Front Page  »  

Arroyo Grande wildfire grows to two acres

July 1, 2011

UPDATE: The Tally Fire, located at Huasna Road and Santa Domingo Road east of Arroyo Grande, has now burned four acres. Ground support, including four engines and 33 men, has reached the fire.

Two more type three engines are in route and a bulldozer is on the scene.

ORIGINAL: Firefighters are battling a two acre blaze in the hills behind Tally Farms east of Arroyo Grande that started about 10 a.m. on Friday.

Access is difficult for ground resources because of the remote location of the fire. Two air tankers are dropping retardant and one helicopter is in the area dropping water.

CalCoastNews will keep you updated as information becomes available.


Loading...
Subjects:         
Related:


10 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

I took a ride out to The Huasna on my motorcycle late this afternoon. I could see the burn area very well but not a lick of smoke to be seen. It might as well been straight up and down as far as terrain goes. They got an nice line of retardent on the West, North, and Eastern flanks and stopped it dead in it’s tracks. As I left the valley, a Command vehicle and a Utility rig were just coming off scene.


Hopefully the crews have a quiet weekend, but I doubt it.


0

Your comments are self answering, and since you are not a firefighter maybe then you don’t know what you are talking about?


“CAL FIRE crews are still battling a 4-acre brush fire in San Luis Obispo County at Huasna Road and Santa Domingo Road. The fire was reported at 10 a.m. Friday. Crews have had a difficult time accessing the fire, and they may be there for an extended period of time.”

http://www.ksby.com/news/brush-fire-in-slo-co-at-4-acres/


“Due to difficult access to the area, crews are expected to be on scene for “an extended period of time.”


Read more: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2011/07/01/1666206/wildfire-reported-near-lopez-lake.html#ixzz1Qt3voqio


In 1994 a small road side spot started along Highway 41, temps in the high 90’s with a wind blowing, before it was put out by FIREFIGHTERS it grew to more than 106,000 acres.That was the 41 fire and it grew quickly because of the difficult terrain and access, high temperature, low humidity, just like today.


0

I agree. Our old home in the Santa Barbara area was lost to the Paint Fire. It wasn’t even in that bad of terrain, but the mash-up of conditions drove that fire from near the top of San Marcos Pass right over our neighborhood and then on over the freeway…it could not have been more than 40 minutes.


0

You’re right, I’m not a firefighter and I admit to ignorance on this topic. I would have thought that fires such the Painted Cave fire weren’t discovered until they were well over two acres. It seems like two acres could have been knocked down fast with 4 engines and 33 firemen on the front line. But, I’ve never fought a fire so that is just speculation on my part. If 33 men were on the line then couldn’t they pretty much just completely surround the fire?


Come on SLORider, where are you, give us your expertise.


0

Apology accepted,

Most citizens are ignorant of the difficulties and dangers when fighting ANY type of fire especially wild land fires. There are protocols and standard operating procedures everyone is trained to follow to ensure their safety and effect a successful firefight and those include manpower staffing and equipment utilized per scene. Every fire is different yet all have the potential to do extreme destruction if conditions, terrain or weather changes.

That being l said, my initial post was made because I see from certain posters here, a repeated belittling and ridiculing of all firefighters and law enforcement personnel. Next time, try walking a mile, no just a block in those peoples boots, before attacking them. It may be your home, your family or your car involved in something very deadly, that those folks risk their lives to deal with every single day.They are not all sitting around playing cards or eating donuts, and only a very small percentage do criminal things. Which is more than I can say for a lot of the public…


0

I wasn’t apologizing because I don’t feel that I said anything wrong. I wasn’t putting down the FD. I still don’t understand how a two acre fire that is surrounded by 33 firemen and 4 engines can be out of control, that hasn’t been explained. Yes, I don’t understand such things and that’s why I asked SLORider to chime in. I’ve seen property owners that have controlled burns to burn off brush/trash that don’t have any firemen helping them. Granted it was windy but not that bad, not bad enough to be out of control. That’s just my unqualified opinion. Are you a fireman?


You won’t ever see me disrespecting LE. I come from a long line of military and LE. My parents were in Law enforcement. Never will you see me insulting firemen, the military or LE unless their is corruption or they are just bad individuals. But I will always question what either I don’t understand or what appears to be wrong.


0

Yes, I am a firefighter, so I’ll explain it for you.

Imagine a wildland fire is a shape like a drop of water, a pointy end (the point of origin) with a large eliptical shape on top(the flanks and head of the fire).

1) All fire behavior is dependent on fuel, wind, terrain and weather.

2) All fire has a point of origin and a direction of burning depending the above four things. The flanks (edges) and body of the fire (the most fightable section of the fire) burn toward the head ( the most extreme fire behavior) and most dangerous. And most effected by the above four things. Fire burns up slope or when driven by wind down or across slope.

3) Fire personnel start in the black(the burned part) near the point of origin(where they place their engines so they don’t get burned) and they work on foot toward the head of the fire, fighting the body and flanks.

4)The planes and helicopters focus on the head of the fire or the flanks if they are threatening personnel, property or larger areas of vegetation. Water is dropped on the fire to put it out, retardent is dropped along the flanks to slow the rate of spread.

5) All fire personnel where PPEs, carry a 45lb wildland pack with a fire shelter (in case they get over run), water, hose clamps and hose with hardware. And while carrying hand tools and pulling fully charged hose, usually up slope.

Fire fighters never surround a fire(that would be too dangerous) they fight it in a controlled safe manner as I described above.

I never said “you” were disrespecting anyone, I said there are those who repeatedly do and that most citizens are ignorant of what fire personnel or LEO really do.

I take offense anytime firefighters or LEO are painted with a broad brush of disrespect or ridicule. Both jobs are among the top most dangerous jobs just by their very nature and not understood by most of the public. The public only cares that their own is safe…

Controlled burns can only happen with a burn permit on agricultural land during certain times of the year, all cities or communities do not allow door yard burning, or controlled burns of any kind.


0

Well, I’m pretty much aware of what you just said. But what I’m not clear on is, is it your opinion or is it common for 33 firemen and 4 engines to not be able to control a 2 acre fire? Is that typical? Really, I’m not arguing, just curious. IMO it seems as if they should have had a handle on this little fire but correct me if I’m wrong, if it’s typical for such a small fire with all those firemen there to be out of control then I’m wrong and I have no problem admitting when I’m wrong. You’re a firemen so whatever you say I’ll go with.


0

Grows to two acres? OMG call in the reinforcements! Where’s the planes dropping the fire retardant?!


I’m not a firefighter but it seems that this shouldn’t be a problem. If they can’t stop a 2 acre fire then this could be a nightmare. If they can’t get out a 2 acre fire what happens with a 20 acre fire?


0

Once again, typoqueen spews her ignorance from every orifice for all the world to see.


You just can’t make this stuff up.


0