The Water is Still High…

Just sharing some pictures we took today... Click the pictures to see an enlarged version....

My Mom came by this morning to visit and drop off some things that I’m borrowing for a bit to help me with a move I'm making.  After showing her the place I'm planning on moving to we decided to take a drive up the river to see how some of the marinas are faring with the high water. My daughter and grandson decided to come along too, so we all piled into my car and headed up river on the levee road.  The first marina upriver from Meridian is Lovey’s Landing.   All that area you see under water is normally filled with trailers and campers.  Fishermen and women usually live there year round to be close to the fishing.  One of the folks who has been living at Lovey’s is now staying with a friend across the street from me here in Meridian.  From what he told me and another friend, he's planning on renting a house here in town rather than moving his trailer back up to Lovey's when the river goes down.

One of the trailers didn’t make it out of the low area before the water level came up...

Most of the rest of the RVs and trailers got pulled out of  the low area to the levee road.. They'll sit there until the water goes back down and the ground dries a bit..

The next marina upriver is Ward's Landing, and as you can see from the picture, they've got the river in their yard too.

 Check out the angle the ramp to the dock is at.. The ramp normally follows the slope of the levee down and across to where the docks usually are, but with the high water, the ramp goes up, bends in the middle and then down again to the dock which is almost at the same level as the higher part of the parking lot.

Just upriver from Ward's is what is usually a dirt parking lot where folks store their boats, RV's and other equipment... All we saw was one lonely sunken boat trailer.

As we drove up the levee road, we looked out across some of the farmland that is underwater... It's not deep, but there are acres and acres under water right now.

The water fowl in the area are loving the high water.  We saw dozens and dozens of snowy egrets wading in the shallow water or flying away from the noise of my 4x4 on the road.  My daughter got a few really nice shots of the birds out the passenger side window.

The trees in this orchard must be terribly confused.  They're in full bloom and absolutely flooded by the Sacramento River.

See that long black thing out beyond the small trees on the "shore"?  It was rushing downriver with the current.. Tree?  Long support beam from something?  We don't know, but after seeing lots of trees, limbs along with that thing floating down the river, no one needed to wonder why there aren't any boats in the river.

The next marina (and the last one we drove past today) is the Colusa Landing.. Just a couple weeks ago, my Mom,  my granddaughter from Utah and  I were there for lunch.  They had sandbags at that time, but not like they have now.  And there wasn't water in the parking lot beyond the restaurant then, either.

I walked down near the water to get a picture of the deck on the river side of the restaurant so my granddaughter can see what it looks like now... When we were there, the water wasn't even close to the restaurant.  Today, however it's close.. And there's evidence that the water has been even higher.  The spot I was standing to take this picture was under water just a day or two ago.

 There's no access to the docks at Colusa Landing right now.. The water is just a wee bit deep...

Well, that's the end of the "tour" for today... After leaving Colusa Landing and the Steelhead Lodge, we headed on in to Colusa in search of a late lunch, which we found... And then back home for all of us...  Hope you've enjoyed the tour of our flooded river!  I may have to do another tour once the water goes down and life returns to normal... Hmm.. Yeah, that might be a nice thing to do with my granddaughters when the granddaughter from Utah comes back to visit this summer.

The Water is High………

Living alongside the Sacramento River is pretty good most of the time.  Until we get a wet winter like this one.  The streams and rivers are all running high right now..  Today, I took advantage of a break between storms to walk over to the levee to see how high the water is with my own eyes.  And to take a few pictures.. Of course.

And.. Yeah.  The water level is pretty high.  Flood stage on the Sacramento River in this area is at 70’ and according to the California Department of Water Resources website, right now the river level is about 67’.   Thankfully, the water levels are supposed to drop a little on Monday or Tuesday..  So far, from all reports that I’ve heard and read, the levees along the Sacramento River are holding up pretty well.  When the water is high like it is now, the levee districts have people patrolling the levees looking for any problem spots..  The reason the river is running so high right now is that Shasta Dam is dumping lots of water because Shasta Lake is uncomfortably close to capacity and the snow melt hasn't even begun yet.  It's the same situation on the other rivers in the area.  The Feather River is running high because Oroville is dumping water.  The American River is running high as well because the dams upstream are also making room for the snow melt.  Last week I read in one of the Sacramento papers that the summit of the Sierras had received something like 57 feet of snow and it was still snowing.. Hard.  Well, it's still snowing up there today and has been almost constantly for the past week.

Anyway, I thought I’d give you a couple pictures to compare.  Keep in mind that the photos are taken from opposite sides of the bridge and during different seasons…   The first picture was taken this afternoon and the second one was taken last June when CalTrans did a test of the mechanism that opens the bridge.  (Yes, it's a "draw" bridge, it just happens to be on a turntable.)

 As you can see from the pictures, the water level is pretty different between the two.. Be sure to note the difference on the bridge support below the up-rights on the structure.  (Sorry about not getting a shot from the same side of the bridge today.  I tried to go up on the South side of the bridge, but it was too muddy and too slick.  I didn't really feel like crawling up the side of the levee on my hands and knees.. So I used the access road on the North Side of the bridge.. You can see it in the picture below that shows both the river and the road.)

As I stood there watching the water flow past, I spotted a tree (Or the remains of a tree that fell in the river somewhere upstream.) coming down towards the bridge so I waited a bit to see where it was going to go... Under the bridge or get caught on the bridge supports.  This one went under the center span, but it's common for trees, limbs and other debris to get caught on the supports.

It's hard to tell in this image how much higher the water is than the road.  My estimate is that it's about 10 to 12 feet above the road surface.  All over town, the low areas have become pools of water that are seeping in from the river.  Including my own yard.  The back yard is mushy and I don't live right next to the levee.  The "joy" comes this coming week.  The sun is supposed to be out and the weather is going to warm up.  The river level will go down a foot or so, but the seepage puddles are still going to be there.  What does that mean for the little town of Meridian?  Mosquitoes!  It only takes a few nice days to hatch out scads of the pesky insects.  Oh "joy".

