|
Final
Lytle
Fire update 8:30
am 10-5-03 |
|
| Status
|
100%
containment
has been obtained.
Firefighters made significant progress with fire line construction yesterday and throughout the night. Some crews are being released today and are being made available for other incidents as needed.
Firefighters are continuing to "mop-up" deep within the fire area. Mop-up includes slowly walking all parts of the fire, finding spots of flame, smoke or heat that still harbor burning embers and putting the embers out. This operation is vital to safeguard against seasonal Santa Ana winds that plague the area this time of year.
Today is the national Day Of Remembrance for Fallen Firefighters who have made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives in the line of duty. To date this year, 104 firefighters from all types of firefighting have made the ultimate sacrifice. As firefighters we have made a promise to our colleagues to never forget them and the family they left behind. At this mornings briefing we paid tribute with a small but powerful ceremony lead by the Honor Guard from US Forest Service- San Bernardino National Forest and California Department of Forestry- Riverside County.
Extensive environmental rehabilitation began today. The BAER (Burned
Area Emergency Rehabilitation) team will work with fire crews for the
remainder of the incident. The BAER effort examines the entire fire area
with resource experts mitigating the effects on soils, watershed, wildlife,
and vegetation.
|
| Acres |
903
Acres (A fly over using GPS technology gained a more accurate
figure) |
| Cause |
Under investigation. |
| Closures |
Emergency fire closures are still in effect for Upper Lytle Creek Road including the shooting area. Lone Pine Canyon Road is Open.
|
| Concerns |
The Incident Management Team and the San Bernardino National Forest continue to focus on safety for residents and firefighters alike. The fire has burned in an area that has heavy brush and timber and is steep, rugged and inaccessible. The work the firefighters are doing is still in very difficult and dangerous terrain. The primary and overriding focus is keeping our firefighters safe from harm, while still accomplishing the mission.
|
| Containment |
100%
containment |
| Cost
To Date |
To
date: $2,280,000 |
| Equipment |
10
hand
crews, 3 helicopters, 12 engines, 9 water
tenders, 1 dozer. |
| Evacuations |
None
at this time
|
| Flight
Restrictions |
FFA Rule 91137 has been placed around the fire area restricting non-fire related aircraft movement. The restriction will remain in place until all fire activity ceases. |
| Fuel |
Grass
& Brush, with timber component in upper reaches of
watershed. Heavy Fuels. |
| Incident
Command |
Mick McCormick
- initial Incident Command
As of 6am 10-2-03 Ralph
Domanski
Southern CA Incident Management Team II
Incident number CA-BDF-9582
Transition from Domanski's Type 2 Team back to a Type 3
incident is expected to occur at 0600 hrs 10-6-03.
|
| Injuries |
1
minor - knee |
Location
Start |
Latitude:34° 15´ 53"
Longitude:117° 30´ 17"
Northwest of the community of Lytle Creek at the pavement end |
| Personnel
|
407
|
| Priorities
|
•
To provide for public and firefighter safety and protection of property.
• Keep the public informed about fire activity and evacuations.
• Minimize the impact of fire suppression efforts on the forest.
|
| Structures |
None
Threatened
- None Destroyed |
| Threats
or concerns |
Mop-up
includes slowly walking all parts of the fire, finding spots of flame,
smoke or heat that still harbor burning embers and putting the embers out.
This operation is vital to safeguard against seasonal Santa Ana winds that
plague the area this time of year.
|
| Weather |
Today's weather should mimic yesterday's. Winds are expected to be from the Southeast at 6 - 12 mph. Humidity was in the high 80's throughout the night and should range 20-30% today. Temperatures in the mid 80's
Southern California Interagency Fire Weather
|
| Agencies
Involved |
US Forest Service, California Highway Patrol, San Bernardino County Fire Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff, Southern California Edison, Fontana Water Co and the Lytle Springs Water Co.
|
| Contact |
Lytle Fire Information 909 382-4220
USFS Information Line 909 383-5688
San Bernardino County Fire Information Line 909 355-8800 (Recording)
Website with updates www.incidentcontrol.com
On Scene Contact: Fire Information Officer Jeff Wenger |
| Webmaster |
webmaster@incidentcontrol.com |
Firefighter
Air Tanker
Crash |
On
9-4-03 San Bernardino County Sheriff's Dispatch received a report from the U.S. Forest Service that a firefighting airplane had crashed into a mountain several miles east of Highland. Witnesses in a fire lookout tower reported seeing the airplane descending into a layer of fog, but the plane did not emerge from the fog. The witnesses then saw a plume of smoke, and called to report that the plane had gone down. A Sheriff's helicopter was sent to investigate and located the wreckage at about 3,500 feet of elevation. The airplane, later confirmed to be a P2V Neptune air tanker (manufactured by Lockheed with two propellers and two jet engines) crashed into the side of the mountain and burned. Both people on board were killed on impact. Firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service and the San Bernardino County Fire Department responded to the scene to extinguish the fire. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were notified. An NTSB investigator responded to the scene, as that agency will assume the investigation. The airplane had departed from Prescott, Arizona at 9:57 a.m. October 3 and was en route to San Bernardino International Airport in the City of San Bernardino. The airplane belongs to a company that contracts with the U.S. Forest Service for firefighting. There were no USFS personnel on
board.
The airplane was not engaged in firefighting at the time of the crash.
At this time the cause of the crash is not known. The San Bernardino County Coroner's Office is working to recover the bodies and will seek to make positive identification. The NTSB anticipates returning to the crash scene on October 4 to continue the investigation and collect the wreckage. |
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Narrative of Initial Start - Lytle Fire 2003 |
The fire started
at 14:00 in Lytle creek well east of the Shooting range beside the road. When the first units arrived on the scene from the
Lytle Creek Ranger station just 5 minutes after the first report, the fire had already consumed 30 to 40 acres. It was moving uphill, and being pushed by winds in heavy fuel.
The fire quickly burned up to and over the ridge between lower Swarthout Canyon and Lytle Creek. Lone Pine Canyon is actually Swarthout canyon. Wrightwood actually sits in the Upper Swarthout Valley.
At this time the fire has burned slowly downhill to within a few hundred yards of Lone Pine Canyon road. It is still over five miles away from the top of Lone Pine Canyon.
There are fire crews standing by at the bottom of Lone Pine canyon, and "Structure Protection" crews assigned to all the ranches in Lone Pine Canyon.
The fire has thus far burned 400 Acres.
At this time Wrightwood residents do not have to worry.
If the fire hits the bottom of LPC it will be attacked aggressively. If there is any danger at all to the town officials will act quickly to let everyone know.
The other flank of the fire is burning into the Cucamonga Wilderness.
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