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3100 Acre "Morgan Fire" Near Mt. Diablo Reinforces Bay Area Wildfire Threat

A fire that burned thousands of acres near Mount Diablo State Park over the past week cost more than $5 million so far to control, Cal Fire officials say.

Dubbed the "Morgan Fire," the blaze was 95 percent contained by Friday morning, with about 450 personnel remaining to check for any smoldering areas and to patrol the perimeter of the blaze, according to a statement from Cal Fire.

Friday afternoon, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Capt. Robert Marshall said, "There is no real active fire and probably not a lot of smoldering."

Cal Fire said full containment of the fire was achieved Saturday evening.

Fire investigators determined that target shooting in the area on Sunday caused the Morgan Fire, but Cal Fire officials declined to provide further details due to the ongoing investigation.

The blaze was first reported at 1 p.m. Sunday near Morgan Territory Road, southeast of Clayton adjacent to the State Park.

Strong winds and unseasonably dry vegetation helped fuel the fire, which prompted the evacuation of at least 75 homes and burned 3,133 acres, according to Cal Fire.

Most residents were allowed to return to their homes by Tuesday, according to fire officials.

More than 1,370 firefighters responded to the fire from dozens of state and Bay Area fire agencies.

In addition to monitoring for hot spots, remaining fire personnel on Thursday and today have worked on cleaning up roadways and planting seeds to prevent soil erosion and future floods, according to Cal Fire.

Mount Diablo State Park is expected to reopen on Monday, and crews are working to fix park trails and structures damaged in the blaze, according to park officials.

CAL FIRE Updates San Mateo County Live Fuel Moistures: Critical Levels Reached

CAL FIRE has measured live fuel moistures that are at or near record low levels for this time of year at each sampling site in Mateo and Santa Cruz counties.  

August (2013) live fuel moisture for the San Mateo - Santa Cruz (CZU) CAL FIRE Ranger Unit is posted online here and summarized below.

Location Current (%)7/22 Previous (%)6/18 Change
Hwy 35 & 92 - coyote brush 127 151 -24
Pulgas - coyote brush 111 134 -23
Saratoga Summit - chamise 64 82 -18
new growth 71 89 -18
old growth 56 74 -18
Corralitos - manzanita 82 83 -1
new growth 80 83 -3
old growth 84 83 +1

Live fuel moisture levels continue running near record lows for this time of year at each of the sampling sites.  Current levels are what we normally see bottoming out each year in October; there could be some records this year.  Chamise at Saratoga Summit has reached the “critical” level and Manzanita at Corralitos continues at or near “critical.”  For Manzanita, the critical threshold is considered 80%; for Chamise 60%.  There is no established critical threshold for coyote brush.  Critical is defined as “the moisture content at which sustained, fast spreading, high intensity wildfires can occur.”   

National Fire Outlook Raised to Preparedness Level 5, Highest Possible Wildfire Threat

Due to increased risk of wildland fires, the agency comprised of top federal and state fire managers raised the national Fire Preparedness Level to its highest possible rating. "Up until yesterday we were at a Level 4," explained National Interagency Fire Center spokesman Mike Ferris. But Monday night weather and current fire conditions, which include active fires burning throughout the west, prompted a decision by the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group to bump up to the highest mark, Ferris said. The Preparedness Level ranges from one, indicating minimal activity, to five, which signals very high activity with extreme growth potential. The increased Preparedness Level reflects the large number or wildfires currently burning, a major commitment of available fire resources, and the probability that severe conditions will continue. Lightning storms, particularly in Northern California and moving east through Idaho and up through Montana, have fire managers preparing for worsening conditions.

The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC) increased the national Preparedness Level (PL) to "5" August 21. Theraised level reflects high fire activity, a major commitment of fire resources, and the probability that severe conditions will continue for at least a few days. Currently Idaho, Oregon, and Utah are very busy with large fires. California and Montana have several emerging large fires due to recent lightning storms.

Some national resources are in short supply, such as smokejumpers, hotshot crews, airtankers, and helicopters. However, shortages are not uncommon at PL5. Fire managers have a high level of expertise in balancing needs and resources. They are working diligently to best allocate the available resources and make progress on the most difficult fires.

Two MAFFS C-130 aircraft from the 153rd Airlift Wing, Cheyenne (Wyoming Air National Guard) and one from the 302nd Airlift Wing, Colorado Springs (Air Force Reserve) are supporting wildland fire suppression operations out of Boise, ID. Two MAFFS from the 146th Airlift Wing (California Air National Guard) are supporting wildland fire suppression operations out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, CA.

http://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/nfn.htm

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