Major wildfire burning Ventura County

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LZJSR

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A 5000 acre rapidly spreading brush fire is moving west from Santa Paula/ Upper Ojai near Thomas Aquinas College toward city of Ventura. Dozens of immediate need strike teams from all over SoCal requested without delay. Evacuations are widespread. AMR Medics responding EMS Strike Team forming at AMR Station Santa Paula with EMS48 at Strike Team Leader.

Channels 1,2,5,6,12,14 and tacticals 3,4,5 7,9 are active.
Air Ops on 129.95

Audio on: https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/2858
 

PaulNDaOC

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Wow, this is just unbelievable to see a fire take off like this overnight and destroy so much in So Cal. Even more amazing is the tv stations didn't cover it til 4am as a normal news day begins.

If this was burning in L.A. it would have been covered like a disaster. Shame on you guys.
 

FrensicPic

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Wow, this is just unbelievable to see a fire take off like this overnight and destroy so much in So Cal. Even more amazing is the tv stations didn't cover it til 4am as a normal news day begins.

If this was burning in L.A. it would have been covered like a disaster. Shame on you guys.

KCAL-9 TV (Los Angeles) was reporting the fire on the 8PM segment of their evening news last night.
 

PaulNDaOC

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KCAL-9 TV (Los Angeles) was reporting the fire on the 8PM segment of their evening news last night.


Yes, it was on local 11 p.m. newscasts, then everyone went home til 4 a.m. If this fire was burning in the Mountains above the L.A. westside none of these stations would have sent news crews home.

It was obvious not long after this was going to be a bad one.

Entire blocks were going up, and nothing on TV. I bet a good part of Ventura was in shock to have to run for their lives with little warning.

It's not likely to be another Santa Rosa with the Pacific Ocean about a mile in front of the fire, but it's going to get worse as the winds are going to get worse. Entire blocks of homes can be seen burning, an no fire department crews in sight.
 
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PaulNDaOC

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There is now a new fire in Little Tujunga Canyon moving towards Lakeview Terrace.

3rd alarm just pulled. Homes now burning in the Kagel Canyon area.

It's going to be a long day.
 
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Code20Photog

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Wow, this is just unbelievable to see a fire take off like this overnight and destroy so much in So Cal. Even more amazing is the tv stations didn't cover it til 4am as a normal news day begins.

If this was burning in L.A. it would have been covered like a disaster. Shame on you guys.

Techically,Ventura is not part of the Los Angeles TV market, it belongs to Santa Barbara. We had a crew on scene all night until our morning crews arrived early. Things like Colbert and The Late Late Show, espeically last night's Late Show with Billy Bush as a guest, are at the behest of the network. Same goes for the late night shows on other networks. When we went off the air last night, the fire was stll well east of Ventura. We need to change out helicopter pilots, change out crews, and because of where this fire is located, it is not an easy area to be able to get a live signal. In a fire like this, we cannot put up the large mast, or even use the sattelite truck. Yes, if it had been in Los Angeles, we would have probably been on air longer, because it'ts not as far of a flight to change out helicopter pilots and bring in fresh crews. (We have a federal mandate on how long we can be on the clock and still drive our vehicles. We're considered commerical drivers, so we have a limited time we can work and then drive.)
 

PaulNDaOC

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Techically,Ventura is not part of the Los Angeles TV market, it belongs to Santa Barbara. We had a crew on scene all night until our morning crews arrived early. Things like Colbert and The Late Late Show, espeically last night's Late Show with Billy Bush as a guest, are at the behest of the network. Same goes for the late night shows on other networks. When we went off the air last night, the fire was stll well east of Ventura. We need to change out helicopter pilots, change out crews, and because of where this fire is located, it is not an easy area to be able to get a live signal. In a fire like this, we cannot put up the large mast, or even use the sattelite truck. Yes, if it had been in Los Angeles, we would have probably been on air longer, because it'ts not as far of a flight to change out helicopter pilots and bring in fresh crews. (We have a federal mandate on how long we can be on the clock and still drive our vehicles. We're considered commerical drivers, so we have a limited time we can work and then drive.)