Monday Morning Fire Updates

This may be one of the last updates I do on the fires for a while. The fellow who blogs at California Fire News has come down off the mountain with his water tender. Until they call him back out again, that is. Anyway, he made some updates to his blog with the same sort of information that I've been posting and I know that more people look to his blog than mine. I doubt if all the information needs to be duplicated, so I will defer to the California Fire News blog once it's being updated regularly again. Yesterday, he posted an article from the Redding newspaper that gives an idea of what it takes to feed all those firefighters out there. It's well worth the read.

Anyway, that said, here's the statistics from Cal Fire for this morning. They're looking pretty good.

Statewide Fire Overview - Lightning Series

Current Situation: Over two thousand fires have been contained through the endless firefighting efforts of state, local and federal personnel and equipment from California, the rest of the nation and several foreign countries. Isolated thunderstorms are expected this afternoon over the northern and eastern mountains. Isolated showers and thunderstorms expected over the mountains and deserts of Southern California east of the Cajon Pass today. Firefighting priorities are the protection of life, property and natural resources.
Download the latest fact sheet. (Updated 7/21 at 9 a.m.)
Download the latest statewide map.

Statewide Fire Statistics

• Total Fires at Peak: 2,096
• Total Fires Contained: 2,063
• Total Active Fires: 33
• Total Acres Burned: 953,907

These numbers are total fires and acres that have occurred from state, local and federal firefighting agencies beginning June 20, 2008.

CAL FIRE Statistics

• Total Fires at Peak: 1,007
• Fires Contained: 1,004
• Active Fires: 3
• Acres Burned: 289,994

These numbers are total fires and acres that have occurred ONLY in CAL FIRE jurisdiction since June 20, 2008.

Statewide Resources Committed

• Personnel Committed: 15,573
• Fire Engines: 845
• Hand Crews: 404
• Dozers: 133
• Water Tenders: 247
• Helicopters: 90

Highway closures: Travel on state highways, county and local roads remains restricted throughout California due to wildfire and flood activities. All major roads are now open except for periodic closures on State Highway 299. Travelers are advised to seek current information on secondary road closures from local law enforcement. Click here for detailed road closures.

Evacuations: Areas of Humboldt, Trinity, Shasta, Lake and Mendocino counties are under evacuation orders at this time. Precautionary evacuation orders currently exist in areas in Monterey and Trinity counties. Residents are advised to monitor their local fire situation, check with local law enforcement agencies for information, and be prepared to evacuate when necessary. Click here for detailed evacuation information.

Structures:
Threatened : 4,958 residences, 139 commercial, 2,166 outbuildings.
Destroyed : 123 residences, 1 commercial, 138 outbuildings.

CAL FIRE Summary of Fires by County

Butte: The Butte Lightning Complex has burned 55,440 acres and is 90% contained. The Butte Fire Information Number is (530) 538-7826. Click Here for more information.

Shasta & Trinity: The Shasta and Trinity Lightning has burned 86,500 acres and is 95% contained. The Shasta-Trinity Unit Information Number is (530) 225-2510. Click Here for more information.

Mendocino: The Mendocino Lightning Complex burned 53,300 acres and is now 100% contained. The Mendocino Fire Information Number is (707)-467-6426. Click Here for more information.

Humboldt: The Humboldt Complex burned 1,325 acres and is now 100% contained.

Lassen, Modoc: The Corral Fire burned 12,434 acres and is now 100% contained. Click Here for more information.

Mariposa: The Oliver Fire burned 2,789 acres and now 100% contained.Click Here for more information.

Lake: The Walker Fire burned 14,500 acres and is now 100% contained. Click Here for more information.

Napa & Solano: The Wild Fire burned 40,000 acres and is now 100% contained. Click Here for more information.

Santa Clara: The Whitehurst and Hummingbird Fires burned a combined 994 acres and are both now 100% contained. Click Here for more information.

Its good to see the numbers for the total fires going down, and to see more and more of the fire complexes being contained, isn't it?

Cal Fire & National Fire Updates for 9am, 7/20

The news is looking good from the firelines. The total number of fires around the state has decreased again. It's down to 34 active fires in California. The weather is good here today, but from what they're saying, we could have thunderstorms "wandering" around sometime tomorrow. Hopefully if thunderstorms do happen, they will be wet ones. And I hope that they won't be the gully washers that cause flash floods or mud slides in the burned areas.

Here are the statistics from Cal Fire:

Statewide Fire Overview - Lightning Series

Current Situation: Over two thousand fires have been contained through the endless firefighting efforts of state, local and federal personnel and equipment from California, the rest of the nation and several foreign countries. An upper level low pressure will be gradually deepening offshore on Sunday, before moving onshore sometime Monday. By Monday it may be unstable enough to generate isolated localized thunderstorms in the North. Firefighting priorities are the protection of life, property and natural resources.
Download the latest fact sheet. (Updated 7/20 at 9 a.m.)
Download the latest statewide map.

Statewide Fire Statistics

• Total Fires at Peak: 2,096
• Total Fires Contained: 2,062
• Total Active Fires: 34
• Total Acres Burned: 940,782

These numbers are total fires and acres that have occurred from state, local and federal firefighting agencies beginning June 20, 2008.

CAL FIRE Statistics

• Total Fires at Peak: 1,007
• Fires Contained: 1,004
• Active Fires: 3
• Acres Burned: 289,994

These numbers are total fires and acres that have occurred ONLY in CAL FIRE jurisdiction since June 20, 2008.

