LAFD High Rise Fire, 11740 West Wilshire Bl.

Friday October 18, 2013 LAFD sent a massive response to a residential high rise fire at 11740 West Wilshire Bl. Upon arrival firefighters found a wall of fire and a towering column of smoke coming from the building at about the 11 th floor. Firefighters went interior to rescue trapped occupants and to make aggressive interior fire attack. Several firefighters became disoriented in the dense black smoke and emergency traffic was declared.

Several civilians and firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries. Occupants are now being let back into the building after a massive salvage operation was completed.

Photos Copyright Jeff Zimmerman Please do not copy or redistribute photos.

Offshore Winds: Critical Fire Weather, Los Angeles, Ventura and San Luis Obispo County's

DISCUSSION...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AS
MODERATE TO STRONG SANTA ANA WINDS COMBINE WITH VERY LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING AND A FIRE
WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT. CONFIDENCE IS RELATIVELY HIGH AS A
RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE GREAT BASIN THURSDAY NIGHT
THROUGH FRIDAY AND THEN SHIFTS EAST WHILE WEAKENING SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

 THE SANTA ANA WINDS ARE EXPECTED PEAK FRIDAY MIDDAY AND THEN PERSIST
WHILE WEAKENING SLIGHTLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL WITH POOR TO MODERATE RELATIVE HUMIDITY RECOVERY. RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO FALL SHARPLY INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS AND MID TEENS THROUGH FRIDAY MIDDAY AND BY SATURDAY WIDESPREAD SINGLE DIGIT HUMIDITY WILL EXTEND FROM THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS TO THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OVER THE ENTIRE AREA AND WILL PERSIST THROUGH SUNDAY. ONSHORE WINDS WILL RETURN TO THE NEAR COASTAL AREAS BRIEFLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND THEN INCREASE AND POSSIBLY PUSH INTO THE COASTAL VALLEYS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. A SLOW RELATIVELY HUMIDITY RECOVERY IS EXPECTED WITHIN THE INCREASING ONSHORE WINDS AND CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY.

AREAS OF MODERATE OFFSHORE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER
SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES FRIDAY EVENING AND CONTINUE AT TIMES THROUGH SUNDAY. WIDESPREAD RELATIVE HUMIDITY LESS THAN 10 PERCENT IS EXPECTED SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WITH POOR TO MODERATE RECOVERY. WEAK ONSHORE WINDS ARE EXPECTED BRIEFLY SATURDAY AND RETURN STRONGER AND BECOME LOCALLY GUSTY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. ELEVATED FIRE DANGER IS EXPECTED WITH THE OFFSHORE AS WELL AS WITH THE ONSHORE WINDS WITHIN THE VERY DRY AIR MASS FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY.

Red Flag Warning Thrursday-Saturday Santa Ana Season

Red Flag warning Thursday-Saturday. Be prepared.

Southern California Wildfire Update

Moderate offshore winds with low relative humidity are predicted for Friday night into Saturday. Temperatures may hit 90 degrees in the Santa Clarita area, near red flag conditions for Saturday. 

The Madre fire in Azusa was looking good today with line construction progressing on steep hillsides just west of Highway 39. Warm, dry conditions were a serious concern at the onset of this fire. Super scooper aircraft did a great job knocking down flames on day two of the fire. A DC 10 made several drops as well as a C-130 and an older PTV with retardant. Approximately 500 personnel are working the blaze which has been checked at approximately 200 acres.

Yesterday in San Bernardino another blaze broke out near Highway 15 and Sierra, the last reports I heard was approximately 150 acres. I will try to get more information soon.

Photos Copyright  Jeff Zimmerman, Madre Fire

Fire Weather Urgent Information: So Cal Interstate 5 Corridor Off Shore Wind Event

...GUSTY NORTH WINDS THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND
    SANTA BARBARA SOUTH COAST...

...WEAK OFFSHORE WINDS WITH WARMING AND DRYING CONDITIONS ON MONDAY...

.DISCUSSION...GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS PORTIONS OF
SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA THROUGH TONIGHT. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL REMAIN
FOCUSED ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS (INCLUDING THE SANTA MONICAS) AND SANTA
BARBARA SOUTH COAST...WHERE GUSTS BETWEEN 35 AND 45 MPH WILL BE COMMON.
ISOLATED GUSTS OVER 50 MPH WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR
OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY MOUNTAINS AT TIMES THROUGH THIS EVENING.
THERE WILL BE SOME DOWNSLOPE WARMING AND DRYING TODAY ACROSS THE VALLEYS
AND SANTA BARBARA SOUTH COAST...WITH HUMIDITIES FALLING TO AROUND 20
PERCENT IN DRIEST LOCATIONS.

BY LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY...WEAK OFFSHORE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA
COUNTIES...AS WELL AS THE CENTRAL COAST. THIS WILL LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT
WARMING AND DRYING ON MONDAY...WITH HUMIDITIES LOWERING TO BETWEEN 10 AND
20 PERCENT ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. AN UPPER TROUGH WILL BRING A RETURN OF
ONSHORE FLOW WITH COOLING TEMPERATURES AND HIGHER HUMIDITIES TUESDAY THROUGH
THURSDAY. THERE IS THEN THE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER WEAK OFFSHORE WIND EVENT
AT THE END OF THE WEEK WITH A POSSIBLE WARMING AND DRYING TREND.

Wildfire: Hasley Canyon and Burlwood, Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County and United States Forest Service Firefighters worked to quickly extinguish a fast moving brush fire today in the Hasley Canyon area of northern Los Angeles County. The fire broke out late this afternoon in area that looks like it has been used for target shooting at the dead end of Burlwood drive. Air and ground crews were able to halt the fire and beat back flames as it crested the ridge top on a steep south facing slope lined with dense brush. An armada of helicopters and fixed wing super scoopers dropped thousands of gallons of water from the air which helped to quell the flames before the fire could become a major inferno.