I recently read that Ventura County is L.A. TV market, Santa Barbara is in same market as Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo, however KEYT the Santa Barbara ABC affiliate is carried on some of Ven County cable/dish systems since it's received over the air and is then considered an FCC must carry upon request by KEYT. However this is L.A. tv market, and this is KABC's market but must put up with KEYT in areas where there signal can be received. Because of this KEYT lost some of their market penetration in Ventura County when coverage areas changed with the switch to digital.

http://www.thevab.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2015-2016-TV-DMA-map.pdf

That's not to say this is a limit to what news KEYT covers, in fact they have great coverage of the entire county.

The CBS affiliate up there is in Santa Maria, NBC is in SLO.

I recall years ago when news desks did everything over the air, at least one station talk about getting a signal out of Red Mtn, which is near Santa Paula. Not that would even play into coverage decisions. I just think L.A. stations interest revolve around where there people live, westside, SF Valley, Santa CLarita.

Over the last 20-30 years it also is obvious that coverage has really declined in areas southeast and east of L.A., which I attribute to the proliferation of stringers. They more of the blood and gore from them, but not hardly anything else that matters in the bigger picture of things gets a crew and reporter.
 
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SLOweather

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Smoke from the fires...

171205thomasfire.jpg
 

ecps92

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1 Command 154.3250 79.7 VNC C2
4 Tactical 159.2925 192.8 CDF T26
5 Tactical 159.3075 192.8 CDF T27
6 Tactical 154.2875 156.7 VFIRE 25
7 Tactical 151.3925 192.8 CDF T30
8 Tactical 159.3825 192.8 CDF T31
14 Medical 156.0750 156.7 CalCord
15 Tactical 159.3450 192.8 CDF T18
16 GUARD 168.6250 110.9

Air Ops
159.3450 192.8
129.9500 AM
169.2000 CSQ
125.8750 AM
168.3500 CSQ - Deck

A 5000 acre rapidly spreading brush fire is moving west from Santa Paula/ Upper Ojai near Thomas Aquinas College toward city of Ventura. Dozens of immediate need strike teams from all over SoCal requested without delay. Evacuations are widespread. AMR Medics responding EMS Strike Team forming at AMR Station Santa Paula with EMS48 at Strike Team Leader.

Channels 1,2,5,6,12,14 and tacticals 3,4,5 7,9 are active.
Air Ops on 129.95

Audio on: https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/2858
 

SLOweather

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Live coverage on Home - KEYT, ABC channel 3. It's bad in Santa Barbara and Montecito. Winds from NNE sustained 30 mph, gusts to 62. They keep expanding the evac zones...

Scanner traffic there must be intense...
 

PaulNDaOC

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Live coverage on Home - KEYT, ABC channel 3. It's bad in Santa Barbara and Montecito. Winds from NNE sustained 30 mph, gusts to 62. They keep expanding the evac zones...

Scanner traffic there must be intense...

Thanks for posting this. Major kudos for KEYT staying on live during the weekend, on a small market budget. The local NBC affiliate based in SLO, KSBY is also Live.

The actually understand the FCC requirement to broadcast in the interest of the community they are licensed.

L.A. has the most profitable local news market in the U.S., and they chose last week to keep with normal programming schedules when people were running for their lives in the middle of the night in Ventura, sending news staffers home. L.A. News doesn't stray much from the westside.

Tomorrow (Sunday) the winds are supposed to be even worse to the south Ventura, LA, OC, IE. This is once in a lifetime (I hope) prolonged fireweather, at 13 days and counting.
 
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SLOweather

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You're welcome. Also, a lot of SB market radio stations are simulcasting the KEYT audio for those only with radios. 101 is a mess, Still cleaning up that tanker flip from 12 hours ago, regular weekend traffic, evacuees, 154 closed, gack...

Oh, yeah, 12 KCOY CBS in Santa Maria and 11 Fox KKFX(?) are all in the KEYT stable.
 

milcom_chaser

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Funeral Procession now

Major funeral procession for the fallen fireman is moving 101 Southbound into thousand oaks. Check 123.025, 122.75 for copter coms...
 
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