Esperanza Fire Report from the James Reserve
October 26-30, 2006
Notes below
NOTES
Agency and News Media Reports
Daily
CDF Incident report (morning and evening updates)
Idyllwild Town Crier
LA
Times
Riverside Press Enterprise
New
York Times
James Reserve Staff Reports
11:00 AM, October 30, 2006
CDF morning Incident Report states 90% containment,
with road closures still in effect until at least 6 PM tonight. The road
block between here and Pine Cove has now been moved to Poppet Flats Road
intersection, but from Poppet Flats to Banning is still closed to through
traffic and residents only during daytime hours. Weather conditions are
cooler and with higher humidities indicating that the Santa Ana conditions
are very weak. We just visited Vista Grande and in talking with local fighfighters,
were told that there are no longer any hot spots in this area. The fire
did get into the very bottom of the Indian Creek watershed, but did not make
a run up the canyon due to the calm winds and the coastal flow. As one of
our campus friends put it "we dodged the fiery bullet again."
Any groups
or researchers scheduled for this week should call us to discuss travel advice.
This will be our last report. Thanks for all the nice emails from our users,
friends, and family
The James Reserve Team,
Mike Hamilton, Mike Taggart, Tom Unwin, Kevin Browne,
Taylor Jeffrey, Sue Halman and Jamie King
4 PM October 29, 2006
Two new fuel breaks were completed today and the dozers were being loaded
up on their trailers around 3 PM. The winds never kicked up to the levels
that were forecast, the maximum wind speed here at the Reserve was only
3 mph and the humidity range from 32-42% allowing the crews made great progress
in containing the active hot spots. Very little smoke was observed this afternoon
and the number of air resources was significantly reduced based on ambient
aircaft noise. I think they have really nailed this one! Huge thanks to all
the agencies and personnel involved in this incredibly challenging fire.
11 AM, October 29, 2006
Things are looking very good at the fire line. There is no smoke and Hot
Shot crews are stationed at the turnouts to keep an eye open for any flare-ups.
The on-shore flow is gentle and humidity is expected to increase throughout
the day and evening. The CHP does not have an estimate for when the roads
will be open to Banning. Best day so far!
MT and MH
8 AM, October 29th, 2006
Haven't been out of the Reserve yet this morning, but winds were 0 mph
all night and humidity is up, so thats excelllent. The morning briefing at
Vista Grande states that containment is now at 70% and winds are predicted
to be averaging 7 mph and gusts up to 15 mph by mid day, so we
are not out of risk for a fire escaping the lines and getting into the adjacent
watershed to ours. I will post more information after we make a trip out
to the overlook later this morning.
MH
5 PM, October 28, 2006
Just returned from the Vista Grande overlooks. Still lots of aircraft dropping
water and retardant. The foot print of the fire remains as it was last night,
which is wonderful. Lots of flare-ups and pockets of fuels catching fire
throughout the day. Four large dozers are working an old firebreak to build
what they are calling a new "freeway" down the mountain between
us and the active fire areas. Nearly 2,000 fire folks are on this one, and
a huge amount of brush removal is underway along the highway and roads to
aid in the event of the fire running up the slope. We will have four people
on site here tonight in case we are asked to evacuate.
MH
1 PM, October 28th, 2006
Winds have changed.
Offshore winds are causing the fire to move East where there is lots of
new fuel
CDF fuels sepcialists visited the James Reserve to check what the Fuel loads
were like
There is still an enormous plume of smoke that can be seen from Pine Cove.
Firefighters and building a wide fuel break with bulldozers from Vista Grande
to Soboba so they can get firefighters down to the fire.
Currently they are still hitting it hard with Aircraft.
Still not out of danger at all.
KB
8:00 AM, October 28th, 2006
According to CDF
Incident report, fire is at 40% contained on the North side.
Will be working on our side today.
40,000 acres burned
No wind last night up here at the James Reserve which is good.
http://cens.jamesreserve.edu/jrcensweb/cmstest/wind48hrs.htm
7% humidity
Highway 79 is reopened but 243 north of Black Mountain Road remains closed
Said the fire did not grow much last night.
Wind will still be a factor this afternoon.
According to the CHP site there is a precautionary evacuation of Black Mountain
residence but these are houses tucked deep into the mountain.
We are right on the main highway and they have not told us to evacuate yet.
http://cad.chp.ca.gov/
area = INDIO
KB and MH
6:30 PM, October 27th, 2006
I realized that some folks may want to listen to the aircraft that are pounding
the fire during daylight hours. The noise of aircraft is very loud here.
This link will download a file which will open with iTunes
music player. The source is a stereo sound feed from microphones we have
installed on the top of a 30' tower here at the Reserve. There is only about
a 10 second delay. http://cens.jamesreserve.edu/jrcensweb/docs/User_Interface/listen.pls
MH
5:40 PM, October 27, 2006
Just came back from talking with Forest Service staff at the overlook of
the fire closest to Vista Grande. They told us that they will be evacuating
Soboba Indian Reservation to the west, and if the wind shifts to on-shore
flow by tomorrow night that there is a chance that Idyllwild and Pine Cove
(and us) will be evacuated. This decision will be predicated on how effective
the supression efforts are tomorrow to get the east flank knocked down before
the winds shift.
MH
4 PM, October 27, 2006:
Fire is currently 2-3 miles west of Lake Fulmor and the James Reserve, adjacent
to the Vista Grande Ranger Station at Highway 243. Reserve staff are still
on site, and authorities have not required evacuation
Throughout the day the fire has slowly burned in a easterly direction approximately
1/4 - 1/2 mile, but with significant air resources knocking it down, it has
not advanced to a point of being a threat to the James Reserve. Staff have
prepared to evacuate, and to apply Barricade fire retardant to the buildings
once the authorities recommend we leave.
MH