 Los Angeles County and Forest Service Fighters worked cooperatively to construct fire line and had the fire contained at approximately 4:30 PM. Please contact los Angeles County Fire Department PIO for further information.

 

 

Critical Fire Weather for CA Zone 259

CA zone 259 will have dry and gusty wind conditions for Thursday and Friday. Gusty winds and low humidity will almost reach red flag conditions.

 LAFD had a small 4 acre brush fire on Sunday on Sunland Bl., destroying 2 civilian vehicles. LAFD, LA County and USFS units held the fire in check on a steep slope near homes.

At this hour Ventura County Fire has four small spots on the 118 Freeway near Kuehner. LA City has sent 10 engine companies and 2 helicopter for auto aid. Sounds like these fire are getting picked up fairly quickly.

Rim Fire, Cause and Origin

Investigators Discover Cause of Rim Fire

Release Date: Sep 5, 2013  

VALLEJO, Calif.—Investigators from the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement & Investigations and Tuolumne County District Attorney's Office have determined the Rim Fire began when a hunter allowed an illegal fire to escape. There is no indication the hunter was involved with illegal marijuana cultivation on public lands and no marijuana cultivation sites were located near the origin of the fire. No arrests have been made at this time and the hunter's name is being withheld pending further investigation.
The Rim Fire began Saturday, Aug. 17, 2013, on the Stanislaus National Forest near the area known as Jawbone Ridge. The fire has burned 237,341 acres and is 80 percent contained.

Burned Body Found, Angeles National Forest, Castaic

At approximately 6:12 am Los Angeles County Firefighters were dispatched to a reported brush fire on Lake Hughes Road near Castaic Dam. Upon arrival Los Angeles County Engine 149 reported a small spot of fire and requested Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to respond.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Detectives are processing the area as a crime scene. All week Sheriffs have been searching for 19 year old Bryce Lapisa a missing college student who was en-route to Laguna Nigel from northern California. His vehicle was found over turned with blood stains inside at the Lake entrance.

It is unknown if these two incidents are related or if foul play is involved.

County Sheriffs, Coroner and Special Agents from the Forest Service are investigating the case.

Massive Wildfire Near Yosemite National Park, 125,000 Acres

What may well become one of California’s largest wildfires, the Rim fire has already consumed 125,000 acres near Yosemite National Park and has no intentions of slowing. It  was an impressive sight to see yesterday afternoon as the fire consumed some 30,000 acres. The fire is moving into the area for San Francisco’s drinking water, the Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park.

 

The fire started Saturday August 17 at 3:15 PM on the Groveland Ranger District, Stanislaus National Forest and has steadily marched north east since its inception. It is still primarily on the Stanislaus National Forest burning in heavy fuels and old growth timber. Structures have been evacuated and a massive mutual aid call out for County, State and Federal resources are still funneling in. Units from Los Angeles County and Los Angeles City Fire Departments are responding as well as hand crews from Kern County and the Los Padres National Forest.

 

There is no expected containment time and it may burn until winter rain and snow arrive since the fire may hit wilderness areas soon. Yosemite Park is one of the world’s pristine natural treasures and has not been impacted too bad as of yet by this monstrous wildfire.

 

Fire potential is very large, fire intensity is extreme, crowning and spotting in timber and heavy brush. Highway 108 on the west side may be impacted in a few days. Terrain is rugged with narrow mountain roads, wildlife impacted in natural areas. Highway 120 remains closed. Firefighter safety paramount falling timber and burning snags, extreme fire behavior and very steep terrain.

 

 

Photos Copyright Jeff Zimmerman, 2013

Critical Fire Weather Zone 259, Gusty Winds and Low Relative Humidity

Very low relative humidity, and a warming trend through Friday CA Zone 259, gusty NW canyon winds along Interstate 5 corridor.

Mountain Wildfire Destroys Homes

State, Federal and Local Government fire fighters are moving in to try and tackle the Mountain Fire in Riverside County. Units from Riverside County, Orange County, Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Kern County, United States Forest Service, BLM, Corona, CAL EMA and Cal Fire have been working around the clock to save structures in the Lake Hemet area.

 

Winds have shifted today making the fire very dangerous for area residents or Garner Valley east of Lake Hemet. Three residential structures, three mobile homes, 6 vehicles and 11 outbuildings have been destroyed by the 14,000 acre Mountain Fire in Riverside County.

 

Firefighters from numerous State, County and Federal agencies are trying to surround a monstrous wildfire that started near the intersection of Highway 243 and Highway 74 east of Hemet and just south of Idyllwild. The fire jumped Highway 243 in several places and then moved east to destroy homes in Apple Canyon and Bonita Vista.

 

The fire started at 1:43 PM  on July 15 and has no signs of slowing. Some monsoonal moisture may come from the south on Friday, but monsoonal moisture also brings the chance of lightning and strong winds which may hamper firefighting efforts. The fire has gone over the desert divide and for a time appeared to be moving towards the Palm Springs area. The fuels in the Lake Hemet area consist of heavy brush and timber at the higher elevations. 

Riverside County and Cal Fire crews were also busy last night with a very fast moving grass fire in San Timeteo Canyon near Redlands BLVD. Approximately one hundred firefighters were trying to hold the fire last night from jumping to the west over Redlands Blvd. Sweltering temperatures and low relative humidity have made the area very prone to wildfire. This year it is paramount to have good clearance of dry vegetation from homes in California. 

 

 Photos Copyright Jeff Zimmerman