Woke up, it was a smoky morning and the first thing that I heard...

July 13, 2008 about 9:10 am...

The Audio for last night's meeting is now available at KUSP! Many thanks to Steve Laufer of KUSP for posting it first thing today. If you are trapped in the confines of the Jamesburg, Cachagua and Chews Ridge (the Mandatory Evacuation checkpoints of no return), our version of Berlin in the 60's, then fear not!!!

The link above is kinda like the "Jamesburg Airlift" of 2008...

"Ich bin ein Jamesburger!!"

As of the July 12, 6:00pm Basin Complex Fire UPDATE, we are 61% contained.

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Overview of the morning's activity at or near the road

Since we're close to the last stop on Tassajara Road, before the road turns to dirt and heads up to Chews Ridge and the National Forest, recording and reporting this activity seems like taking the pulse of this part of the East Side effort at the moment.

The damned bluejays are still around, so things can be all that bad!

We woke up at about about to the sound of a chopper passing nearby. The air is still smoky, but no ash fall today whatsoever. 

To the right is the view out the windshield to the hood of our pickup at this time yesterday morning ->

Could be a change of wind direction.

There's the sound of more chopper activity as I write, in the vicinity of the Helibase toward Chews Ridge. This past hour, there's been plenty of activity on the ground. First, the coyote crews - the ones that eat c-rations (also known these days as MREs - 'Meals Ready to Expel') and sleep behind the dozer lines, have returned and fresh crews are on the way up. 

The siege of the ridge continues, but seeing all these folks head up - the upflow was about four times the downflow, I'm feeling pretty good about our chances of coming out of this as a person who is not house-challenged.

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About submitting pictures and information:

THANK YOU to those who have begun to send information to me for updates and use on the 'blog. All of us who use this website to disseminate information and receive - perhaps the only - information they can get, really appreciate the contributions!!
Pictures and information are more than welcome... so feel free to contribute. I'll do the best I can to verify - before using - anything that might be a speculative WAG.

If you send a picture or provide information, please tell me whether or not I may:
1) Use the photo or information here on the blog, and
2) Credit you, using your name.

And THANKS, again!!!

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Unofficial news and WAGs (Wild-assed Guesses)

Dr. Eric Walters, of U.C. Hastings Reserve, sent in a shot from near Hastings this morning. 

The camera is located on the top of the hill above the Hastings offices, at their CDF Remote Access Weather Station. The camera is approximately 10 feet above the ground. The contributor notes that "you can see that the fire has moved since last night, inching northward towards Carmel Valley Rd."

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Gleaned from a scanner radio this morning:

 "...fire has snuck under the retardant lines but nothing of real concern. Two heavies on their way. One from Tassajara helibase (5CH) to drop retardant and one from King City (4CH) for water drops. The word is it should be "very doable". Traffic heard at 0902 hrs."

The current report is that 360-370 acres have burned in the "slop over" (i.e. the area over the dozer line).

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MODIS map from a contributor shown here...

This is a nice MODIS view of the fire as of 6:00 am this morning, sent in by a contributor at 7:05 am today (click on the map to expand the view).

The notes from the person passing on the MODIS map are as follows:

"In decreasing order of urgency.

1) Two new hot spots on the wrong side of the line near White Oaks Camp. At least they’re toward the line from the first one. No more backfires on Chews Ridge.
2) See 1.
3) Some more fire near Piney Creek Camps, but west of the ones yesterday, which is good.
4) Some new activity on the northern fire near Rattlesnake Camp, but not right up on the firelines yet.
5) Eastern fire is making a run up towards Miller Mountain at Divide Camp. Looks like it may join with remnants of northern fire.
6) No more fires near yesterday’s backing activity around Mocho Camp."

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The Sheriff's Deputy takes dump...

Sage Scherman, who lives up near Lion Springs Road and who's 4WD Toyota Pickup, with winch is shown in the background on Spaghetti Ridge Road, tries to rehabilitate a Monterey County Sheriff's Deputy whose young life has gone bad.

It happens. 

"This is your brain. THIS is your brain patrolling Chews Ridge. Any questions???""