Fire crews have begun to show up...

June 27, 2008, about noon...

Check out "Google Earth"... our house is at 36°22'13.55"N, 121°35'27.32"W in the Jamesburg area of Upper Carmel Valley. The fire line, based on a file that's about a day old (CA-LPF-D8MA Basin Complex - Gallery 6-25-2008 2146.kml), is about 6 miles, as the crow flies, from us. I'm assuming that it's closer, now - say, between 5 and 6 miles - and burning into Pine Valley.

This morning, thanks to reports on Central Coast Public Radio, KUSP, we heard that our area has been put on alert for evacuation. All attempts to verify this by calling the Los Padres National Forest Fire Information Center at 805-961-5770 have been futile, since the line is perpetually busy.

Fire crews with bulldozers on flatbed semi-trailers have been driving up Tassajara Road - upon which we live - since last night.

A San Luis Obispo firefighter came up the driveway about a half an hour ago and told me to be prepared to evacuate, no matter what the hour. His evaluation is that we are probably pretty safe here; but, that weather conditions could alter his perspective very quickly. Particularly ominous is the forecast of dry lightning for this weekend.

The crews driving by are on the way to Chews Ridge and Hennickson's Ridge. They will attempt to cut firebreaks in an attempt to hold off the slow, but steady march of the fire eastward, through Pine Valley. Should the fire break through to Miler Canyon, Hennickson's Ridge is the last defense for many of the residences in the Jamesburg - Cachagua area.

The temperature here is about 80 degrees, sunny, hazy, no wind and no ashfall. A helicopter passed by about 15 minutes ago, at about 4000 feet above sea level, over Pine Ridge, in a wide arc toward Big Sur, leaving us with a clear impression that the fire is closer than we'd like it to be.

I'm at home, blowing leaves off the roof and out the rain gutters. It makes me feel a bit better...