Station Fire Update 9-7
The fire in the Angeles National Forest has now burned over 157,220 acres [≅ 246 miles²] and at least 78 homes, two commercial buildings and 86 outbuildings. The cost estimate is >$49.5 million. It is 56% 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.
The weather is continuing to assist in the efforts to control the fire. While there are still flare-ups and spot fires they don’t have the explosive growth that was common during the early days of this fire. There are a lot of backfires being set as the best way of denying fuel to any push by the fire, so the smoke and flames haven’t disappeared from the sky. but they are controlled. They are estimating total containment in a week.
Two Los Angeles County firefighters have died in a motor vehicle accident escaping a burnover. In addition there have been 3 civilians and 10 firefighters reported injured.
Among the injuries is a firefighter who came in contact with cyanide while fighting the fire. It was probably the result of an illegal chemical dump in the wilderness. Even in the midst of “nature’s glory” you can encounter man’s stupidity and greed.
Currently there are 121 hand crews, 419 engines, 43 water tenders, 66 dozers, 11 air tankers, 19 helicopters, and 4,623 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.]
