WrightwoodCalif.com Forum
Public Forums => Disaster Awareness & CERT => Topic started by: KWBoy on Nov 14, 06, 05:27:24 AM
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Incident: 0284 Type: Structure or Grass Fire Location: BIG PINES HWY AT ANGELES CREST HWY Zoom Map: 4561 6E info as of: 11/14/2006 5:25:52 AM
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
4:59AM PER US FOREST SVC UNK IF THIS WILL BE FOR LONG TERM CLOSURE - AT THIS TIME BURNING 3 TO 6 ACRES
4:59AM 1039 US FOREST SVC - ADVSD UNITS ARE ENRT
4:57AM N34 REQ TO ASC IF CT WILL BE NEEDED FOR HARD CLOSURE
4:56AM 1039 AV OFC FOR A WATCH
4:51AM US FOREST SVC REQ ETA IF POSS
4:51AM REQ CHP TO SHUT DOWN RDWY AT BIG PINES AT SR-2 AND ALSO AT BIG PINES AT LARGO VISTA
4:50AM US FOREST SVC ADVSING OF BRUSH FIRE BREAKING OUT NOW
RESPONDING OFFICERS STATUS
4:53AM CHP Unit Assigned
4:55AM CHP Unit Enroute
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When I woke up at 4am this morning, the power was out. It came back about 4:20am. I went to work (down N4) at 4:30am. The line of fire can be seen on the north slopes (north of N4), about 1/2 east of Jackson Lake. It appears to be just north of whatever that 1st group camp is (on the north side of the road), you'd pass if you were traveling toward Jackson Lake from Big Pines..
When I went thru, fire was just responding. Although N4 was open when I went thru, it would expect they will close it soon, if nothing else, because of smoke.
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In this high wind?? This is scary. Which direction is the wind blowing? I hope they take care of it soon and no one gets hurt in that rugged terrain.
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It is now at about 5 acres.
The winds are out of the west blowing in an easterly direction.
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Fire was heading upslope northeast and I think the camp is called Teresita. Very windy but made it through this morning around 0515. Hopefully those fuel breaks work.
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FoxNews 11 said they'll have a report shortly.
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I'm on my way
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CBS just reported it as 6 acres..N4 closed at Hwy 2 and at Largo Vista
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I got the call about an hour ago- I hope everything is going to be ok with the winds. I have been worried all morning.
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The Live Scanner is not working on my computer. Is it working on any of yours?
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From the FoxNews prelim report video, aircraft are up, in the video I was only able to see one chopper, looked like an investigational bird.
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The Live Scanner is not working on my computer. Is it working on any of yours?
Nope and I'm at work.....must go home to get.... :brickwall: :brickwall:
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Didn't know about the fire and tried to come down at 5:30. Road closed at that time. I could see the blaze over the side of the road just down N4 from Highway 2. Very windy out. Thank you for this site for any updates throughout the day!
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Yikes! I walked out to get my paper this morning and saw what I thought were grey clouds scudding low across the sky. I remember wondering if it was smoke but couldn't smell anything so decided it wasn't.
Obviously I was wrong... :-\
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Fox news is reporting that an Edison crew sparked the fire while repairing a downed power line.
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FoxNews 11 says they are attributing fire to Edison work. Two aircraft have been ordered and are on scene but smoke hampering getting in for drops.
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FoxNews 11 says they are attributing fire to Edison work. Two aircraft have been ordered and are on scene but smoke hampering getting in for drops.
Keep up the reports....stay home and keep us who are stuck at work updated. :-\
(scanner is on my desk)
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My hubby works in a nearby area and said the humidity level is quite high, which will help in their efforts to fight this fire.
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I heard on the radio, they are keeping it to 5-6 acres, it is not in the trees, is in the brush but it is not traveling. they have 5 units on it and helicopters on the way.... 30-40 crew on it.
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When I just took my teen to Serrano there were MULTIPLE fire units heading up Hwy 2.
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It's drizzling here in the IE
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CBS says it is now 10 acres
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Channel 5 is about to have an update after their commecial break
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Just returned from fire.
A wet line is around fire.
LA County Fire and USFS had a unified command setup with plenty of resources on fire.
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So does that mean it is a contained fire as they have a line around it?
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Just returned from fire.
A wet line is around fire.
LA County Fire and USFS had a unified command setup with plenty of resources on fire.
Good news...thanks!
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I have a friend who is at a conference in Anaheim, should she come home just in case? She just phoned to see...
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I am grateful that we have the means to communicate at a time like this.
