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More crews, less wind help Northern California firefighters
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By Maria L. La Ganga and Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
Originally Published June, 13 2008 at 11:48 PM
Updated June, 13 2008 at 11:48 PM
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Firefighters in Northern California struggled to gain control over four
major blazes burning from Monterey County north to Tehama County, aided
today by dying winds and beefed up crews.
A blaze known as the Humboldt Fire that started Wednesday in Butte
County grew to 20,484 acres, destroying 40 homes and threatening 4,600
structures, fire officials said.
More than 1,300 firefighters in 78 engines, plus helicopters and air
tankers, were fighting the blaze this morning. By 7 a.m., it was 15%
contained, said Daniel Berlant, spokesman for the California Department
of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Flames moved Thursday toward the city of Paradise, population 30,000,
about 90 miles north of Sacramento, and fire officials ordered
evacuations for southern Paradise, Butte Valley and Butte Creek Canyon,
home to about 1,500 people.
But by today, Berlant said, "we're moving away from it being a wind-driven fire. Now it's a slope-driven fire."
That's normally good news, because fires propelled by geography
are easier to control than those fanned by strong winds. In this case,
however, the southern edge of Paradise is at the top of the slope.
A 600-acre blaze near the Santa Cruz County town of Felton was 25%
contained thismorning after destroying 10 homes two days earlier,
Berlant said.
Although dying winds helped firefighters, the terrain there is so
rugged that it is difficult for hand crews and bulldozers to hack away
a containment line, he said, adding that nearly 900 people are working
to stop that blaze.
After burning for 24 hours in rural Tehama County, a 1,000-acre fire
remained totally out of control today. And the Indians Fire in the Los
Padres National Forest west of King City was 37% contained, Berlant
said, after burning 18,640 acres.
"Today's going to be the first window of opportunity to make progress
in containment lines," Berlant said. "It's the first time to get in
front of the fire in Butte County."
In addition to the four major fires that have covered newspaper pages
and television screens this week, firefighters have been responding to
dozens of small fires throughout Northern California.
"We staffed up our fire engines, hired additional seasonal fire
fighters and moved air tankers to air bases a month earlier thanks to
an executive order the governor signed in the beginning of May,"
Berlant said.
That early staffing has been key to keeping the blazes under control in a drought-stricken state, he said.
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