Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Trench Rescue Training - Shoring
A combination of wood and higher tech struts.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
New portable tank gets a work out
Loma Prieta Fire received the first of several portable tanks this week. The Summit and subsequent fires showed that rather than employing a strategy of just one portable tank for the watertender that multiple tanks could be very useful.
This tank will self "inflate" to 1000 gallons and extends our CAFS unit water supply by three times its onboard tank
Rapid filling from the rear of Engine 3621.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Pump Ops / Water Supply Training
Water tender 3651 uses its volume dump chute to rapidly drain its 2250 gallons into our 2500 gallon portable tank.
In order to draft all connections must be air tight. Eng. Kevin Epperly instructs on the finer details of drafting.
Fire fighters train at drafting using multiple hoses and inlets
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Friday, July 18, 2008
Silver Incident - Fire near Almaden Reservoir
Cal Fire's 1768 of Burrell has just been dispatched to a fire in the vicinity of Almaden Reservoir. The exact location is unknown by this poster. A link of a map to the area is available here.
There is no information regarding the size, behavior or fuel types concerning the fire. It is possible that smoke may be visible against the Santa Cruz Mountains near Mt. Umunhum.
More information to follow as it becomes available.
Listen to the initial dispatch
There is no information regarding the size, behavior or fuel types concerning the fire. It is possible that smoke may be visible against the Santa Cruz Mountains near Mt. Umunhum.
More information to follow as it becomes available.
Listen to the initial dispatch
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Castle Fire - Sentinel Article
Castle Fire contained, cause unknown
Jennifer Squires - Sentinel Staff Writer
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Article Launched:07/17/2008 01:31:51 AM PDT
Fire crews contained the Castle Fire on Wednesday, but Cal Fire officials said firefighters will remain in Castle Rock State Park for several days to douse smoldering areas.
The fire consumed 18 acres in a densely wooded, remote area in the center of the 5,200-acre park off Skyline Boulevard.
The terrain and vegetation in the area has been a challenge to fire crews, and the fire was fought largely with air tankers during the first 20 hours it burned.
Cal Fire spokeswoman Angela Bernhesel said it will take several days for firefighters to control the blaze, which is burning in the San Lorenzo Headwaters Natural Preserve below Goat Rock.
"It's just still a lot of hot spots on the ground," Bernhesel said via cell phone as she hiked into the fire. "There's a lot of snags that are burning close to the [fire] line."
The fire was reported around 4:15 p.m. Monday, but it took firefighters about 12 hours to hike to the blaze, according to Cal Fire. The crews had to cut fire line as they went because the natural preserve has few trails.
No homes were threatened. No evacuations or road closures were ordered, but State Parks rangers asked that people not use the upper areas of Castle Rock State Park while fire crews are working.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The fire broke out in an oak and manzanita forest near the area where sheriff's deputies and state drug agents eradicated more than 11,000 marijuana plants from three separate gardens last week. There are no power lines or hiking trails in that part of the park, and there was no lightning the day the fire started.
"I think it's going to be real difficult to get anything [about the cause] just because of the terrain and the burn itself," Bernhesel said.
Firefighters spent most of Tuesday laying 6,000 feet of hose from the McDonald Gulch area up the hill to the flames, and finally pumped water to the fire Tuesday afternoon.
Helicopters shuttled firefighters into the blaze on Tuesday, but on Wednesday, fire crews had to hike about an hour to reach the bottom of the fire. There were about 100 fire personnel, including a strike team from New Mexico, assigned to the blaze.
"They're having trouble getting enough water. It's so steep out here -- practically vertical," said Bernhesel, adding that some firefighters were carrying backpack pumps so they could get adequate water to the flames.
Two air tankers, two helicopters equipped with buckets and a tactical plane were battling the blaze Wednesday morning, then put on stand-by in case they were needed again, Bernhesel said.
