No answer this evening at the Zaca Fire Information Hotline. I’ll have some additional resources, including blogs, on the Zaca Fire Information and Resource page tomorrow…
As of 9:00pm from the SB Fire Department…
PRECAUTIONARY EVACUATION ISSUED: The Zaca Fire has moved east towards Highway 33 and has become established in Deal and Rancho Nuevo Canyons in the Dick Smith Wilderness. This has prompted the Ventura County Sheriff to issue a Precautionary Evacuation for residents along the west side of Highway 33 from the Ventura/Santa Barbara County Line to Pine Mountain Summit that began on Saturday, August 18th at 6:00 pm.
Firing operations were proceeding well today along Pendola road and the Hildreth Jeepway but were suspended for safety’s sake due to unfavorable winds, however firefighters held the existing fire line. Spot fires have occurred on east side of Hwy 33 at Pine Mountain Ridge and aggressive suppression action with air tankers, helicopters and ground forces is ongoing. Firefighting conditions were very dangerous today in several areas. Strong winds, high temperatures, low, low humidity and the blazing hot sun all combined and increased the intensity of the fire as it pushed up slopes and canyons, especially when they aligned with the wind. Flame lengths again today exceed 100 ft. in spots, as the fire consumed the the thick bed of heavy brush.
In the Ventura Zone firefighters are gaining access through private lands as they prepare contingency lines and will continue to improve the existing fuel breaks, safety zones and interconnect the existing fuel breaks as needed. Good progress is being made in the effort to secure the fireline around the remaining southeastern fire perimeter. Reinforcement of the old fuel breaks in the front country above Montecito and Carpenteria are expected to be completed in the near future.
Zaca Fire Sunday Evening Update
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I was glad to see Ginnys’ report that the DC-10 is now dropping fire retardant on federal land with CAL FIRE picking up the tab. Sadly, this is the first time I’ve heard of the U.S. Forest Service using a Supertanker in any way but I’m glad for this small but significant improvement. The DC-10 or Supertankers like it are THE SINGLE SOLUTION to uncontrolled wildfires in our entire country which the U.S. Forest Service has refused to use and obstructed for over 12 years, thus facilitating the destruction of thousands of homes and scores of lives with seeming impunity then and now(see: http://www.JBS.org (search: wildfire). This has to stop and the officials involved prosecuted if we are to stop being horribly victimized by a U.S. Forest Service that promotes deadly fires instead of putting them out. It’s sad also that CAL-FIRE has to foot the bill for DC-10 drops on federal land to stop fires that the U.S. Forest Service WON’T stop that are threatening California. The truth is that 5 or 6 Supertankers (3 DC-10s’ and 3 Boeing 747s’) would pragmatically end all uncontrolled wildfires in our country which is what we need! We must not forget that all our major fires in California (and the rest of the country) during the past 12 years could have been stopped by the Supertankers the U.S. Forest Service deliberately REFUSED to use. Some people are saying this is because the U.S. fire officials view massive fires as money making opportunities for themselves and their sweetheart sub-contractors and the longer the fire burns the more money they’re going to make. I realize this sounds too horrible to believe can happen in America but I will comment from my personal experience in dealing with politicians and bureaucrats for a great part of my life by observing that they have constituted the seemingly dumbest, most self-serving, truely sub-human life forms I have ever met, who care about their paychecks and pensions but absoltely nothing for human life or suffering. This has to change and the U.S. Forest Service is a good place to start.-Ed Nemechek–760-246-8059 (ednemechek@verizon.net).