Morning Report
Alright......
Yesterday the fire slopped over the fireline in White OAKS, not White ROCK......I am as guilty as anyone of screwing up the topography.
The White Rock line seems to be holding nicely. Today there will be backfiring from Blue Rock down to Los Padres Dam, so there will be lots of smoke.
The fire spilled over the line below MIRA down towards White Oaks. We had firsthand accounts of that from Fred Nason. As of last night it had only burned 100 acres. This morning it was still not controlled, but there is a lot of heavy equipment and air tanker work focussed on White Oaks. The Volunteers feel confident.
The fire grew very little overnight.
In Miller Canyon they are continuing to backfire along the ridge between Miller Canyon and Pine Valley. If this works, they will not have to backfire at Laurel Springs......essentially Johnny Kinder's farm.
Here are the two latest satellite snaps. The first shows the view over the Store towards the Dam, Elephant Mountain, etc.
The second is the Jamesburg overview. You can see the White Oaks breakout to the left of Tassajara Road.....and can see that it is nowhere near Lambert Flats....the road that tails up the mountain back towards Carmel Valley Road. Well, it is less than two miles from the Jamesburg end of Lambert Flats Road......and it is four miles from Hastings Reserve.
Hastings Reserve is in the canyon that runs off the screen to the lower left from the intersection of Carmel Valley Road and the CV Road end of Lambert Flats road.
From the image you can see that it is a puzzle why Laurel Springs and Parrot Ranch Road were evacuated. Probably just to eliminate traffic so the heavy equipment can have free access.
Speaking of heavy equipment......this is the dumbest thing in the world:
Our heavy bulldozers were at the Store yesterday morning when I returned from Big Sur.....loaded on their transports. The drivers came in for coffee, as the Command Center had run out. They had been pulled off the line by the Feds for a mandatory weed washing.
For the past week we have been driving past a sign at the El Sur lighthouse road: "Weed Washing." We could not figure it out. People from Weed that wash? People from Weed that need washing? Some obscure marijuana thing?
No.....it is federally mandated washing of bulldozers and heavy equipment to stop the dispersal of various native and non-native seeds and fungi like Sudden Oak Death. Sounds reasonable, right?
Yesterday, just as the fire was jumping the line at White Oaks.....the feds pulled all the heavy equipment out for a weed washing.......even though they have been working in the same neighborhood for days.
The only washing facility is at El Sur.....so they had to drive away from the fire, load up on transports and drive all the way back to El Sur.....scattering weed seeds and fungi spores all the way.......TO WASH OFF THE WEED SEEDS AND FUNGI THAT HAD ALREADY BLOWN OFF DRIVING THE 100 MILES TO THE FACILITY!
This is the dumbest thing ever. Thank God the Volunteers interceded when they were halfway there and brought them back Code 3.
Almost as dumb as arresting Ross Curtis for saving his own ranch.....more of that later when I clean up the language in the post.
Yesterday the fire slopped over the fireline in White OAKS, not White ROCK......I am as guilty as anyone of screwing up the topography.
The White Rock line seems to be holding nicely. Today there will be backfiring from Blue Rock down to Los Padres Dam, so there will be lots of smoke.
The fire spilled over the line below MIRA down towards White Oaks. We had firsthand accounts of that from Fred Nason. As of last night it had only burned 100 acres. This morning it was still not controlled, but there is a lot of heavy equipment and air tanker work focussed on White Oaks. The Volunteers feel confident.
The fire grew very little overnight.
In Miller Canyon they are continuing to backfire along the ridge between Miller Canyon and Pine Valley. If this works, they will not have to backfire at Laurel Springs......essentially Johnny Kinder's farm.
Here are the two latest satellite snaps. The first shows the view over the Store towards the Dam, Elephant Mountain, etc.
The second is the Jamesburg overview. You can see the White Oaks breakout to the left of Tassajara Road.....and can see that it is nowhere near Lambert Flats....the road that tails up the mountain back towards Carmel Valley Road. Well, it is less than two miles from the Jamesburg end of Lambert Flats Road......and it is four miles from Hastings Reserve.
Hastings Reserve is in the canyon that runs off the screen to the lower left from the intersection of Carmel Valley Road and the CV Road end of Lambert Flats road.
From the image you can see that it is a puzzle why Laurel Springs and Parrot Ranch Road were evacuated. Probably just to eliminate traffic so the heavy equipment can have free access.
Speaking of heavy equipment......this is the dumbest thing in the world:
Our heavy bulldozers were at the Store yesterday morning when I returned from Big Sur.....loaded on their transports. The drivers came in for coffee, as the Command Center had run out. They had been pulled off the line by the Feds for a mandatory weed washing.
For the past week we have been driving past a sign at the El Sur lighthouse road: "Weed Washing." We could not figure it out. People from Weed that wash? People from Weed that need washing? Some obscure marijuana thing?
No.....it is federally mandated washing of bulldozers and heavy equipment to stop the dispersal of various native and non-native seeds and fungi like Sudden Oak Death. Sounds reasonable, right?
Yesterday, just as the fire was jumping the line at White Oaks.....the feds pulled all the heavy equipment out for a weed washing.......even though they have been working in the same neighborhood for days.
The only washing facility is at El Sur.....so they had to drive away from the fire, load up on transports and drive all the way back to El Sur.....scattering weed seeds and fungi spores all the way.......TO WASH OFF THE WEED SEEDS AND FUNGI THAT HAD ALREADY BLOWN OFF DRIVING THE 100 MILES TO THE FACILITY!
This is the dumbest thing ever. Thank God the Volunteers interceded when they were halfway there and brought them back Code 3.
Almost as dumb as arresting Ross Curtis for saving his own ranch.....more of that later when I clean up the language in the post.
posted by Txacoli at 9:05 AM
6 Comments:
Michael
I am going to personally nominate your blog for a 2008 WEBBY AWARD, the OSCARS for web sites...
Love y'all
Bennie
Re. what Bennie said: Definitely!!!!! Your blog.....sans blague!!!! Avec bisous!!
Michael,
You have done Cachagua proud! This site is keeping us informed of the Basin fire with factual,accurate information, drizzled with some great humor. As they say, you can't make this stuff up. Thanks again for all you do for our Cachagua community,
Lyle and Joanie Linares
I agree with Bennie et al, it's been fantastic Mike. You're doing yoeman's work here, marvelous writing full of spirit and news on top your very full days. The concern, the guts, the newshound comes through. You're a shining star on every smoky day you've posted. Thank you thank you. I sent your link to Drudge and Limbaugh so they could get an accurate picture. Also to expats and one of my websites frequented by Assies and Kiwis....who are doing much praying thinking RAIN, and sending encouragement. I've been posting my paintings and descriptions of Cachagua there from the time I lived in Trampa so they know the woods and how I love that place. Best of everything to you all. The first thing I ask the guys at the airfield HQ is HOW IS THE STORE. They're not saying what store any more, but everytime I'm lulled into confidence I shake myself and say, Jesus, that's the government talking, what am I thinking.
You're everybody's hero out in the hustings. Stay strong and safe. Thanks once more for all you're doing for all of us.
I must agree with the others, KUDOS to your blogs! :)
Like I have said over & over again... Please, ALL of you out in the fire zones BE SAFE!!!
Hi--I've been reading your blog since the start of the fire--I am only familiar with the coast side of Big Sur so it's been fascinating to follow the inland story. You are a terrific writer. Hope that things get better soon--thanks for all you've done for folks there.
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