Statewide Resources Committed

• Personnel Committed: 16,871
• Fire Engines: 909
• Hand Crews: 427
• Dozers: 154
• Water Tenders: 287
• Helicopters: 90

Highway closures: Travel on state highways, county and local roads remains restricted throughout California due to wildfire and flood activities. All major roads are now open except for periodic closures on State Highway 299. Travelers are advised to seek current information on secondary road closures from local law enforcement. Click here for detailed road closures.

Evacuations: Areas of Humboldt, Shasta, Lake and Mendocino counties are under evacuation orders at this time. Precautionary evacuation orders currently exist in areas in Monterey and Trinity counties. Residents are advised to monitor their local fire situation, check with local law enforcement agencies for information, and be prepared to evacuate when necessary. Click here for detailed evacuation information.

Structures:
Threatened : 5,111 residences, 139 commercial, 2,225 outbuildings.
Destroyed : 123 residences, 1 commercial, 140 outbuildings.

The National Interagency Fire Center has also updated their page with the newest information too. Here's what they have:

July 20, 2008

The large fires in northern California burned actively yesterday, where several communities are still under evacuation orders. Despite these conditions, firefighters are working hard and making progress toward containment goals. Yesterday, 114 new fires were reported across the country, but thanks to the initial attack efforts of firefighters, all of them remained small. Fire managers have prepositioned crews, engines, and aircraft in anticipation of the lightning storms that could hit the western states Monday and Tuesday.

Australia, New Zealand, and Canada are providing 59 fire specialists and managers to assist with fire suppression operations in California. Canada is also providing two crews to California.

Six MAFFS C-130 air tankers are supporting the State of California. All aircraft are based at McClellan Airport in Sacramento, California. The Mission Commander is LTC Mike Barkdull, 153rd Airlift Wing, Cheyenne, Wyoming. One aircraft is provided by the 145th Airlift Wing, Charlotte, North Carolina, three from the 302nd Airlift Wing, Colorado Springs, Colorado and two from the 153rd Airlift Wing, Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The following table lists the number of personnel assigned to the wildland fires in California. This information was provided by the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region and CalFire.

July 20, 2008
Resource	Federal	State	Other	Total
Total Personnel	6,245	4,512	6,114	16,871
Helicopters	40	1	49	90
Hand Crews	175	123	128	426
Engines	246	289	374	909
Dozers	6	10	138	154
Water Tenders	8	2	277	287
NOTE: Total personnel includes all personnel assigned to California. Individuals assigned to resources such as engines, dozers, overhead, etc. are included in the "total personnel" category. The "other" category includes contractors, military, and local government.

Weather Discussion: Most of the West will be hot and dry today. Widely scattered mixed wet and dry thunderstorms are expected over portions of the Great Basin, Wyoming, and Montana. Wet thunderstorms are forecast for the southern Sierra and the southern California mountains and deserts.

Source: National Interagency Coordination Center

Current Wildland Fires:

California

American River Complex (Tahoe National Forest): 20,541 acres at 75 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 11 miles northeast of Foresthill. Residences are threatened and evacuations are in effect.
Information: Call (530) 367-6223 or visit the web site.

Basin Complex (Los Padres National Forest): 133,709 acres at 70 percent contained. This complex is five miles southeast of Big Sur. Emergency Passes issued by the Monterey County Sheriffs Department are required for residents and their employees to enter the voluntary evacuation areas along the Carmel Valley Road and Cachagua Road. The passes are available at checkpoints 24 hours a day.
Information: Call (805) 961-5770 or visit the web site.

Bear Wallow Complex (Six Rivers National Forest): 2,565 acres at zero percent contained. This complex of two fires is 13 miles southeast of Happy Camp. Visibility and terrain are hampering firefighter containment efforts. Approximately 16 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) has been closed. The trail closure extends from Etna Summit to the intersection of the PCT with the Canyon Creek Trail (#5532).
Information: Call (707) 457-3879 or visit the web site.

Blue 2 (Six Rivers National Forest): 4,465 acres at 22 percent contained. This fire is 12 miles east of Klamath. Cultural resources are threatened.
Information: Call (707) 457-3879 or visit the web site.

BTU Lightning Complex (Butte Unit, Cal Fire): 55,240 acres at 90 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 27 miles north of Yuba City. Fire activity was minimal yesterday.
Information: Call (530) 538-7826 or visit the web site.

Canyon Complex (Plumas National Forest): 35,105 acres at 71 percent contained. This complex of six fires is 16 miles northeast of Paradise. Communities and archeological sites are threatened.
Information: Call (530) 283-7882 or visit the web site.

Cub Complex (Lassen National Forest): 19,718 acres at 95 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 16 miles southwest of Chester. Traffic flow is restricted on Highway 32.
Information: Call (530) 258-3932 or visit the web site.

Gap (Los Padres National Forest): 9,443 acres at 97 percent contained. This fire is located six miles northwest of Santa Barbara. Structures are threatened.
Information: Call (805) 961-5770 or visit the web site.

Hell's Half Complex (Six Rivers National Forest): 11,414 acres at 60 percent contained. This complex of two fires is eight miles southwest of Burnt Ranch. Communities are threatened. Mandatory evacuation of the Dry Lake area is in effect. Evacuations continue for 56 residences south of the fire.
Information: Call (530) 629-2184 or visit the web site.

Iron and Alps Complex (Shasta-Trinity National Forest): 55,545 acres at 49 percent contained. This complex of seven fires is one mile north of Junction City. Mandatory evacuations are still in effect for Corral Bottom and the following ares of Junction City: Red Hill, Cooper's Bar, Dutch Creek, Evan's Bar, and Soldier Creek.
Information: Call (530) 623-6415 or visit the web site.

Lime Complex (Shasta-Trinity National Forest): 89,823 acres at 67 percent contained. This complex of 11 fires is 14 miles west of Hayfork. Residences, ranches, camps, and private lands around Hyampom, Indian Valley, Hayfork Bally Lookout, Wildwood, Buck Camp, Saddle Camp; and Tomhead Lookout, South Mountain Road area, and communications towers are threatened. Cultural sites south of the Yellow fire, in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness are also threatened.
Information: Call (530) 226-2500 ext. 2 or visit the web site.

