Another New Wildland Fire Start Inyo Naitonal Forest

[SCPD]

New start on the Mono Lake District of the Inyo National Forest at 1236. Initial report from BLM Engine 3132 of scanner traffic on Mono SO frequency of a fire behind the Tioga Lodge, located on the west shore of Mono Lake, adjacent to U.S. 395, 2 miles north of Lee Vining.

Engine 3132 responds from station near Lundy Canyon and 395. Within 3 minutes a full response is asked for. Now ordered or on scene:

BLM Engines 3132, 3131
USFS Engines 12 (Gull Lake), 23 (Crestview), 22 (Mammoth) , 31 (Bishop)
Water Tender 21 (Mammoth)
Patrol 12 (Gull Lake)
Helicopter 525 (Independence)
Division 1 (USFS Lee Vining) now IC
CDF Owens Valley Crews 3, 4, and 5
Salt Lake Crew (presume this is the Bonneville Hotshots - BLM) happened to be in Minden)
Tankers 78 , 81, 100 (mediums - CDF Fresno and Columbia I believe)
Helicopter 551 (Yosemite NP Crane Flat)
Air Attack Supervisor (Air Attack 15 from the Sierra NF based at Fresno)
Lead Plane

Multiple engines and water tenders from the following local departments for structural protection:

Lee Vining Fire Department
Bridgeport Fire Department
June Lake Fire Department
Mammoth Lakes Fire Department

Fuel Type: brush on slope leading to heavy whitebark pine on Warren bench

Priority is south (left) flank to keep fire out of the town of Lee Vining. According to IC the fire will probably run all the way upslope to the bench area southeast of Mt. Warrren. Wilderness 1 (Mono Lake District) enroute to Log Cabin Boy Scout Camp to determine if it is occupied.

Frequencies in use:

168.125 Command - Inyo National Forest - Forest Net
166.675 Air Tactics - NIFC Air Tactics 1 preassigned to the Inyo
135.975 Air to Air "Victor"
168.200 Tactical - NIFC Tac 2
170.000 Air to Ground - NIFC Air Tactical 4 and R5 Air to Ground

Dip Location for helicopters - Mono Lake - salinity is about 9% so it would probably act as retardant

Reload will most likely be Columbia as Bishop Reload Base cannot be staffed today.

TFR requested

Just in - two heavy air tankers ordered by Air Attack

SCE requested to turn off main north-south powerline on the west side of 395 - supplies Bridgeport and USMC Mountain Warfare Training Center - no alternate connection available as this is the end of the SCE grid with no intertie to the north. Powerline is now being burnt through.

 

[SCPD]

2 Type II or greater helicopters just ordered by Air Attack at 1417. "With those additional helicopters here in an hour and some luck we might be OK"

The Inyo did not even have one fire until sometime after the 4th of July and had its first 1 acre human caused fire in the 3rd week of July. Now two good sized fires in two weeks.

Wilderness 1 and Mono County SO deputy have cleared out the Boy Scout camp and the road above it at 1423.

South Ops wanted update from Air Attack 15 in order to fill order for two heavy air tankers. They would have to divert from present assignments on other fires so they are trying to prioritize within the Southern California Geographic Area Coordination Center. Rumor that there are a couple of fires on the Los Padres. I sure wish I could hear the South Ops dispatcher's net right now.

 

[SCPD]

South Ops wanted justification from AA15 on heavy tanker diverts and he said "we can spend $100,000 now or a couple million later."

 

[SCPD]

Weather in the area: cumulus building. Winds in Mammoth were strong out of the north yesterday afternoon. Cumulus could cause erratic winds.

I can't hear the tactical traffic from Mammoth and command is getting pretty quiet. Division supervisors have been designated so this appears to be a Type III or IV organization at this point.

Name of incident: Tioga

Note that this is behind the Tioga Lodge on U.S. 395, not behind the Tioga Pass Resort on California State Route 120. East entry/exit into/from Yosemite National Park has not been affected.

Dispatch with IC: South Ops says there are only 4 or 5 hotshot crews available and if you are going to need them to order right away due to distance. IC orders 1 hotshot crew.

Even though the nationwide wildland fire acreage is nearly 600,000 acres under the last ten year average this season continues to stretch the available forces capabilities in California. The last ten years of fire seasons have been huge and significantly enlarged the average acreage burned. At 4 million acres burned so far this would be .5 to 1 million acres above average when the last 60 years of fire seasons is considered. The National Prepardness Level is only a 4 so there are not a lot of resources committed outside of California. We are just wrapping up the second week of the August-September period, which is typically the most intense fire season in California, exclusive of any Santa Ana activity later in the fall, should it develop.

 

[SCPD]

Two SEATS (Single Engine Air Tankers) off the ground Stead - north of Reno - and enroute. Sounds like 3 mediums and two SEATS involved so far.

 

[ScannerDude244]

. Rumor that there are a couple of fires on the Los Padres.

yeah SLOweather has a thread going on them, the other night we had lightning roll our way again

http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115782

 

[SLOweather]

Rumor that there are a couple of fires on the Los Padres. I sure wish I could hear the South Ops dispatcher's net right now.

If I can hear it in San Luis Obispo, and you can point me to it, I'll stream it for you.

chris at tbo dot net

And, yeah, we had a lot of lightning Friday AM, and there are still apparently some fires on the LPNF burning.

http://www.inciweb.org/incident/1474/ Santa Lucia Lighting Complex

I'll update the other thread...

 

[SLOweather]

At 5:30 PM, sounds like LPNF is freeing up some air resources for your fire, Smokey.

Update, 2 heavy tankers, 2 SEATs.