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for us fire challenged folks, what is a "wet line"? ???
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FOX news just reported that the fire is 100% contained.
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Wetline is a line of firehose around the fire. The ground may not be cleared down to mineral dirt but water can be/has been sprayed on the ground
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A wet lines mean that hose line completely surround the fire.
I did NOT see any Edison crews on scene. There were power lines down.
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A friend of ours spoke to a firefighter and he told her the fire was out.
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There is no need for anyone to change plans. The fire is basically out with mopup taking place. I just returned from the fire.
They will be putting out hot spots for a while.
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Thank you Wrightwood Admin once again!
I'd be sitting here foir hours to get the info I just read in minutes on this awesome site!
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(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i82/dannacruzan/woohoo.gif)
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i82/dannacruzan/woohoo.gif)
(http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i82/dannacruzan/woohoo.gif)
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A wet lines mean that hose line completely surround the fire.
How do they get hoses--with water--off-road without access roads for the ''brush" trucks? ???
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Once again, thanks to all firefighters. :elefant: :wave: :bow:
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:wave:
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Way cool.
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Thank you firefighters - what a great job!!!
Thank you Wrightwood - this website is such a fantastic source of information for all of us!!! Good thing we don't have to rely on the local news channels.
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I totally agree with superMom. A huge thanks to Wrightwood -- and all the firefighters!
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Your right SuperMom, the local news channels didn't even have the mountain region correct! They kept saying the San Bernardino Mountains! But good thing we have this website and our fabulous Webmaster!
Great job to the firefighters and our Website!
:2thumbsup: :2thumbsup: :2thumbsup:
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(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/Appletree/AppleTreeLayout.jpg)
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(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/Appletree/AppleFire1.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/Appletree/AppleFire2.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/Appletree/AppleFire3.JPG)
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Thank you John!!!! for this site and the Firefighters for protecting us all!!!!
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(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/Appletree/AppleFire4.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/Appletree/AppleFire5.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/Appletree/AppleFire6.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/Appletree/AppleFire7.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/Appletree/AppleFire8.JPG)
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(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/Appletree/AppleFire9.JPG)
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Living 2700 miles away now, I truly appreciate both this forum & all of the firefighters
who protect Wrightwood. God save WW & it's residents, as the firefighters have done, once again...THANK YOU!
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I just spoke with John Bauer, camp manager at Camp Teresita Pines and Fire Safe Council Board Member, he says that he called Edison at 2:30 am due to a power outage. Power lines went down between Camp Harmony Pines and Appletree and caused the fire.
Edison crews were not working on lines at the time. Power is still out in the area. John reported that high winds continue to blow.
Smoke was first reported at 3:30 am. LA County Engine firefighters from engine 79 told John that the fire stayed on the ground due to the lack of ladder fuels. (See separate topic regarding the Big Pines Fuel Reduction when I get it posted)
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Can someone let us know when the road is open again?
(I'd also be interested in knowing whether they even bothered to use those fancy electric signs to even announce that the road was closed... I don't think I've ever seen those used for anything useful yet)
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I have to say that it's so cool that this forum is able to keep people updated. Unfortunately, I had to go to a friend's place to use the computer because my internet is down at home. I was a little concerned and curious and the news stations weren't providing enough information. Now I know that things are completely under control and there is no need for further concern. Thanks so much for posting the information and pictures.
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Hi Bob C,
Currently Big Pines Hwy. is open. I did not notice if any of the signs were utilized during this fire as I did not drive past them in my travels up here today. Although, the other day I did notice the electronic sign on Largo Vista was lit up with a bunch of lines going through it on 11/13/06 a.m.
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...Although, the other day I did notice the electronic sign on Largo Vista was lit up with a bunch of lines going through it on 11/13/06 a.m.
Hahah, yeah, that's been going on, for at least 3-4 days now. Nothing like a big bright yellow test pattern for 4 days, to light up the nighttime sky. Someone should call Caltrans and tell them do do a "Control-Alt-Delete" on their darned signs once in a while.
Only two times this past year, do I remember seeing the sign near Mtn High used:
(1) To announce a cute little "don't drink and drive" message
(2) One time (at like 4am in the morning), they did have an "amber alert" flashing on the Mtn High area sign. The amber alert was NOT displayed on the largo vista sign. While I agree that Amber Alerts are very important, I do wonder how useful it is displaying those on that desolate stretch of road.