SHU Lightning Complex (Shasta-Trinity Unit, Cal Fire): 84,988 acres at 75 percent contained. This complex of two fires is in Shasta and Trinity counties. Residences are threatened and road closures are in effect.
Information: Call (530) 225-2510 or visit the web site.

Siskiyou Complex (Klamath National Forest): 48,000 acres at 20 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 18 miles southwest of Happy Camp. Steep, inaccessible terrain and rolling material continues to hamper containment efforts. Smoke trapped by inversions has hampered air operations. Significant Karuk and Yurok Tribal cultural and religious sites continue to be at risk. Structure protection is in effect along Highway 96, in cooperation with the Ukonom Complex.
Information: Call (530) 493-1518 or visit the web site.

Soda Complex (Mendocino National Forest): 8,581 acres at 79 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 15 miles northwest of Upper Lake. Active fire behavior was reported. Seven residences were evacuated between Deadmans Flat and Sunset Gap.
Information: Call (707) 275-2017 or visit the web site.

Ukonom Complex (Six Rivers National Forest): 25,155 acres at 22 percent contained. This complex is 10 miles east of Orleans. Structures are threatened and road closures are in effect.
Information: Call (530) 627-3291 or visit the web site.

Colorado

Grand Complex (Grand Mesa National Forest): 1,632 acres at an unknown percent contained. This complex of two fires is 20 miles southeast of Grand Junction. It includes the Coal Creek fire. Fire activity was minimal.

Louisiana

Range (Kisatchie National Forest): 482 acres at 90 percent contained. This fire is 11 miles southwest of Alexandria. No new information was provided.

Nevada

NEW Callaghan (Battle Mountain Field Office, Bureau of Land Management): 630 acres at zero percent contained. This fire is 14 miles northeast of Austin. Extreme fire behavior was reported. Structures are threatened.

North Carolina

Evans Road (North Carolina Division of Forest Resources): 41,553 acres at 75 percent contained. This fire is located seven miles south of Creswell. Fire activity was minimal. Residences are threatened.
Information: Call 919-218-3179.

Texas

NEW Well 35 (Texas Forest Service): 1,200 acres at zero percent contained. This fire started on private land 26 miles west of Mineral Wells. Residences are threatened.

NEW Miller (Texas Forest Service): 482 acres at 90 percent contained. This fire started on private land two miles northeast of Memphis. Residences are threatened.

Virginia

South One (Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Reserve): 4,664 acres at 95 percent contained. This fire is located 12 miles southeast of Suffolk. No new information was provided.

Washington

Cold Spring (Gifford Pinchot National Forest): 7,956 acres at 60 percent contained. This fire is 40 miles northwest of Goldendale. Minimal fire behavior was reported. Cultural sites are threatened.

Spokane Valley (Washington Department of Natural Resources): 1,006 acres at 95 percent contained. This fire is four miles west of Spokane Valley. Fire activity was minimal. Residences are threatened.
Information: Call (123) 456-7890 or visit the web site.

I think I'll close with a funny... lol, Not a cat this time, but it does mention the feline types...

see more dog pictures

New Update from Cal Fire

The Cal Fire website has put up the update for this morning... I figured I'd add it in to the other post, but it's long enough as it is, I think.. lol.. So here's a new post with this morning's numbers:

Statewide Fire Overview - Lightning Series

Current Situation: Over two thousand fires have been contained through the endless firefighting efforts of state, local and federal personnel and equipment from California, the rest of the nation and several foreign countries. A weak low pressure system is entering northern California bringing cooler temperatures with a potential for widely scattered showers in the mountains. Southern California may see a potential of thunderstorms on Monday as monsoonal moisture attempts to surge back into the region. Firefighting priorities are the protection of life, property and natural resources .
Download the latest fact sheet. (Updated 7/19 at 9 a.m.)
Download the latest statewide map.

Statewide Fire Statistics

• Total Fires at Peak: 2,093
• Total Fires Contained: 2,055
• Total Active Fires: 38
• Total Acres Burned: 926,427

These numbers are total fires and acres that have occurred from state, local and federal firefighting agencies beginning June 20, 2008.

CAL FIRE Statistics

• Total Fires at Peak: 1,007
• Fires Contained: 1,004
• Active Fires: 3
• Acres Burned: 289,994

These numbers are total fires and acres that have occurred ONLY in CAL FIRE jurisdiction since June 20, 2008.

Statewide Resources Committed

• Personnel Committed: 17,643
• Fire Engines: 1,025
• Hand Crews: 428
• Dozers: 167
• Water Tenders: 306
• Helicopters: 102

Highway closures: Travel on state highways, county and local roads remains restricted throughout California due to wildfire and flood activities. All major roads are now open with potential delays on State Highways 32, 70 and 299. Travelers are advised to seek current information on secondary road closures from local law enforcement. Click here for detailed road closures.

Evacuations: Areas of Humboldt, Shasta and Trinity counties are under evacuation orders at this time. Precautionary evacuation orders currently exist in areas in Monterey and Trinity counties. Residents are advised to monitor their local fire situation, check with local law enforcement agencies for information, and be prepared to evacuate when necessary. Click here for detailed evacuation information.

Structures:
Threatened : 5,178 residences, 96 commercial, 1,975 outbuildings.
Destroyed : 123 residences, 1 commercial, 140 outbuildings.

CAL FIRE Summary of Fires by County

Butte: The Butte Lightning Complex has burned 55,240 acres and is 85% contained. The Butte Fire Information Number is (530) 538-7826.

Shasta & Trinity: The Shasta and Trinity Lightning has burned 84,988 acres and is 65% contained. The Shasta-Trinity Unit Information Number is (530) 225-2510.

