| Archive for San Gabriel Mountains Discussion Forum Open discussion board for activities in the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California |
| mattmaxon |
Station "The Beast" Fire 9/5/2009Well we're 10 days into this. It seems the powers that be are content to burn the chaparral in the west fork, devils cynHope it doesn't turn to sh@#, or worse... some else gets killed I wonder how hot this is burning, usually these thing blow through and the ground temps are pretty low, with higher temps the soil gets "sterilized", making it difficult for the native plants to reestablish, a real opportunity for invasive non-native plants http://mattmaxon.homeip.net/data/.../Map%2014%200428%20PDT%200905.kml 
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| Richard N. |
I have photo's of the burn. Arroyo is a total burn out all the way to Red Box from La Canada. 99% of the guard rails are burnt out, road signs are melted and there are dead animals on the highway.
Mill Creek RS is gone. Monte Cristo & Shortcut Fire Stations were both burnt but I haven't heard how bad, but I would expect the worst. No word on Vetter but the Observatory on Stoney Ridge has survived. Chileo & Charlton were burnt but not total burn outs. The brush clearance started 2 years ago may have helped save it. The residents at Chileo were burnt but no word on the visitors center. The fire burnt out Gould Mesa in the Arroyuo but amazingly the tables and outhouse survived. I guess there may be a glimmer of hope after all. The Angeles National Forest sign as you enter the forest out of La Canada burnt. There is a photo of it burning on the outdoorsclub.net web site. go to the message board and click the link on the Angeles National Forest Closure. Kelly has all my photo's and will be uploading them to that web site. About 50 photo's in all. Try not to get to sick when viewing the pictures. The talk is that now that the fire is in the San Gabriel Wilderness that they will make a stand at Highway 39. The forest as we know it has indeed gone to shit Matt. I'll say it. The forest will most likely remain closed until the spring of 2010. Angeles Crest Highway is closed from La Canada to Big Pines and is not expected to open until November if even then. If anyone goes into the burn areas, be sure to be safe and wear face and breathing masks. |
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| mattmaxon |
Vetter Mtn Lookout is gone KPCC interviewed the lookout association spokesperson, the lookout and garage are toast |
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| TacoDelRio |
http://www.outdoorsclub.org/forum...;TopicID=28037&PagePosition=1 | ||||
| mattmaxon |
There is new activity around Chilao, I'm guessing this is a backfire / controlled burn. A continuation of a series long desired backfires is my guess
Just say it's part of the larger fire and get the $$$ for it GE KML http://mattmaxon.homeip.net/data/.../Map%2015%200904%20PDT%200905.kml 
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| mattmaxon |
Station "The Beast" Fire 9/5/2009 Day 10The controlled burns(?) around Chilao are stationaryThe South segment of the claw is slowly tearing its way down the west fork inexplicably the North segment of the claw shows no active burning in the last 12 hrs. I notice once it started out of the devils cyn area it was quashed Big and Little Mermaid Cyns are threatened. I would not be surprise to see them allowed to burn as they are large Marijuana producers http://mattmaxon.homeip.net/data/.../Map%2016%201453%20PDT%200905.kml 
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| Jim |
Matt said:
"Big and Little Mermaid Cyns are threatened. I would be surprise to see them allowed to burn as they are large Marijuana producers" This is a plus amongst all the negatives. Burning out all the low life Mexican mafia parasites in our forest brings a smile to my face. Good riddance!!! It is too bad that this little piece of justice is delivered at a huge cost. Just so no one thinks I'm being unfair---- here is a quote from a article about the recent Santa Barbara fire: "This is the trend," Russ Arthur, a special agent for the U.S. Forest Service, said at a Santa Barbara news conference. "I've been involved in hundreds of arrests and all of the suspects have been Mexican nationals." The whole article: http://www.latimes.com/news/local...-fire19-2009aug19,0,3207658.story |
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| AlanK |
The whole business of vast quantities of cannabis in that huge smoke plume is an untold part of the story of this fire. | ||||
| mattmaxon |
It looks like it got away from themEither they're greatly expanding the "controlled" burns or it has got away from themI changed the overlay in response to people having trouble seeing whats under the circles... Don't know if it will help? 
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| Layne Cantrell |
Re: It looks like it got away from them
So basically Buckhorn is toast? Great. Unless those are controlled burns? |
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| outwhere |
A little good news in these sad times...
Millard Canyon Cabins: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_13270926 Camp Hi-Hill area: http://www.presstelegram.com/breakingnews/ci_13262672 Hearing that Bear and Grand Canyon appear to be gone is sad. But then I think of the family of the fighters that passed away because of this fire and get angry... Sorry to end the 'good news' on a sad note, but the reality of what has happened - because of some sick jerk, is going to take some gettting used to... |
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| Cy Kaicener |
the Station fireNews from altadenahikerhttp://altadenahiker.blogspot.com |
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| Layne Cantrell |
Re: It looks like it got away from them
Damn, no updates? Can't someone at least lie to me and tell me Buckhorn is alright? |
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| HikeUp |
Re: It looks like it got away from them
According to the map, Buckhorn is still okay. Fire hasn't gone down the east side of Waterman yet. |
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| HikeUp |
Image from Saturday evening a few minutes before 9:00 pm...
