FIRE SEASON 2008

Governor Schwarzenegger Directs Coordinated Firefighting Efforts and Resources to Combat Wildfires

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has directed the California National Guard and all state firefighting resources to aggressively combat numerous wildfires across California. Today he was briefed on the Wild Fire incident and the status of firefighting efforts statewide at the Lagoon Valley Regional Park in Fairfield, the base camp for the Wild Fire incident in Napa and Solano Counties.

Conditions of summer rain, wind and lightning along mountains and deserts over the last few days have caused hundreds of small fires across the state. On Saturday, the Governor ordered the California National Guard (CNG) to mobilize a total of six helicopters and one RC-26 remote sensing platform to assist in combating the wildfires in Northern California. Five National Guard helicopters with water dropping capabilities are being deployed today to support firefighting efforts; two from Nevada, two from Oregon and one from the California Guard. These are in addition to the six CNG helicopters, RC-26 imaging aircraft and two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) aircrafts that were requested on Saturday and were in place in California today.

The Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES) continues to coordinate firefighting resources from across the state, including:

  • OES Fire Branch has opened their Fire Emergency Operations Center on a 24-hour basis to support firefighting efforts.
  • Hundreds of strike teams with fire engines and firefighters from local agencies have been dispatched and most are battling the most significant blazes.
  • The five new Type 3 wildland fire engines unveiled by Governor Schwarzenegger earlier this month are actively involved in mutual aid firefighting efforts in Northern California. These engines are from San Diego and Riverside Counties.
  • Special Operational Area Satellite Information System (OASIS) trailers have been sent to the Indians Fire in the Los Padres National Forest in Monterey County. OASIS trailers provide communication capabilities to emergency responders in remote parts of fire-damaged areas, where normal telephone and power sources have been disrupted.

CAL FIRE has deployed the following fire and rescue resources and activated the following personnel:

  • 4,313 CAL FIRE personnel
  • 372 fire engines
  • 109 crews
  • 14 air tankers
  • 37 bulldozers
  • 31 helicopters
  • 43 water tenders

The following significant fires continue to burn in different parts of the state today:

Northern California

  • The Wild Fire incident, located in the Green Valley area of Napa-Solano Counties, has burned 3,750 acres and is 40 percent contained. There is one residence and one outbuilding destroyed.
  • The Walker Fire is located near Indian Valley Reservoir in Lake County. This fire is 3,500 acres and zero percent contained with 35 residences threatened.
  • The Lime Complex Fire is located in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Trinity County-five miles south of Hyampom. The fire is currently at 4,000 acres and is zero percent contained. There are 1,200 residences, two commercial buildings and 300 outbuildings threatened. One commercial property has been destroyed.
  • In the Shasta-Trinity counties, over 130 fires are burning at a total of 5,000 acres, threatening 13 communities. Eastbound Highway 299 may be impacted by these fires.
  • The Quarry Fire is located near the base of San Bruno Mountain in Brisbane, San Mateo County. This fire is 300 acres and 100 percent contained.
  • Fires are burning in various locations throughout Humboldt County. The fires are currently at over 900 acres, including four new fires that started today. Five residences are threatened.
  • In Butte County, fires burning near the communities of Concow, Magalia and Paradise total 1,397 acres and are five percent contained. 200 residences are threatened.
  • 110 fires, including 20 new fires discovered yesterday, are burning in Mendocino County, totaling 7,625 acres. 17 of these fires are contained. Four of the fires are greater than 1,000 acres. Over 525 homes are threatened.

Central California

  • The Basin Complex Fire is located near Big Sur in Monterey County. The fire is 2,000 acres and 10 percent contained. 500 residences, 20 commercial properties in the Big Sur area are threatened.
  • The Indians Fire is located in the Ventana Wilderness in the Los Padres National Forest in Monterey County. The fire is currently 57,158 acres and is 58 percent contained. Two residential structures and 13 outbuildings have been destroyed. 1,063 homes, 265 outbuildings and five commercial properties remain threatened. There are nine firefighter injuries reported to date as a result of this incident.

For more information on these fires, go to www.oes.ca.gov or http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_current.

On May 9, 2008, the Governor issued Executive Order S-03-08, which boosted the state's preparedness for wildfire season and directed the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) to immediately mobilize critical firefighting resources and personnel to save lives and homes statewide.

© 2007 State of California