Redux... Where the fire is and where we are...

July 4, 2008, about 9:30 am...

The fire, thankfully, has NOT moved much closer to us, to the east (the white line in the map to the left represents a distance of about 6 miles). 

It has moved some, but the reduced amount of fuel, "thanks" to the 1999 Kirk Complex fire, has slowed the flames down to a crawl in our direction.

Between that, wind conditions friendly to us (though NOT to Big Sur) and a strong firefighting strategy, we remain safe, as of today.

The Ventura crews just passed by on the way to Chews Ridge to cut and clear around residences. 

The defensive firefight continues the strategy of securing the ridgetops and eventually - perhaps - setting backfires down the slopes toward the fire front, to meet it and neutralize it. The firefighters are also planning to spread retardant on the ridges where the dozer lines have been cut, in an effort to hold the lines surrounding the fire, which is now 5% contained.

So far, so good for Jamesburg and Cachagua.