Mendocino: The Mendocino Lightning Complex burned 53,300 acres and is now 100% contained. The Mendocino Fire Information Number is (707)-467-6426.

Humboldt: The Humboldt Complex burned 1,325 acres and is now 100% contained.

Lassen, Modoc: The Corral Fire burned 12,434 acres and is now 100% contained.

Mariposa: The Oliver Fire burned 2,789 acres and now 100% contained.

Lake: The Walker Fire burned 14,500 acres and is now 100% contained.

Napa & Solano: The Wild Fire burned 40,000 acres and is now 100% contained.

Santa Clara: The Whitehurst and Hummingbird Fires burned a combined 994 acres and are both now 100% contained.

Tehama & Glenn: The Tehama-Glenn Lightning Complex burned 22,907 acres and is now 100% contained.

Major Federal and Local Incidents
For information on major federal incidents click here.

Maps and Links
For incident maps, resources available to fire victims or to volunteer, visit our Maps and Links page.

Fire Updates are Looking Good!

The weather is fair this morning, cool but no breeze. The sky looks a little hazy this morning, but it's sort of blue when I look straight up. This morning's fire update isn't on the Cal Fire website yet (They seem to be getting slower and slower about updating lately.. lol), but I can post the update from 9pm last night.

Statewide Fire Overview - Lightning Series

Current Situation: Over two thousand fires have been contained through the endless firefighting efforts of state, local and federal personnel and equipment from California, the rest of the nation and several foreign countries. A weak low pressure system will enter northern California beginning Saturday with only widely scattered showers predicted in the mountains. Southern California may see a potential of thunderstorms on Monday as monsoonal moisture attempts to surge back into the region. Firefighting priorities are the protection of life, property and natural resources.
Download the latest fact sheet. (Updated 7/18 at 9 p.m.)
Download the latest statewide map.

Statewide Fire Statistics

• Total Fires at Peak: 2,093
• Total Fires Contained: 2,055
• Total Active Fires: 38
• Total Acres Burned: 920,075

These numbers are total fires and acres that have occurred from state, local and federal firefighting agencies beginning June 20, 2008.

CAL FIRE Statistics

• Total Fires at Peak: 1,007
• Fires Contained: 1,000
• Active Fires: 7
• Acres Burned: 265,011

These numbers are total fires and acres that have occurred ONLY in CAL FIRE jurisdiction since June 20, 2008.

Statewide Resources Committed

• Personnel Committed: 17,381
• Fire Engines: 1,029
• Hand Crews: 424
• Dozers: 170
• Water Tenders: 304
• Helicopters: 100

Highway closures: Travel on state highways, county and local roads remains restricted throughout California due to wildfire and flood activities. All major roads are now open with potential delays on State Highways 32, 70 and 299. Travelers are advised to seek current information on secondary road closures from local law enforcement. Click here for detailed road closures.

Evacuations: Areas of Humboldt, Shasta and Trinity counties are under evacuation orders at this time. Precautionary evacuation orders currently exist in areas in Kern (flood hazard), Monterey and Trinity counties. Residents are advised to monitor their local fire situation, check with local law enforcement agencies for information, and be prepared to evacuate when necessary.. Click here for detailed evacuation information.

Structures:
Threatened : 5,183 residences, 97 commercial, 1,979 outbuildings.
Destroyed : 102 residences, 1 commercial, 139 outbuildings.

And here are the statistics from the National Interagency Fire Center:

July 19, 2008

Firefighters continue to make good progress on the large fires in California, a few are expected to be contained over the weekend. Yesterday, 163 new fires were reported, but thanks to the initial attack efforts of firefighters, all of them remained small. Fire managers have prepositioned crews, engines, and aircraft in anticipation of the lightning storms that could hit the western states this weekend.

Australia, New Zealand, and Canada are providing 59 fire specialists and managers to assist with fire suppression operations in California. Canada is also providing two crews to California.

Six MAFFS C-130 air tankers are supporting the State of California. All aircraft are based at McClellan Airport in Sacramento, California. The Mission Commander is LTC Mike Barkdull, 153rd Airlift Wing, Cheyenne, Wyoming. One aircraft is provided by the 145th Airlift Wing, Charlotte, North Carolina, three from the 302nd Airlift Wing,
Colorado Springs, Colorado and two from the 153rd Airlift Wing, Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The following table lists the number of personnel assigned to the wildland fires in California. This information was provided by the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region and CalFire.

July 19, 2008
Resource	Federal	State	Other	Total
Total Personnel	6,205	4,976	6,462	17,463
Helicopters	57	1	44	102
Hand Crews	175	124	129	428
Engines	239	374	412	1,025
Dozers	7	16	144	167
Water Tenders	8	7	291	306
Overhead	1,423	892	1,035	3,350
NOTE: Total personnel includes all personnel assigned to California. Individuals assigned to resources such as engines, dozers, overhead, etc. are included in the "total personnel" category. The "other" category includes contractors, military, and local government.

Weather Discussion: Chance of a few thunderstorms over northern California, southern Oregon and the Great Basin today. Otherwise, hot and dry over much of the West. Gusty winds are expected in Montana, Wyoming and parts of the Great Basin.

Source: National Interagency Coordination Center

Below, I'm adding the list of fires from the National Interagency Fire Center for all the active fires, not just the ones in California.

California

American River Complex (Tahoe National Forest): 19,992 acres at 65 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 11 miles northeast of Foresthill. Residences are threatened and road closures are in effect. Two hundred members of the California National Guard will begin a three-day training exercise today in fire suppression techniques on the fire's southern flank.
Information: Call (530) 367-6223 or visit the web site.

Basin Complex (Los Padres National Forest): 129,840 acres at 70 percent contained. This complex is five miles southeast of Big Sur. Mandatory evacuation for cabins in the Santa Lucia Tract remains in effect.
Information: Call (805) 961-5770 or visit the web site.

