Mountain Fire Update #7 July 20, 2013 6:00 AM Incident: Mountain Wildfire Released: 3 hrs. ago FIRE UPDATE #7July 20, 2013 6:00 A.M. Current Situation: Firefighters made excellent progress last night and worked to secure the southern flank of the fire with a combination of hand line construction, running hoselays, and water drops. Communities to the South and Southeast remain undamaged by fire activity. Progress was made overnight along the Northwest flank of the fire. Today, firefighters will concentrate efforts along the northern and northwestern flank, and build on gains made on containment lines to protect the communities of Idyllwild and Pine Cove. Todays weather may bring a change in the progression of the fire and how operation strategies will develop. Moisture has arrived, bringing a strong likelihood of rain and the possibility of isolated thunderstorms by the afternoon. Scattered mountain showers may only impact portion of the fire area and thunderstorms and associated lightning and winds are a concern for firefighter safety. Firefighter safety is a major concern as rain can also bring flooding and create slick and dangerous working conditions. Evacuations: An Evacuation Warning has been issued for the community of Pine Cove (est. population of 770). The remaining Evacuation Orders, including Idyllwild and Fern Valley, are still in place. Evacuation Centers: Evacuation centers have been established by Red Cross (1-888-831-0031) at Hemet High School, Hamilton High School, and Beaumont High School. Road Closures: Hwy 74 is open to traffic. Hwy 243 remains closed from the intersection of Hwy 74 to the Nature Center, south of Pine Cove. Fire Facts: 27,278 acres at 25% containment 3,478 personnel including 68 crews, 260 engines, 11 dozers, and 20 helicopters 23 structures have been destroyed by fire including 7 residences during the first day of the fire Total cost to date is 12.2 million dollars The cause of the fire is currently under investigation The latest fire information can be found on Inciweb at inciweb.org/incident/3516
Posted on: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 19:20:53 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015