Guiberson Fire [Ventura County]
LA Times reports on the latest wildfire in the area, it started this morning:
A Ventura County wildfire fueled by powerful winds and extreme heat has burned more than 6,000 acres and was bearing down on populated areas in Moorpark and surrounding communities.
More than 400 residents have been evacuated and that number is expected to rise as the fire continues to move south toward the 118 Freeway. Pets and livestock are being moved to the Ventura County fairgrounds.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said the fire started through “manure spontaneous combustion from a local ranch.”
The fire start at approximately 10:33 AM PDT South of Guiberson Road in Ventura County. There are more than 500 firefighters currently on the lines, but additional personnel, and equipment, including aerial resources have been requested. Two firefighters have had minor injuries.
The weather is a major factor and there were temperatures over 100° and single digit humidity with 50 mph wind gusts. Santa Ana winds are expected tonight.
Currently there are 84 engines, 18 crews, 8 dozers, 4 water tenders, 12 helicopters, 8 air tankers, and 540 personnel assigned to the fire.
Links: Cal Fire Guiberson Fire page, the Enplan Wildfire Viewer, the LA Times Wildfires Page, and their Guiberson Fire 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.]
2 comments
…and, in an interesting side note, we have had fires in Ashland and Medford that caused some evacuations. Along with all that, it is only now as darkness settles that I can no longer see out my western window the convection column from the Tumblebug Complex, which is only a few miles the other side of the Cascade crest from land that officially matters to me…
Fall fires in SoCal aren’t unexpected, but up here in the PacNW the temp’s are currently in the low 90’s with relatively humidity under 20% and gusty winds. Strange weather; strange times….
There is a link between the High currently over Colorado and the three Lows off of the SoCal coast that is setting up this wind pattern and pulling the warmer, and dryer air into the Pacific Northwest. It is also reacting with a Low in the Gulf that has been feeding the moist air for the floods in Alabama and Georgia.
The Tumblebug has been going on for a while, as has the huge fires in Alaska.
I got to know the Cascades up close and personal hiking through them at survival school outside of Spokane. It was March and warm and dry are not terms that described the conditions I dealt with. It is the farthest I have ever traveled on snow shoes, as we got two feet of new snow the day after we arrived.
It’s shaping up that every forest on the West Coast is a fire waiting to happen. Between the weird weather and insect infestations I glad I have memories of when they were tall and green.