Bear Wallow Complex (Six Rivers National Forest): 2,320 acres at zero percent contained. This complex of two fires is 13 miles southeast of Happy Camp. Minimal fire behavior was reported.
Information: Call (707) 457-3879 or visit the web site.

Blue 2 (Six Rivers National Forest): 4,465 acres at 22 percent contained. This fire is 12 miles east of Klamath. Cultural resources are threatened.
Information: Call (707) 457-3879 or visit the web site.

BTU Lightning Complex (Butte Unit, Cal Fire): 55,240 acres at 85 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 27 miles north of Yuba City. Fire activity increased yesterday.
Information: Call (530) 538-7826 or visit the web site.

Canyon Complex (Plumas National Forest): 34,139 acres at 64 percent contained. This complex of six fires is 16 miles northeast of Paradise. Communities and archeological sites are threatened.
Information: Call (530) 283-7882 or visit the web site.

Cub Complex (Lassen National Forest): 19,718 acres at 90 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 16 miles southwest of Chester. Traffic flow is restricted on Highway 32.
Information: Call (530) 258-3932 or visit the web site.

Gap (Los Padres National Forest): 9,443 acres at 97 percent contained. This fire is located six miles northwest of Santa Barbara. Structures are threatened.
Information: Call (805) 961-5770 or visit the web site.

Hell's Half Complex (Six Rivers National Forest): 10,917 acres at 50 percent contained. This complex of two fires is eight miles southwest of Burnt Ranch. Communities are threatened. Evacuation orders are in effect for the Big Slide and Hyampom West areas.
Information: Call (530) 629-2184 or visit the web site.

Iron and Alps Complex (Shasta-Trinity National Forest): 52,161 acres at 45 percent contained. This complex of seven fires is one mile north of Junction City. Mandatory evacuations are in effect for Corral Bottom, Red Hill,Cooper's Bar, Dutch Creek, Evan's Bar, and Soldier Creek.
Information: Call (530) 623-6415 or visit the web site.

Lime Complex (Shasta-Trinity National Forest): 86,964 acres at 65 percent contained. This complex of 11 fires is 14 miles west of Hayfork. Communities, ranches, and youth camps are threatened.
Information: Call (530) 226-2500 ext. 2 or visit the web site.

Piute (Sequoia National Forest): 37,026 acres at 97 percent contained. This fire is 17 miles northeast of Caliente. This will be the last report unless significant activity occurs.
Information: Call (760) 549-0213 or the web site.

SHU Lightning Complex (Shasta-Trinity Unit, Cal Fire): 84,988 acres at 65 percent contained. This complex of two fires is in Shasta and Trinity counties. Residences are threatened and road closures are in effect.
Information: Call (530) 225-2510 or visit the web site.

Siskiyou Complex (Klamath National Forest): 45,100 acres at 20 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 18 miles southwest of Happy Camp. Residences and cultural sites are threatened. Forest road, campground and trail closures in effect.
Information: Call (530) 493-1518 or visit the web site.

Soda Complex (Mendocino National Forest): 8,360 acres at 79 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 15 miles northwest of Upper Lake. Active fire behavior was reported. Residences are threatened.
Information: Call (707) 275-2017 or visit the web site.

Ukonom Complex (Six Rivers National Forest): 24,593 acres at 22 percent contained. This complex is 10 miles east of Orleans. Structures are threatened and road closures are in effect.
Information: Call (530) 627-3291 or visit the web site.

Colorado

Grand Complex (Grand Mesa National Forest): 1,632 acres at an unknown percent contained. This complex of two fires is 20 miles southeast of Grand Junction. It includes the Coal Creek fire. Fire activity was minimal.

Louisiana

Range (Kisatchie National Forest): 482 acres at 90 percent contained. This fire is 11 miles southwest of Alexandria. Fire behavior was minimal.

North Carolina

Evans Road (North Carolina Division of Forest Resources): 41,553 acres at 75 percent contained. This fire is located seven miles south of Creswell. Fire activity was minimal. Residences are threatened.
Information: Call 919-218-3179.

Virginia

South One (Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Reserve): 4,664 acres at 95 percent contained. This fire is located 12 miles southeast of Suffolk. Minimal fire activity was reported.

Washington

Badger Mountain (Washington Department of Natural Resources): 15,023 acres at 98 percent contained. The fire is eight miles north of East Wenatchee. This will be the last report unless significant activity occurs.
Information: Call (509) 888-1364 or visit the web site.

Cold Spring (Gifford Pinchot National Forest): 7,956 acres at 50 percent contained. This fire is 40 miles northwest of Goldendale. Minimal fire behavior was reported. Cultural sites are threatened.

Spokane Valley (Washington Department of Natural Resources): 1,006 acres at 90 percent contained. This fire is four miles west of Spokane Valley. Fire activity was minimal. Residences are threatened.
Information: Call (123) 456-7890 or visit the web site.

The Modis Rapid Response System website hasn't had any satellite photos of California in a few days now, but some of the other ones they've been posting in the gallery are pretty interesting. A while back, I posted one of fires in Russia, so I'm posting another one from Russia today. It looks like the same area that I posted before. Just lots more smoke and fires, it looks like.
I surfed through the images on the "Real Time" link on the Modis page and found one of the images that shows California. I downloaded it and cropped the image to show just the part I wanted, but it does show the fires and the smoke as of yesterday.

Slow Updates

I had been putting off putting the update up for the fires until the Cal Fire site got this morning's stats up, but for some reason, they're still not there. The only information on the site is from 9PM last night (as of 1:20pm today.) I'll add those, but the National Interagency Fire Center has some updated stats... So.. Both will be on here.. Sort of.. lol..

