View a Google Map of the area of the La Brea Fire.  The Reddish Area in the satellite imagery is actually some of the area that had steep slopes with little vegetation and held back the fire from advancing in that direction.

View Larger Map
Total Personnel 1,859
Size 67,092 acres

Where the fire is now:

US forestry map outlines the area of the La Brea Fire

Effective at 12:00 p.m., Thursday, August 13, 2009, a mandatory Evacuation Order was issued by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for the following area due to fire activity of the La Brea Fire:

* ALL of Tepusquet Canyon, from Santa Maria Mesa Road to Highway 166
* ALL of Colson Canyon, including the Blazing Saddles community
* ALL of Ruiz Canyon

The canyon roads are being closed to the public to allow for the evacuations.

Fire and Sheriff Officials estimate the new evacuation orders include about 150 homes and ranches.

An evacuation order is still in effect for the 14 threatened residences on Foothill Road and the 7 residences on the Buckhorne Ridge. An evacuation warning was issued via reverse 911 to the 104 residences in Cottonwood Canyon.

The New Cuyama High School and Benjamin Foxen Elementary School are currently the designated temporary emergency shelter staffed by the Santa Barbara County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

If you need assistance with the evacuation and sheltering of animals, please contact the animal hotline at 681-4332.

Firefighter are using old firebreaks from the Zaca fire to make a stand against the La Brea fire. The firebreaks are being recleared with dozers and ground crews. Retardant is the dropped on the area as well. Once managers are comfortable with the suppression cababilities of their line, backfires are set. Backfires are being started by ground crews and also by a special torch laden helicopter. The helicopter is able to start more fires, more quickly and in more remote locations than the ground crews could alone.

The idea behind the backfire is an ancient one and has always been summed up with the phrase “sometimes you have to fight fire with fire”. The main idea is to create an area that won’t burn, then to increase that area by burning between it and the approaching fire. This will allow you to “contain” the fire within a perimeter that it hopefully can not cross.

For a more complete explanation of a controlled burn you can visit wikipedia here.

There will be another community meeting tonight, August 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the Benjamin Foxen Elementary School, 4949 Foxen Canyon Road, in Sisquoc.

The fire is now estimated at 67,092 acres. Three helibases still support the fire, one at Santa Ynez Airport, one at Santa Maria Airport, and a supply helibase at the Incident Command Post. A retardant base is located at Spanish Ranch in Cuyama Valley.

The Fire Investigation Team is asking for the public’s assistance to help establish the casue of the La Brea Fire. If you have any information regarding the La Brea please contact Forest Service Fire Investigators at 805-686-5074. Investigators have spoken to witnesses, but are still seeking additional information that may assist with the ongoing investigation.

An emergency closure order is in effect for portions of the Los Padres National Forest in and around the fire. For more information, please contact Fire Information at (805) 961-5770 from 6am-10pm

Temporary flight restrictions have been put in place over the fire area.

Engines: 90 Crews: 59 Dozers: 25 Helicopters: 11 Watertenders: 26 Total personnel: 1,859

Firefighting circumstances remain challenging attributable to steep and unaccessible terrain, bone dry impenetrable chaparral, low relative humidity, and wandering winds. Intense fire action has been watched since the blaze started, especially as determined from the substantial afternoon and eve gusts. The NE component of the flame region hasn’t burnt-out since 1922 and the impenetrable thicket and dried out fuel exacerbates fire action. The burn hasn’t intruded upon the Sisquoc River region. There’s substantial emergency vehicle traffic and over-crowding on Highway 166 . The public is recommended to look for an alternative roads and to employ additional caution while travelling the main road.

A 2nd residential area wildfire information conference will be  Friday at 6:30 p.m. in the Benjamin Foxen Elementary School, 4949 Foxen Canyon Road, iSisquoc.

Currently firefighters are working on securing the fire line near the slop over above Cuyama Valley. Attempts to clear and reinforce bulldozer lines continuing from the Zaca blaze carry on to the west of the fire. Bulldozers started out constructing fireline today from the Colson Canyon Road. Three helicopter bases back up the firefighting effort, one at Santa Ynez Airport, one at Santa Maria Airport, and a support helicopter base at the Incident Command Post. A retardant base is situated at Spanish Ranch in Cuyama Valley. Aerial tankers and choppers furnished back up to ground forces throughout the afternoon in an attempt to arrest the fire spreading in the more flaming regions.

The atmospheric conditions patterns in the preceding 3 days has been challenging firefighters with strong gusts early afternoon to late eve gusts. The weather continues to be for the most part sunny, hot and dry with highs of 84-92 degrees along ridgetops and 92-98 degrees in the valleys. Wind gusts reach 20-25 mph on the fire, and last night winds gusted to 40-45 mph.

The Evacuation Order issued on August 11 by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff office remains in effect for the following areas: Western Boundary: Sierra Madre Road; Southern Boundary: Cottonwood Road; Eastern Boundary: Highway 166; Northern Boundary: Spoor Canyon. This area includes Moon and Eckert Canyons. An Evacuation Warning exists for areas bound by Cottonwood Road and Wasioja Road, and between Highway 166 and Sierra Madre Road. The American Red Cross Santa Barbara County Shelter has moved its La Brea Fire Emergency Shelter from Siquoc to New Cuyama. The new Red Cross Shelter location is Cuyama Valley High School, 4500 Hwy 166, New Cuyama. For more information, please contact the American Red Cross, 928-0778 in Santa Maria.

Closures: An emergency closure order is in effect for portions of the Los Padres National Forest in and around the fire. For more information, please contact Fire Information at (805) 961-5770 from 6am-10pm or click here.

Resources: Engines: 39 Crews: 49 Dozers: 19 Helicopters: 11 Total personnel: 1,815

EVENT LOCATION

Address:
Historic Chapman House by the Sea
Shell Beach, CA

Original post:
Afternoon of Epicurean Delights 6/7/2009 11:30 AM – 6/7/2009 3:30 PM