The Castle Fire is the smallest of four named wildfires that have burned in Santa Cruz County this summer. The Summit Fire blackened 4,270 acres above Corralitos in the Santa Cruz Mountains in late May. In June the Martin Fire burned 520 acres in Bonny Doon and the Trabing Fire charred 630 acres in Larkin Valley, north of Watsonville.
Jennifer Squires - Sentinel Staff Writer
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Article Launched:07/17/2008 01:31:51 AM PDT
Fire crews contained the Castle Fire on Wednesday, but Cal Fire officials said firefighters will remain in Castle Rock State Park for several days to douse smoldering areas.
The fire consumed 18 acres in a densely wooded, remote area in the center of the 5,200-acre park off Skyline Boulevard.
The terrain and vegetation in the area has been a challenge to fire crews, and the fire was fought largely with air tankers during the first 20 hours it burned.
Cal Fire spokeswoman Angela Bernhesel said it will take several days for firefighters to control the blaze, which is burning in the San Lorenzo Headwaters Natural Preserve below Goat Rock.
"It's just still a lot of hot spots on the ground," Bernhesel said via cell phone as she hiked into the fire. "There's a lot of snags that are burning close to the [fire] line."
The fire was reported around 4:15 p.m. Monday, but it took firefighters about 12 hours to hike to the blaze, according to Cal Fire. The crews had to cut fire line as they went because the natural preserve has few trails.
No homes were threatened. No evacuations or road closures were ordered, but State Parks rangers asked that people not use the upper areas of Castle Rock State Park while fire crews are working.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The fire broke out in an oak and manzanita forest near the area where sheriff's deputies and state drug agents eradicated more than 11,000 marijuana plants from three separate gardens last week. There are no power lines or hiking trails in that part of the park, and there was no lightning the day the fire started.
"I think it's going to be real difficult to get anything [about the cause] just because of the terrain and the burn itself," Bernhesel said.
Firefighters spent most of Tuesday laying 6,000 feet of hose from the McDonald Gulch area up the hill to the flames, and finally pumped water to the fire Tuesday afternoon.
Helicopters shuttled firefighters into the blaze on Tuesday, but on Wednesday, fire crews had to hike about an hour to reach the bottom of the fire. There were about 100 fire personnel, including a strike team from New Mexico, assigned to the blaze.
"They're having trouble getting enough water. It's so steep out here -- practically vertical," said Bernhesel, adding that some firefighters were carrying backpack pumps so they could get adequate water to the flames.
Two air tankers, two helicopters equipped with buckets and a tactical plane were battling the blaze Wednesday morning, then put on stand-by in case they were needed again, Bernhesel said.
The Castle Fire is the smallest of four named wildfires that have burned in Santa Cruz County this summer. The Summit Fire blackened 4,270 acres above Corralitos in the Santa Cruz Mountains in late May. In June the Martin Fire burned 520 acres in Bonny Doon and the Trabing Fire charred 630 acres in Larkin Valley, north of Watsonville.
Register your water tanks in case of fire.
Loma Prieta Fire is kicking off an effort to catalog all the water sources on the hill. These include water systems, tanks, pools and ponds. We are looking for information regarding capacity, recovery, location and special instructions.
Please help out by filling out the water sources form on the Loma Prieta Website.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Castle Fire - At the turnaround up above the trail head
Ben Lomond 1 (BEN1) crew bus driven and commanded by Captain William Finch of Cal Fire
Water tender 3651 in the foreground, a New Mexico type 6 strike team gathers up to head out for the day.
New Mexico type 6 strike team gathers up to head out for the day.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Castle Fire - McDonald Ridge
The road on top of McDonald Ridge before heading down into Mcdonald Gulch
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Castle Fire - McDonald Gulch Trail Head
Burrell's E1768 and Loma Prieta's WT3651 team up to pump Division Xray.
1.5 inch wildland hose begins its 6000+ foot journey into the woods in search of the heel of the fire.
