La Brea Update 8-16
The fire in the San Rafael Wilderness area has now burned about 86,680 acres and is 60% contained. A significant portion of the rapid increase in the acreage is due to back fires.
Investigators now say that the La Brea Fire was started by a cooking fire at a drug trafficking camp.
There have been 2 minor injuries fighting the fire, and an unused ranger station has been destroyed. The fire has already cost $6.3 million.
Currently there are 141 engines, 59 crews, 29 dozers, 5 air tankers, 14 helicopters, 54 water tenders and 2,152 total personnel assigned to the fire.
The Martin Mars water scoop aircraft is now on station, using Cachuma Lake for refilling its tanks.
Links: The KEYT La Brea Fire article, the Santa Barbara Independent La Brea Fire page, InciWeb La Brea page with a map, KSBY has videos and the Enplan Wildfire Viewer, which used satellite sensors to spot fires.
[For more information go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Fires” for all of the posts related to wildfires on this site.]
4 comments
We do have some problems with marijuana camps. I say we just legalize it, regulate it, tax it….then we wouldn’t have them go underground
.-= last blog ..August 16, 1977 =-.
We could put the money to better use fighting fires.
Hey…here there is some stormage heading toward Florida. Stay safe. Stay dry. Stay out of the surf.
.-= last blog ..Has Mel’s finally found a new home? =-.
That would be Tropical Storm Claudette, which is about 75 miles Southeast of me. We’ve gotten a trace of rain.
The eastern side of the storm is where everything is happening. Panama City is getting rain in buckets and bathtubs.
It looks like it will probably come ashore in Walton County, or maybe Destin. We are already getting wind out of the North, which is good because it gets slowed down over land.
I wish I could ship you the rain.