Communities between Tustin and Foothill Ranch asked to "stay vigilant" as a wind-driven fire burns 10 acres in the Santiago Canyon areahttps://t.co/v9fgLbVHPM
— KTLA (@KTLA) October 26, 2020
Both the CalWood and Lefthand Canyon fires increased containment on Wednesday with minimal fire growth. The CalWood Fire is now 24% contained and the Lefthand Canyon Fire is 43% contained. Yesterday, crews on the southeast edge of the CalWood Fire conducted a successful tactical burn operation near the Balarat Education Center to protect structures in that area and connect constructed fire lines. Firefighters continued working in the Highway 7 corridor and along the northern edge of the fire constructing direct line and checking the progress of the fire to the north. Last night’s night shift was successful in holding the fire to minimal growth despite the overnight Red Flag Warning that brought warm temperatures and high winds to the ridgetops.
Firefighters on the CalWood Fire will continue yesterday’s work in all divisions. Crews on the southeastern side of the fire continue to build line as the fire backs down the hill towards Spruce Gulch. On the southwestern side of the fire, crews will patrol the area near yesterday’s firing operation. On the north side of the fire, crews will continue working on the canyon’s edge and in the Highway 7 corridor with the intent of keeping the fire south of Highway 7. Crews on the northeast side of the fire will continue constructing and patrolling fire lines.
Firefighters were able to secure the southern edge of the Lefthand Canyon Fire on Wednesday and no new growth was recorded after midday yesterday. Crews working on the north side of the fire continued mopping up and improving containment lines. Further increases in containment will come as additional containment lines are secured.
Weather & Fuel Conditions: A cold front arrived over the fire area early this morning and will continue moving into the area throughout the day. Temperatures will fall through the afternoon, dropping below freezing after sunset. Humidity will also be increasing over both fires today, rising to 60-70% over the course of the day. The changing weather conditions are also expected to temper fire activity today.
Extremely dangerous #CalwoodFire just north of Boulder, CO directly affecting WUI right now. I have observed multiple large fire vortices and a large, rotating pyrocumulus column. Wow. #COwx pic.twitter.com/BCnUhMIScn
— Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) October 17, 2020
On August 13, the Cameron Peak fire in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests between Cameron Pass and Chambers Lake erupted. It burns over rough terrain in thick timber stands. Fire development has been propelled by high winds combined with critically dry fuels. There are evacuations and closures in place.
The Bobcat Fire that burned more than 115,796-acres threatened the Mt. Wilson Observatory and forced thousands to evacuate, the utility giant reported Monday, may have been sparked by tree branches reaching a Southern California Edison overhead conductor.
In a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission, SCE announced that it had recognized the possibility.
Investigators from the U.S. Forest Service did not share the specifics of the inquiry with SCE, but the organization told regulators, "SCE understands that in addition to retaining SCE's overhead conductor, USFS also removed and retained three tree branches in the area."
"SCE is investigating the cause of the ignition and the 12:16 p.m. relay on its system, and evaluating whether vegetation in the area could have been a factor, including whether vegetation may have encroached within the minimum clearance distance or contacted the section of the overhead conductor retained by USFS."
It's not the first big wildfire that SCE facilities might have begun. SCE admitted that it could be liable for the deadly Woolsey Fire after officials from the Ventura County Fire Department concluded that SCE equipment caused the blaze.
Firefighters who, since Sept. 6, have been fighting the Bobcat Fire do not expect full containment until Oct. 30. 171 buildings, including 87 residences, were destroyed by the Bobcat Fire and 47 buildings, including 28 residences, were damaged. According to Los Angeles County parks officials, the Nature Center at the Devil's Punchbowl Natural Area was demolished.
The fire at 12:21 p.m. was recorded near Cogswell Dam in the Angeles National Forest. On Sept. 6, and at 12:16 p.m., SCE reported, a portion of SCE's Jarvis 12 kV circuit in the area experienced a relay operation. At Mount Wilson, a camera captured smoke in the region as early as 12:10 p.m.
On September 16, SCE removed the conductor's 23-foot-long line for the U.S. Forest Service to be included in their inquiry.
"SCE personnel were permitted into the subject area and removed an approximately 23-foot section of 1/0 ACSR conductor (south phase) that was situated between an H-Frame structure comprised of Pole Nos. 4786005E and 4786004E, which had been significantly damaged in the fire and was no longer erect, and another H-Frame structure comprised of Pole Nos. 2127468E and 1583439E," SCE said in the letter.
The containment of the fire reached 92 percent on Sunday, as the 115,796-acre blaze that has been burning for over a month continued to work with more than 300 firefighters.
At lacounty.gov/recovery/damage-inspection, a map, collected from continuous field damage inspection and subject to change, can be viewed.
With the exception of Big Santa Anita Rd (The Chantry Road), all evacuation orders have been canceled and most roads have been reopened.
Over the weekend, temperatures cooled steadily, but increased to the 90s and low humidity on Monday, increasing the danger of burning.
It has not been determined the cost of fighting the fire.
Tropical Storm Delta was approximately 135 miles south of Negril, Jamaica, as of 10 a.m., and approximately 265 miles southeast of Grand Cayman. The long-term track, which often changes, has the storm making landfall Friday near Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes and then turning east toward New Orleans and then heading into Mississippi.
At 7 mph, the storm is going west. Speed is expected to pick up on Tuesday and Wednesday. The core of the storm is predicted to move away from Jamaica later in the day on the forecast route, move close to or over the Cayman Islands on Monday night, and reach the Isle of Youth and western Cuba on Tuesday afternoon or evening.
In the Caribbean Monday morning, Tropical Storm Delta was strengthening and is predicted to become a hurricane Tuesday on its way towards Louisiana, forecasters said.
In southeast Louisiana, the latest track from the National Hurricane Center has Delta making landfall Friday as a Category 2 hurricane, but this far away, the route has an average error of 160 to 200 miles.
Depending on the direction and strength of the system, heavy rain, hazardous storm surge, and gusty winds are all possible along the coast from Louisiana to the western Florida panhandle, forecasters said. For residents, now is the time to make arrangements and prepare.
Tropical Storm Gamma, weakening in the Gulf of Mexico, is also being watched by forecasters. It is near the peninsula of Yucatan and is not supposed to enter the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Forecasters said the long-term track becomes complex because they are unsure how Tropical Storm Delta will interact with the remnants of Tropical Storm Gamma.
The interaction "could result in a sharp westward jog, after which a sharp turn back toward the northwest could occur," according to Stacy R. Stewart, a senior hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center.
The latest track from the National Hurricane Center has the system moving into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico Tuesday night or early Wednesday.
