del Walters, assistant regional chief, California Dept.
of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Photo courtesy Office
of the Governor)

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger traveled Monday to Lagoon Valley Regional Park in Fairfield, the base camp for the Wild Fire incident in Napa and Solano counties where he was briefed on the status of firefighting efforts statewide.

The governor Monday proclaimed a state of emergency in Monterey and Trinity counties as a result of the numerous wildfires.

On Saturday, the governor ordered the California National Guard to mobilize a total of six helicopters and one RC-26 remote sensing platform to assist in combating the wildfires in Northern California.

Five National Guard helicopters with water dropping capabilities were deployed today to support firefighting efforts; two from Nevada, two from Oregon and one from the California Guard.

These are in addition to the six National Guard helicopters, RC-26 imaging aircraft and two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems aircraft that were requested on Saturday and were moved into place in California earlier today.

Special Operational Area Satellite Information System, OASIS, trailers have been sent to the Indians Fire. OASIS trailers provide communication capabilities to emergency responders in remote parts of fire-damaged areas, where normal telephone and power sources have been disrupted.

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jun2008/2008-06-24-093.asp
Copyright 2008 Environment News Service