Here's the Cal Fire stats from last night:

Statewide Fire Overview - Lightning Series

Current Situation: Over two thousand fires have been contained due to the endless firefighting efforts of state, local and federal personnel and equipment from California, as well as from the rest of the nation and several foreign countries. Generally favorable weather conditions have resulted in continuing good progress on the fire lines. The southern Sierra Nevada again experienced thundershower activity, with numerous lightning strikes, this afternoon. The priority of firefighting is for the protection of life, property and natural resources.
Download the latest fact sheet. (Updated 7/16 at 9 p.m.)
Download the latest statewide map.

Statewide Fire Statistics

• Total Fires at Peak: 2,093
• Total Fires Contained: 2,050
• Total Active Fires: 43
• Total Acres Burned: 887,315

These numbers are total fires and acres that have occurred from state, local and federal firefighting agencies beginning June 20, 2008.

CAL FIRE Statistics

• Total Fires at Peak: 1,005
• Fires Contained: 994
• Active Fires: 11
• Acres Burned: 262,133

These numbers are total fires and acres that have occurred ONLY in CAL FIRE jurisdiction since June 20, 2008.
The number of contained and active fires will not equal the total due to some fires merging together.

Statewide Resources Committed

• Personnel Committed: 18,571
• Fire Engines: 1,104
• Hand Crews: 447
• Dozers: 196
• Water Tenders: 326
• Helicopters: 110

Highway closures: Travel on state highways, county and local roads remains restricted throughout California due to wildfire and flood activities. All major roads are now open with delays on State Highways 32 and 70 . Travelers are advised to seek current information on secondary road closures from local law enforcement. Click here for detailed road closures.

Evacuations:Areas of Monterey, Shasta and Trinity counties are under evacuation orders at this time. Precautionary evacuation orders currently exist in areas in Butte, Kern (flash flooding) and Trinity counties. Residents are advised to monitor their local fire situation, check with local law enforcement agencies for information, and be prepared to evacuate when necessary. Click here for detailed evacuation information.

Structures:
Threatened : 5,360 residences, 97 commercial, 1,970 outbuildings.
Destroyed : 101 residences, 1 commercial, 138 outbuildings.

Only 43 active fires statewide as of last night. It's good to see the numbers decreasing so steadily. Here's the information from the National Interagency Fire Center:

July 17, 2008

Firefighters continue to make progress on the large fires in California, where 18 large fires or complexes are still burning. Three large fires were contained yesterday, one each in Idaho Texas, and Washington. Fire managers are preparing for dry lightning storms expected to hit parts of the northern California and southern Oregon by Saturday.

Eight MAFFS C-130 airtankers are supporting California. The aircraft are based at McClellan Airport in Sacramento, California. The Mission Commander is LTC Roger Williams, 145th Air Wing Air National Guard, North Carolina. Aircraft are provided by the 145th Airlift Wing, Charlotte North Carolina, the 302nd Airlift Wing, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the 153rd Airlift Wing from Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The following table lists the number of personnel assigned to the wildland fires in California. This information was provided by the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region and CalFire.

July 17, 2008
Resource	Federal	State	Other	Total
Total Personnel	6,139	5,510	6,914	18,563
Helicopters	52	2	53	207
Hand Crews	171	133	143	447
Engines	229	276	578	1,083
Dozers	10	27	159	196
Water Tenders	7	18	300	325
Overhead	1,519	953	1,063	3,535
NOTE: Total personnel includes all personnel assigned to California. Individuals assigned to resources such as engines, dozers, overhead, etc. are included in the "total personnel" category. The "other" category includes contractors, military, and local government.

Weather Discussion: Mixed wet and dry thunderstorms will continue in central Idaho and western Montana, with wet thunderstorms east of the Continental Divide and through the Four-Corner states. Southern California may still see thunderstorms in eastern sections of the area through Friday.

Source: National Interagency Coordination Center

American River Complex (Tahoe National Forest): 19,322 acres at 55 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 11 miles northeast of Foresthill. Residences are threatened and evacuations are in place.
Information: Call (530) 367-6223 or visit the web site.

Basin Complex (Los Padres National Forest): 122,980 acres at 61 percent contained. This complex is five miles southeast of Big Sur. Residences are threatened and evacuations are in place.
Information: Call (805) 961-5770 or visit the web site.

Bear Wallow Complex (Six Rivers National Forest): 2,037 acres at zero percent contained. This complex of two fires is 13 miles southeast of Happy Camp. Moderate fire behavior was reported.
Information: Call (707) 457-3879 or visit the web site.

Blue 2 (Six Rivers National Forest): 3,950 acres at 16 percent contained. This fire is 12 miles east of Klamath. Cultural resources are threatened.
Information: Call (707) 457-3879 or visit the web site.

BTU Lightning Complex (Butte Unit, Cal Fire): 54,300 acres at 80 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 27 miles north of Yuba City. Fire activity was minimal yesterday.
Information: Call (530) 538-7826 or visit the web site.

Canyon Complex (Plumas National Forest): 32,352 acres at 66 percent contained. This complex of six fires is 16 miles northeast of Paradise. Communities and archeological sites are threatened. Area closures are in effect.
Information: Call (530) 283-7882 or visit the web site.

Cub Complex (Lassen National Forest): 19,000 acres at 78 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 16 miles southwest of Chester. A precautionary threat evacuation notice for Butte Meadows and Jonesville is still in effect. Highway 32 is closed.
Information: Call (530) 258-3932 or visit the web site.

Gap (Los Padres National Forest): 9,443 acres at 90 percent contained. This fire is located six miles northwest of Santa Barbara. Structures are threatened.
Information: Call (805) 961-5770 or visit the web site.

Hell's Half Complex (Six Rivers National Forest): 10,192 acres at 35 percent contained. This complex of two fires is eight miles southwest of Burnt Ranch. Communities are threatened. Evacuation orders are in effect for the Big Slide and Hyampom West areas.
Information: Call (530) 629-2184 or visit the web site.

