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Antelope Fire grows to 5068 acres

June 20, 2011

Firefighters are battling a wildfire that has already destroyed one structure and burned 5,068 acres of grass land in San Luis Obispo and Kern counties.

The Antelope Fire started Sunday afternoon near the intersection of Highway 46 and Highway 33 and spread westward into San Luis Obispo County. The blaze is 20 percent contained, according to 7:30 a.m. incident report.

The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined.

Five water-dropping aircraft are aiding more than 300 firefighters on the ground.


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Is there any homes in the way? Where there’s no homes involved why not just let it burn?


@easymoney, it doesn’t matter where Gov. Brown makes cutbacks there are some of us that are going to be hurt. I absolutely hate some of the cut backs that he’s making. But isn’t that what the right keeps saying, ‘don’t raise taxes, less govt’, well that what he’s doing and you still aren’t happy.


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No typoqueen,

there is a big difference between cutting social handouts and funding the basic fire service that we all need. I do not give a rats ass if there is funding for tat removal or circumcisions in san francisco. I do care that firefighters have the equipment and services they need.

There is a big difference between wilderness or BLM wildfiresand wildland interface fires, any time a persons residence or properties including livestock are threatened, there is a direct need to respond to the wildland threat.

Fire season is starting late and IMHO, it will be a bad one…


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I get it, it’s more important to put out some grass land fire than to provide proper medical care for those that need it. Why should we pay for fire protection anyway, it’s just another govt. handout, I’m sick of paying for these dead beats. Where does it say in the Bill of Rights that we have to give everyone fire protection, it’s not a right? If they don’t clear the land around their property then that’s their problem, I’m not flipping the bill for those lazy dead beats. Why should I subsidise these people, who knows, I’ll bet some of them are illegals!


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Typoqueen, In some situations it sounds great to let it burn although there is a down side to that and its not having control over where the fire is going. In a fire storm even the best defended house with clearing of brush etc is not a guarantee that your house will survive. You ask why we should pay for fire protection anyway, I find that concerning you have obviously never experienced a fire in your house are a brush fire threatening your house. Its hard to appreciate until you have experienced it or now someone who has suffered a loss wether it be structual or human life. While I do feel there is alot of waste in all branches of goverment I cant solve that complaining on here.


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Sorry simple, that was a weak attempt at sarcasm on my part aimed at Easym. In reality I don’t want to stop funding for fire protection. I’ll spare you from my close brush with a forest fire but I know how scary it is and how devastating a fire can be.


Perhaps there are structures in danger, I just haven’t heard that on the news yet. Of course structures need to be saved. But fires can be good for the environment and there are two schools of thought on whether to let them burn or whether to put them out. There was a big fire behind San Marcos Pass a few years ago and I remember some were saying that they should have just let it burn rather than put our firefighters at risk when there were no structures or people that were in danger. I’m not sure about these plains fires but with forest fires, they actually are quite beneficial to the environment.


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I am more concerned with reality and facts…

Governor Moonbeam cut Cal fire funding and has not authorized the hiring of seasonal temps who beef up all our stations state wide, in order to try and balance the failed budget.

And with the weather forcast for temps over 100 degrees by Wednesday and RH values very low, I am concerned about pulling our local resources out of county. Less resources, a 2500 acre fire doubling over night, the cause being investigated(which usually means man caused) and the fact that scenario could have happened here in SLO county in any area. We have had several fires of over 50,000 acres in the last two decades and this is reality.

Cut your weeds and clear the vegetation back 30 feet and up to 100 feet in the red zones from your structures, have your roofs and decks clear of leaves and vegetation, have a reliable water source if you live in the rural areas and be prepared…


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I agree with much of what you say about fire safety easymoney. I support CalFire’s PCF program. In these tough budget times the state and local governments to support and increase the PCF or volunteer stations/units where needed. The union needs to back off the PCF’s & volunteers statewide and grow the program, not fight to shrink it and in the case of Riverside county ruin the program.


FYI Homeowners: Most insurance companies require a 200ft brush/weed clearance from any dwelling or building or out to the property line which ever is closer. The insurance requirement is the same for either a urban or rural property regardless if it is in or out side of a designated fire hazard zone.


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Excellent post bob, well thought out and logical…

Locally the red zone is 100 foot clearance in the rural areas.

If most homeowners were aware that the first engines in, do an assessment as to whether a structure can be saved or is a potential life threat for the in coming engines. Many do not pass muster, because they are not defensible or too dangerous to attempt to save because homeowners have neglected to clear at all…

A little thought, preparation and planning by the homeowners, even after they have been warned, would go a long way in saving their homes and out buildings. Many people do not care or want to spend the money or effort to do the clearance mandated…


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I’d say let’s volunteer Ryan Mason to help out, to over-come some of his bad karma, but that might not be appropriate.


I hope they contain this fire and come home safely.


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