I don't recall either sign being used last year for road closures, or bad weather or any of that (of course, I could have missed those, too)
On a slightly different thread, Mazzy talked about not having internet access this morning. Just a reminder, to those who have data plans and web browsers on your cell phones, that this forum is available via your cell phone's browser (in fact, its a "cell phone text only" version of the forum, which works great on cell phones)
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Ok- Not to show my ignorance, but last week I looked for this town called Big Pines and couldn't find it. Is it a town? It is on the signs as if it were one. ???
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Big Pines is not a town.
It's a state historic area.
It's located just off the bottom right of this map.
The fire originated across the street from Appletree Camground.
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/Images/Jackson.JPG)
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A million thanks to the fire department. Thanks for this great website. I was able to keep informed even at work in Victorville. :D :D :2thumbsup: :2thumbsup: :2thumbsup:
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Buck,
There really is a town called Big Pines. It is on hwy. 395 on the way to Bishop, California. Big Pines The Historical Recreation area which Wrightwood posted a map of is often confused with Big Pines the town.
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(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/Appletree/GoogleMap2.jpg)
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The town on hwy395 is called Big Pine.
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Ugh. That's reminds me of Geology Field Camp. As part of the graduation requirement, I spent 5 weeks hiking and mapping every single day. The camp was at the city of Big Pine and I still remember how miserably hot it was and how early we had to start to "beat the heat" and I missed my family. I know I know :offtopic:
Does Big Pines start where those stone towers are?
(http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0Je5xemNlpFgwkBccejzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NDgyNWN0BHNlYwNwcm9m/SIG=127695ace/EXP=1163626534/**http%3a//english.glendale.cc.ca.us/bigpnstatwwood.JPG)
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The town on hwy395 is called Big Pine.
Are you thinking of "Lone Pine" (on the way to Bishop)?
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If I remember right (the field camp was in 1995) on the 395 going north starting at Lone Pine, then Independence, then Big Pine and later on it was Bishop. Somewhere in there I think were smaller "towns".
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If I remember right on the 395 going north starting at Lone Pine, then Independence, then Big Pine and later on it was Bishop.
You are correct Stitches.
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Does Big Pines start where those stone towers are?
No.
Big Pines encompasses the entire area. There was the wild animal park, ice skating rink, ski lift and jump, swimming pool, lodge and more. Today the USFS Fire Station across from the visitor center is also part of Big Pines.
We've got a number of experts on this forum that know plenty more about Big Pines and I'm sure they will tell us more. Pat Krig and Barbabra Van Houten wrote an excellent book called Wrightwood and Big Pines that offers great photos and history of the area.
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Big Pines Historic District starts at Mountain High East, goes down Highway 2 past Mountain High West, and also goes down Big Pines Highway to just past Camp Elk, the YMCA organizational camp. It has been proposed as a National Historic District as mitigation for the covering up of the 1920's historic dam at Littlerock Reservior. The actual "blessing" of the historic district takes a lot of time. But as long as the proposal has been accepted, you act "as if" it were a historic district.
Shawn Lawler may have a map of the historic district because this came up in Mountain High's Master Development Plan process. Doug Milburn, Assistant Forest Archeologist, should have a copy of the map. He works out of the Big Pines building.
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Isn't it great we've moved on from what could have been a potentional disaster, to the history of WW. ;D
When we closed and moved in, Marylin gave us the historical book of WW. It's coming up on a year now and I still pull it out and read it. :thumbs:
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So was the fire related at all to the power pole at the Morman church that was throwing off electricity (or whatever it was doing)? We are on the north side of Hwy. 2 and were awakened at 3:30am by our doorbell ringing (it is electric) and our surround sound speakers making loud, crazy sounds. Our house also smelled like ozone, and we thought our house was having an electrical fire. Then we noticed the electric pole at the church was throwing off a bright blue light and making loud electrical noises.
Since the timing was the same as the other downed poles, it must have been related. It was quite frightening! We smelled the smoke this morning and suspected that there was something more to the story. The wind was so strong last night, Wrightwood is fortunate that things didn't become worse!
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MountainMom - I would say that it was a coincidence. The chances of a pole arcing in Wrightwood being related to downed lines near Appletree Campground doesn't sound reasonable to me.
I would think that Edison had their hands full with power line issues all over the tri-community last night.
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I saw all the activity while hiking near the observatory yesterday. When I got home I got on this website for the scoop. How did we live w/o ww.com. Thank you to all the firefighters and to all that keep this website going.
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High winds throughout the entire WW area contributed to the power lines arcing or transformers blowing. Where we were clocked fifty miles an hour. Combine that with trees and powerlines and things come down.