Twin Peaks' west ridge is burning apparently. The picture agrees with Matt's latest map for the most part I think. |
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| Mike P |
Does a fire in designated wilderness have a different set of fire-fighting rules than non-wilderness lands? I am guessing that firefighters can't use chain saws or dozers. Am I off base here? | ||||
| cougarmagic |
**The following is pure uneducated, desperately imaginitive speculation**
But if it helps you sleep tonight... I think the pattern of burn on the south side of Waterman looks like a backfire operation, started along the trail from Three Points. If you look at these images, there are usually big, dense clumps of angry red squares. The ones on Waterman are evenly spaced, and in a straight line. I compare it to the second image, where obviously the fire line stopped at yet another unnatural looking, evenly spaced line of blocks. So - long straight line, just above big angry clump: 
Repeated here: 
If I'm right, I'm a genius and teh fire will not proceed past the backfire line, and spare the north side of Waterman as well as Buckhorn. If I'm wrong, I've just given you all false hope that will painfully come crashing down tomorrow morning. You're welcome. 
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| cougarmagic |
Wrong. Sorry. | ||||
| harper |
i think part of the rules have to do with priorities. it makes me sick to think that all these structures (historic as they may be) are being saved. and the trees left to burn. you can rebuild a structure. a tree will take years and years and years -- some of them several human life-times -- to grow... and the thought that buckhorn will be left to burn is almost too much to bear... (if only there was some historic cabin in there...) harper |
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| kgw |
What do youse guys think about what this fellow has to say?
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| edenooch |
is fire even burning still? 
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| outwhere |
Well, that is interesting kgw... Not sure if this is a fair comparison - but last week, can't remember what day exactly - a car crash started a fire in Pacific Palisades/Palos Verdes area - within minutes two of these large, water dropping airplanes were on it. Could these planes have been able to fly over the steep, front range terrain when the Station fire first began? Aside from getting water from somewhere else, how long would it take these planes to get from the ocean to, let's say, the Altadena area? I am still wondering, according to LA Times numbers, the Station fire started around 4:30pm and after two hours, it was allegedly only at 20 acres. Are these numbers deceiving? 20 acres in two hours doesn't sound like much to me - but are other factors [heat, low humidity, terrain] the real reason this fire could not be stopped at it's initial stage? I guess I also think, 'oh, there were hardly any winds - that should have made it somewhat more possible to squelch this fire.' If I'm just completely waaaay off with this speculation, please feel free to tell me I'm an idiot and know nothing about fires. Who knows, it might help me get past this 2 hours/20 acres info... |
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| AlanK |
I downloaded fire perimeters for Aug. 30 - Sept. 6 (early morning) from http://www.geomac.gov/. The different colors are different days -- orange is obviously today. The short black line is a GPS trace of a hike form Three Points to Twin Peaks.
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| Leighton |
Typical conspiracy theorist nonsense, if you ask me.  Check out their website, http://www.brasschecktv.com/ for more entertainment.
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| Layne Cantrell |
Well on the plus side I emailed District Ranger Mike McIntyre and he said they were able to put out the spot fire over highway 2. Hopefully at least some of the area will be saved. Thanks for the map and the sentiment. We're all hurtin' now but at least this place gives us a somewhere to vent where people don't think we're crazy. |
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| Bill |
Not sure exactly, but I know most of these applications are great under ideal circumstances,(flat ground with no wind) but do not perform well under the extreme conditions present in our local mountains. (steep terrain, high elevation, heavy smoke) And if this air frame is similar to other eastern European designs, do we really want this flying Yugo or whatever it is over populated areas. Let alone the danger to the pilot! 
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| Jim |
Bill said: "flying Yugo" 
You're killing me partner!!!! It may have worked on the San Diego fire where it probably would have mowed down whole blocks of houses with tons of water before they could burn. But flyin' Yugo----that's a good one----I'm dyin'
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| kgw |
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you...
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| Zé |
that plane couldn't possibly work. Illusion is spelled wrong
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| HikeUp |
Wow!
Flying Yugo has to be one of the funniest things I've heard...ever!
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| TacoDelRio |
Nothing wrong with Ilyushin.
The IL-76 is used to resupply folks on the polar caps. Dunno about the video, just felt like supporting Slavic aircraft companies. 
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| Layne Cantrell |
Someone's got to. Errr..aside from Slavs, that is. |
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| kgw |
One of these with a good pilot is not a good thing to see on your six:
Notice this is a Luftwaffe MiG 29... |
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| Sewellymon |
GeoMac map shows latest burning on north side of ACH/ 2 between 3 Points and Cloudburst summit (heading down towards the desert) and ALL of Mt. Waterman, including the NE side which contains our beloved trail. Eastern edge of the fire at or near Kratka Ridge.
Map shows no fire in southern San Gab wilderness....(i.e. Cogswell, W Fork River and points north EDIT- -latest ANF Twitter says "Crews focusing today on area above Chantry Flats, towards Cogswell Res.", so must be hot spots or more still on southern edge... |
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| Jim |
Just looked at the tower cam:
http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~obs/towercam.htm#imagetop 12:00pm Things are not looking good for Mt Hillyer area. It looks like the fire has "erupted" again in that area. Hopefully the Forest Service Station has not burned. This is sooo nauseating seeing this happen in virtual reality. I'm not sure how I'll handle the "real" reality of this in person. 
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| Sewellymon |
from ANF Twitter minutes ago:
"Fire has become very active in the area northeast of Chilao near Squaw Cyn. Air tankers are making frequent drops on the flare up" and... "DC-10 being deployed to support FF's near Sulfur Spgs and Squaw Canyon" |
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| Layne Cantrell |
It's awful but if you look at the pictures taken by the Mt. Wilson folks you'll notice in every one of them at least a little greenery survived. Enough trees survived that after some of the brush grows back a lot of the lower portions of the Angeles will look somewhat normal. Hey, its my turn to be the optimistic. No replacing the pines at higher elevations, though.
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