Iron and Alps Complex (Shasta-Trinity National Forest): 47,066 acres at 46 percent contained. This complex of seven fires is one mile north of Junction City. Advisory evacuations are in effect for several communities.
Information: Call (530) 623-6415 or visit the web site.

Lime Complex (Shasta-Trinity National Forest): 82,726 acres at 62 percent contained. This complex of 11 fires is 14 miles west of Hayfork. Communities, ranches, and youth camps are threatened.
Information: Call (530) 226-2500 ext. 2 or visit the web site.

MEU Lightning Complex (Mendocino Unit, Cal Fire): 53,300 acres at 95 percent contained. This complex of three fires is in Mendocino county. Minimal fire activity was reported.
Information: Call 707-467-6426 or visit the web site.

Piute (Sequoia National Forest): 37,026 acres at 95 percent contained. This fire is 17 miles northeast of Caliente. Flash flood evacuations and area closures in effect. Fire activity was minimal.
Information: Call (760) 549-0213 or the web site .

SHU Lightning Complex (Shasta-Trinity Unit, Cal Fire): 82,536 acres at 60 percent contained. This complex of two fires is in Shasta and Trinity counties. Several evacuations orders are in place. Visit the web site for the most current information.
Information: Call (530) 225-2510 or visit the web site.

Siskiyou Complex (Klamath National Forest): 39,750 acres at 18 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 18 miles southwest of Happy Camp. Residences and cultural sites are threatened. Area and road closures are in effect.
Information: Call (530) 493-1518 or visit the web site.

Soda Complex (Mendocino National Forest): 8,317 acres at 69 percent contained. This complex of two fires is 15 miles northwest of Upper Lake. Crews made excellent progress on line construction. Residences are threatened.
Information: Call (707) 275-2017 or visit the web site.

Ukonom Complex (Six Rivers National Forest): 22,926 acres at 22 percent contained. This complex is 10 miles east of Orleans. Structures are threatened and road closures are in effect.
Information: Call (530) 627-3291 or visit the web site.

What is really good to see is the list of fires that have been contained.

Humboldt: The Humboldt Complex burned 1,325 acres and is now 100% contained.

Lassen, Modoc: The Corral Fire burned 12,434 acres and is now 100% contained.

Mariposa: The Oliver Fire burned 2,789 acres and now 100% contained.

Lake: The Walker Fire burned 14,500 acres and is now 100% contained.

Napa & Solano: The Wild Fire burned 40,000 acres and is now 100% contained.

Santa Clara: The Whitehurst and Hummingbird Fires burned a combined 994 acres and are both now 100% contained.

Tehama & Glenn: The Tehama-Glenn Lightning Complex burned 22,907 acres and is now 100% contained.

I have a hunch that the delay with Cal Fire getting this morning's updates onto their website has something to do with the fact that President Bush is supposed to be visiting the state and viewing the fires and fire damage. I've seen a number of news articles about his visit and from what I gather, he and the governor will be in the Redding area today. I'll try to update the blog if and when the Cal Fire site updates the statistics. Meanwhile, I need to go close up windows and turn on my air conditioners because it's getting hot in this house... lol

Fewer Fires Means Blue Sky!

We've had blue sky above for the last couple of days and it's marvelous. Today the weather is much cooler than it had been as well, and that is marvelous too. The number of fires is going down too, which is fantastic! We no longer have over 20,000 people out on the fire lines! Some of those poor firefighters can get some rest! Here are this mornings numbers, and be sure to look at the "Current Situation and look at the countries who've sent firefighters to help:

Statewide Fire Overview - Lightning Series

Current Situation: Over two thousand fires have been contained due to the endless efforts of firefighters from California, as well as from throughout the nation and Canada. Additional firefighting resources from Australia, Greece, New Zealand and Samoa have been deployed on fire lines. Both lower temperatures and overnight humidity recovery are predicted to be more favorable for firefighting efforts in the short term. The priority of firefighting is for the protection of life, property and natural resources.
Download the latest fact sheet. (Updated 7/16 at 9 a.m.)
Download the latest statewide map.

Statewide Fire Statistics

• Total Fires at Peak: 2,085
• Total Fires Contained: 2,005
• Total Active Fires: 80
• Total Acres Burned: 879,152

These numbers are total fires and acres that have occurred from state, local and federal firefighting agencies beginning June 20, 2008.

CAL FIRE Statistics

• Total Fires at Peak: 1,005
• Fires Contained: 994
• Active Fires: 11
• Acres Burned: 262,133

These numbers are total fires and acres that have occurred ONLY in CAL FIRE jurisdiction since June 20, 2008.
The number of contained and active fires will not equal the total due to some fires merging together.

Statewide Resources Committed

• Personnel Committed: 18,730
• Fire Engines: 1,175
• Hand Crews: 448
• Dozers: 204
• Water Tenders: 334
• Helicopters: 112

Highway closures: State highways, county and local roads are closed throughout California due to wildfire activities. All major roads are now open with delays on State Highways 32, 70 and 299. Travelers are advised to seek current information on secondary road closures from local law enforcement. Click here for detailed road closures.

Evacuations: Areas of Kern, Monterey, Shasta and Trinity counties are under evacuation orders at this time. Precautionary evacuation orders currently exist in areas in Butte, Kern, Monterey, Shasta and Trinity counties. Residents are advised to monitor their local fire situation, check with local law enforcement agencies for information, and be prepared to evacuate when necessary. Click here for detailed evacuation information.

Structures:
Threatened : 6,458 residences, 129 commercial, 2,270 outbuildings.
Destroyed : 101 residences, 1 commercial, 138 outbuildings.

And since it's going to be a short post for today (Real life has gotten in the way a bit.. lol) I'll add a cute kitty.... Have a great day folks!

moar funny pictures