This Afternoon's MODIS Map and CV Info Meeting...

July 18, 2008 about 8 pm...

This afternoon's MODIS map is in, and here are Jim Kasson's comments:

A warm day, but not hot, with a fair amount of wind in the Carmel Valley from the northwest, which is a good direction for defending the northern fireline.

• Very little fire activity within the triangle formed by Divs NN, RR, and TT. Substantial action to the south of that area, on the slopes leading down to Upper Piney Creek Camp. Looks like the Div OO fireline will be tested soon.

• Continued burning on the down slopes northwest of Elephant Mountain. When it gets to the bottom it will be poised to start up for the firelines; two hotspots already are over the Carmel River. Two hotspots near Carmel River Camp look like they are already on upslopes that lead to the firelines; these could be backfires. The above analysis assumes MODIS is spot on, and we know that it might not be. In any event, the fire is getting closer to the Div LL fireline.

• The Pine Valley/Divide Camp Fire has spread somewhat to the east and greatly to the northwest. IT’s almost to the top of Miller Mountain. I don’t know if it’s connected to the same fire, but there are now widespread hotspots to the west of Miller Mountain, near where we saw burning a few days ago. 
  

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The Fire Information Meeting in Carmel Valley Village

The Fire Information Meeting tonight, held at Tularcitos School, in Carmel Valley Village was not as well attended as times previous.  There were about a third or less there this time - about 75 residents - and a cadre of firefighters, including new IC Jeanne Pincha-Tulley.

Audio can be found here, KUSP's website.

The old team, led by Jerry McGowan, bid farewell. Cal Fire's Rick Hutchinson is here for the duration, and I interviewed him about the still-worrisome fire in the area of Miller Canyon and behind Hennickson's Ridge.

(l to r: Connie Chaney, Rick Hutchinson, Chuck Dickson, Jerry McGowan, Jeanne Pincha-Tulley, and Director of OES...)

In the interview with Rick, I asked him if this fire (in what the Forest Service maps designate as "Div MM") was a threat to Jamesburg Cachagua. 

Rick answered in no uncertain terms, "Yes, and if conditions change, we may have to go back to Mandatory Evacuation, and perhaps much faster than before."

Audio for the interview can be found at here, KUSP's website.