ojai news at The Ojai Post :: blog, newspaper, events in Ojai, California

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Day Fire Update
Los Padres and Angeles National Forests
September 27, 2006 – 9:00 p.m.

Fire activity on the southwest sector of the fire was minimal today and progress was made on line construction and improvement. Excellent progress also was made on containment and mop up of the fire in Lockwood Valley. Fire officials are cautiously optimistic about the ability to secure Lockwood Valley in the days ahead.

The fire remained active in the Piru and Lockwood Creek drainages and continued to consume unburned fuels within containment lines. As pockets of unburned fuel inside the line are consumed, the likelihood of flare ups that cause spotting outside of firelines is reduced. Ground crews, aided by airtankers and helitankers, worked to suppress spot fires and hot spots.

Winds were lighter than expected but conditions remain extremely dry with relative humidity on ridgetops dropping into the single digits. Fire officials will be watching for increased fire activity due to continued very dry conditions forecasted for the fire area through 9:00 p.m. on Friday (a red flag fire weather warning).

The recommended evacuation issued by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office for the communities of Lockwood Valley, Pine Mountain Club, Pinon Pines/Cuddy Valley, Camp Scheideck and Lake of the Woods remains in effect. A recommended evacuation is the highest level of notification and indicates that “it is time to go.” The community of Frazier Park remains under a precautionary evacuation which indicates it is time to prepare to leave and is the first of the two-stage evacuation notification system. The Red Cross shelter located at the Frazier Mountain High School in Lebec has been relocated to West Ranch High School on West Valencia Blvd. in Santa Clarita. A second shelter has been established at Golden Valley High School on Hosking Avenue in Bakersfield. Lockwood Valley Road remains closed from Highway 33 to Lake of the Woods. Highway 33 is closed between Wheeler Gorge and Ozena, near Lockwood Valley.

As of 6:00 p.m. today, the fire has burned 159,281 acres and is 41 percent contained with 57 miles of line remaining to be built. A total of 4,290 personnel are assigned to the fire. Ground forces are being supported by 31 helicopters, 58 engines, 39 dozers and 40 water tenders. Suppression cost to date is $53,148,723. Today’s reported increase in fire acreage was largely due to successful burn out operations and updates in mapping information.

Emergency Fire Closure and Fire Restrictions
The Forest Service has closed a large area of Los Padres National Forest in Ventura, Kern and southern Santa Barbara counties. The closure prohibits all public entry to forest lands, trails, roads and recreation sites. A map and description of the closure is available from Forest Service offices, and on the Internet at: www.inciweb.org. Campfires and charcoal barbecue fires are now prohibited in all areas of Los Padres National Forest except within facilities managed by concessionaires.

For More Information
For updated fire information, contact the Ventura County Fire Protection District Headquarters at 805-388-4276 or the Los Padres National Forest Fire Information Center at 805-961-5770. For further information regarding the Day Fire visit www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres/conditions/ or www.fire.countyofventura.org.

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Day Fire Update
City Council Meeting
September 26, 2006, 7:30pm

First to speak was Bob Roper - Chief, Ventura County Fire Department:
We do not yet have containment - there are still hotspots along the line. The fire has expanded greatly, particularly into the Lockwood area. Yesterday jumped from 141,000 acres to approximately 160,000 acres. The containment percentage went down, and as a result the fire is more susceptible to winds. In Ojai, officials are happy with the linework done in Rose Valley and along the Topa Topa Ridge, and air support has been very effective and done an excellent job. The DC-10 "painted the top of the ridge in the Santa Paula Canyon" to great effectiveness. Hand crews will be up there for weeks working on fire lines.

In Ojai, there was no watershed damage. BEAR teams will be rehabilitating dozer scars. Soule Park is going to become more central to the effort - a "Major Staging Location" for approximately two months. In Santa Paula Canyon, there is some watershed damage, and the Army Corp of Engineers will be called in to work on it.

FEMA has appointed a Fire Management Assistance Guide (FMAG). The next step may be to ask for Presidential assistance.

We will see some flare-ups of smoke for at least the next couple weeks. We are expecting the same weather for the next five days - no easterly winds. We are still not in the heavy fire season, and thus "cautiously optimistic" with emphasis on 'cautiously'.

There is a Spanish version of the website. Additional recognition for all law enforcement, humane society, American Red Cross and other agencies.

David Bury: the level of communication has been extraordinary. Expects to use AM Radios in the future. Channel 10 is much improved from the January 2005 floods.

Rae Hanstad: credit to Ojai Valley News, Channel 10 and a commendation for The Ojai Post.

Carol Smith: appreciated the bulletin boards at the markets, which helped the non computer-savvy elderly

Sue Horgan: commends Tim Baird, OUSD

Steve Bennett, Supervisor
The challenge is getting out accurate information, run by multiple agencies. He was not happy with the communication after the floods of January 2005, and feels it is significantly improved due to officials and staff. Chief Roper and his staff are working very hard. Suggestions for the future include "Reverse 911" where all residents are auto-called within a few minutes - the Sheriff's Department is looking into it. Also, a Low Wattage Radio Station with two transmitters.

Bruce Norris, Captain, Ventura County Sheriff Department
The 33 from Wheeler Gorge to Lockwood Valley is Closed, accessible with ID. The 150 from Ojai to Santa Paula is open, but there are a lot of fire support vehicles, and asks residents to use Extreme Caution. Keep an eye on neighbors' properties who have evacuated.