The fire in the Angeles National Forest has now burned over 160,357 acres [≅ 250 miles²] and at least 78 homes, two commercial buildings and 86 outbuildings. The cost estimate is >$57.6 million. It is 60% contained.

The Station Fire was started by an arsonist near mile marker 29 on the Angeles Crest Highway (SR 2) about one mile above Angeles Crest Fire Station near a Forest Ranger station [the source of the name] around 3:30pm [PDT] Wednesday August 26, 2009.

The state is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the fire. Los Angeles County will probably add $50,000 to the reward.

While there are still pockets of activities, the fire is being thwarted and there is at least of week of backfires and containment lines to go. Barring a major new development this is my last daily update.

Two Los Angeles County firefighters have died in a motor vehicle accident escaping a burnover. In addition there have been 3 civilians and 11 firefighters reported injured.

Currently there are 121 hand crews, 419 engines, 43 water tenders, 66 dozers, 11 air tankers, 19 helicopters, and 4,687 total personnel assigned to the fire.

The aircraft now include the 747 Supertanker [20,000 gallons], Tanker 910 [DC-10 12,000 gallons], Mars Hawaii Superscooper [7,200 gallons], and two Canadair 415 water scoopers [1,600 gallons] from the Province of Quebec.

Links: InciWeb, LA Times, KTLA, and Pasadena Star-News

Maps: LA Times fire map, the Enplan Wildfire Viewer, and the Weather Underground Smoke Map.

[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.]

Both Jill [Cookies in Heaven & skippy the bush kangaroo] and Fallenmonk [Fallenmonk] are having birthdays today.

It is the really not that bad, nothing like four-oh or FIVE-OH NO, big Six-Oh for the Monk.

In Florida it is traditional to spend your birthday in the tax office getting new license plates and getting your driver’s license renewed.

Position: 12.6 N 30.6 W [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [295°] near 12 mph [19 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 75 mph [120 kph].
Wind Gusts: 90 mph [145 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 85 miles [140 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 25 miles [40 km].
Minimum central pressure: 987 mb ↓.

It is 445 miles [715 km] West-Southwest of the Cape Verde Islands.

This will probably be a fish botherer in the Central Atlantic.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]