New Mexico Firefighter at the anchor point of a 6000+ foot hose lay just to the heel of the fire. The Water tender pumped at 280 psi to try and over come the elevation. With constant bursting hoses success was measured in small increments.
Crews on the fire had to scramble hand over hand straight up the hillsides in an almost vertical environment.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Castle Fire - Water Supply
First crack at a water supply solution. Using a 1000 gallon tank from Mid Pen Open Space we set up a small Honda port-a-pump to capture creek water for their 1800 gallon tender. It shuttled water to 3651 at the McDonald Gulch anchor point.
We later expanded the water supply to include our 2500 gallon port-a-tank and two additional pumps, a large trash pump to fill the tender and two small ones to fill the tank. A firefighter was stationed at this location to tend the equipment.
Ironically, although we were in the middle of nowhere we had to cut through a Buddhist Institute to get to the water supply.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Castle Fire - View of the Fire
This is about as close as we were able to get with vehicles. The hose lay stretched from the bottom of this ridge to the heel of the fire.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Castle Fire - Staging Hwy 9 and 35
A SoCal type 3 strike team, MOS WT1 (Mid Pen Open Space) and Loma Prieta WT3651 stage at Highway 9 and 35 during the morning briefing.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Castle Fire - Morning Briefing
Morning Briefing "gather round" the BCs tailgate. A quickly prepared IAP done over night and Park Service maps are distributed. Assignments are issued and crews depart.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Monday, July 14, 2008
Small Wildland Fire Southwest of Castle Rock State Park
There is a small wildland fire burning in very rugged terrain to the Southwest of Castle Rock State Park. Cal Fire, Santa Cruz County Fire and Boulder Creek Fire units are engaged with both ground and air resources. Please see the map below:
Castle Fire
Castle Fire
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Self Register your Cell phone with the Santa Cruz County Consolidated Emergency Communications Center
It takes only a few seconds to self-register your cell phone number with the Santa Cruz County Consolidated Emergency Communications Center. All a person needs to do is go to the center’s Web site, www.sccecc.org, click on the main link and follow a few quick instructions. Information needed is the person’s address, cell phone number and cell phone service provider. Currently, and unfortunately, the online registration only works with a microsoft browser.
See the article in the Register-Pajaronian
See the article in the Register-Pajaronian
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Last night's car fire, this morning
Note the melted glass, an indication of the heat. The vehicle was fully involved when the first unit arrived at the scene. There was minimal extension to the wildland. Loma Prieta Fire was able to contain the fire within minutes of arrival.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Vehicle fire on Summit at Old San Jose/Soquel
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Just a little closer to the vegetation and this could have been very serious. The pictures are a little tough to see, its a 2007 Subaru Forester. 30 minutes of audio for this incident is available below:
Audio for Incident # 6387
Your browser may prefer that you save the file prior to playback
.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Fire Weather
CAZ507-511-512-062300-
NORTH BAY MOUNTAINS-EAST BAY HILLS AND THE DIABLO RANGE-
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS-
700 AM PDT SUN JUL 6 2008
...WARM AND DRY THIS WEEK WITH POOR NIGHTTIME HUMIDITY RECOVERIES...
...POSSIBLE BREEZY CONDITIONS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...
.TODAY...
SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....83-96.
24 HR TREND......3-6 DEGREES WARMER.
MIN HUMIDITY........15-30%.
24 HR TREND......10% DRIER.
20-FOOT WINDS.......
VALLEYS/SLOPE....UPVALLEY/UPDSLOPE 3 TO 7 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.
RIDGE TOPS.......NORTH 5 TO 10 MPH...BECOMING NORTHWEST IN THE
AFTERNOON.
CWR (>0.10).........0%.
LAL.................1.
MARINE LAYER........1200 FT ASL.
.TONIGHT...
SKY/WEATHER.........CLEAR.
MIN TEMPERATURE.....61-73.
