Piute Update for Saturday, July 12th 8am PDT
Incident: Piute Wildland Fire
Released: 7/12/2008
Piute Fire Morning Update for Saturday, July 12th 8 am
FACTS:
35,076 acres / 44% contained / $18,650,000 costs / 1,624 total personnel
RESOURCES:
Crews: 39 / Engines: 92 / Dozers: 9 / Watertenders: 32 / Helicopters: 7 / Overhead: 318
WHAT'S NEW & EVENTS:
- A public meeting is scheduled for tonight, Saturday, July 12, at 7:00 p.m. at the Kern River Valley Senior Center, transitioning the Pacific Northwest Interagency Incident Management Team to California Incident Management Team 2 (Incident Commander Bill Molumby).
- Piute fire personnel have worked 188,365 hours and constructed 28.3 miles of hand line and 56.3 miles of mechanical line.
- Burning operations will continue in the Erskine Creek drainage and the Thompson Canyon areas.
- A Student Conservation Association team, sponsored by the Bureau of Land Management, is working in conjunction with the Forest Service and Piute Fire Unified Command to provide community education regarding fire prevention and defensible space in the Bodfish and Mountain Mesa areas. Homeowners interested in a Special Home Ignition Zone Assessment may contact CSA team leader Ashley Thrasher at (208)608-6329.
- For anyone that may need assistance from the Red Cross due to the Piute Fire, please contact them at (661) 324-6427 or (800) 498-4882.
Fire Status: Yesterday, the fire was active in the Middle Fork of Erskine Creek and north of Liebel Peak. Firefighters burned out from constructed hand line in the Cortez Canyon area and Thompson Canyon areas. Crews continued to build and improve lines on the northern and western flanks. Burnout operations will continue today for the Erskine Creek drainage and the Thompson Canyon area utilizing aerial ignition. Crews are focusing on mop up efforts on the eastern and southern flanks of the fire. Concerns for firefighter safety include complex air operations and firefighter fatigue. Potential thunderstorms and associated winds could produce additional hazards including slick roads, isolated flash flooding, falling trees, the potential for quick changes in fire behavior.
Evacuation Shelter: The shelter at the Kern Valley Senior Center, 6409 Lake Isabella Blvd, is in standby status at this time.
Existing Closures and Road Status: On July 1, the Forest Service implemented a Piute Fire Area Closure. This area includes all access points west of the Pacific Crest Trail. BLM closures include Nichols Peak, Bright Star Wilderness Area, Cortez Canyon, Dry Canyon, Jawbone Canyon and Lynch Canyon, Piute Mountain Road, Saddle Springs Road, Erskine Creek Road and all routes of travel west of the Pacific Crest Trail, are now closed to off highway vehicles (OHV). Other road closures include McCray Road from the end of the pavement south, and Fawn Drive from the end of the pavement south. There is an area closure in effect for the Piute Mountains from Piute Mountain Road at Caliente Creek Road; Jawbone Canyon Road south of Piute Mountain Road; Roads 29S02 and 29S03 and Erskine Creek Road at pavement.
Weather: Partly cloudy with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Temperatures will be 75-85 in the ridges and 91-97 in the valleys with relative humidities ranging from 15 to 25%. Winds are predicted to be southeast from 4-7 mph changing to west-northwest after 4:00 pm. There is an increasing chance of thunderstorms through the weekend which may result in slightly cooler temperatures and higher humidities.
Cooperating Agencies & Partners: US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Kern County Fire Department, Kern County Sheriff, and Kern County Office of Emergency Services, CALFIRE, California Highway Patrol and the Kern County Animal Control, and Office of Emergency Services Fire and Rescue.