24 HR TREND......3-7 DEG WARMER.
MAX HUMIDITY........30-70%.
24 HR TREND......5-15% DRIER.
20-FOOT WINDS.......
VALLEYS/SLOPE....EVENING UPVALLEY/UPSLOPE 3 TO 7 MPH.
RIDGE TOPS.......NORTHWEST 5 TO 15 MPH...BECOMING LIGHT.
CWR (>0.10).........0%.
LAL.................1.
MARINE LAYER........NONE.
.MONDAY...
SKY/WEATHER.........SUNNY.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....89-102.
MIN HUMIDITY........12-25%.
20-FOOT WINDS.......
VALLEYS/SLOPE....UPVALLEY/UPSLOPE 3 TO 7 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.
RIDGE TOPS.......LIGHT WINDS.
CWR (>0.10).........0%.
LAL.................1.
.EXTENDED...
.TUESDAY...SUNNY. LIGHT WINDS. HIGHS IN THE 90S TO 105. LOWS IN THE
MID 60S TO NEAR 80.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...CLEAR. NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS 7 TO
15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH OVER HIGHER RIDGES. LOWS IN THE UPPER
60S TO LOWER 80S. HIGHS 90S TO 107.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY...MOSTLY CLEAR. WEST TO NORTHWEST
WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH. LOWS IN THE MID 60S TO NEAR 80. HIGHS 90S TO
106.
NORTH BAY MOUNTAINS-EAST BAY HILLS AND THE DIABLO RANGE-
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS-
700 AM PDT SUN JUL 6 2008
...WARM AND DRY THIS WEEK WITH POOR NIGHTTIME HUMIDITY RECOVERIES...
...POSSIBLE BREEZY CONDITIONS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...
.TODAY...
SKY/WEATHER.........MOSTLY SUNNY.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....83-96.
24 HR TREND......3-6 DEGREES WARMER.
MIN HUMIDITY........15-30%.
24 HR TREND......10% DRIER.
20-FOOT WINDS.......
VALLEYS/SLOPE....UPVALLEY/UPDSLOPE 3 TO 7 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.
RIDGE TOPS.......NORTH 5 TO 10 MPH...BECOMING NORTHWEST IN THE
AFTERNOON.
CWR (>0.10).........0%.
LAL.................1.
MARINE LAYER........1200 FT ASL.
.TONIGHT...
SKY/WEATHER.........CLEAR.
MIN TEMPERATURE.....61-73.
24 HR TREND......3-7 DEG WARMER.
MAX HUMIDITY........30-70%.
24 HR TREND......5-15% DRIER.
20-FOOT WINDS.......
VALLEYS/SLOPE....EVENING UPVALLEY/UPSLOPE 3 TO 7 MPH.
RIDGE TOPS.......NORTHWEST 5 TO 15 MPH...BECOMING LIGHT.
CWR (>0.10).........0%.
LAL.................1.
MARINE LAYER........NONE.
.MONDAY...
SKY/WEATHER.........SUNNY.
MAX TEMPERATURE.....89-102.
MIN HUMIDITY........12-25%.
20-FOOT WINDS.......
VALLEYS/SLOPE....UPVALLEY/UPSLOPE 3 TO 7 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.
RIDGE TOPS.......LIGHT WINDS.
CWR (>0.10).........0%.
LAL.................1.
.EXTENDED...
.TUESDAY...SUNNY. LIGHT WINDS. HIGHS IN THE 90S TO 105. LOWS IN THE
MID 60S TO NEAR 80.
.TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...CLEAR. NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS 7 TO
15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH OVER HIGHER RIDGES. LOWS IN THE UPPER
60S TO LOWER 80S. HIGHS 90S TO 107.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY...MOSTLY CLEAR. WEST TO NORTHWEST
WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH. LOWS IN THE MID 60S TO NEAR 80. HIGHS 90S TO
106.
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