Yes but Kirk started lower down by Lucia and a little north in Hare Creek too.
From IA thread
“AA and leadplane
Tankers 10, 12, 74, 75, 79, 80, 82 (trainiee)
Helicopter 527, 406 (406 just went to King City with a maintenance issue)”
The topography and drainage looks exactly like the sand table simulation exercise I had in S-300 Extended Attack IC in 2005 AND I had H-527 not H-406 go out with the “chip light” issue!
The fire is in the footprint of the 1999 Kirk Complex, but also in the footprint of the more recent 2008 Chalk Fire.
I made it this morning after a resident sent me pictures of the fire. I was an engineer at Nac Engine 16 from 2005-2009. I know this country inside and out. My husband is the FMO for this district. My guess is it’s going up to the Coast Ridge Rd and will slop over down into upper Kirk.
Trying to pull it up on flight radar not showing any aircraft in the area. Spent 20 + days on Kirk.
FR24 and other similar tracking apps require some hobbyist ADSB coverage in the area to feed the data, especially for the lower level altitudes of firefighting aircraft. You can see the aircraft as they come out of Paso Robles, not sure how far they’ll track west to the incident, looks like as they enter the forest at about 5000msl passing the western boundary of Liggett. As stated earlier AFF (satellite coverage) showing five S2’s and two LAT’s, Two T1 copters with more ordered, and then the agency C527 and C406.
Does anyone know about whether they are going to try to transition to type II or have any inside to GACC So-Cal Ordering info?
Does this have the potential to be another Soberanes? Or alot of oak woodland/ grass before it gets into the nasty chaparral & snags of previous fires??
You would have a more direct way to find that out than most of us.
I would think it might be too early for team talk, but after the slop over and it being the LPF, you never know.
It is moving in to a much higher density fuel type. Very heavy brush and continuous timber stands. If it crosses over the ridge, toward Liggett, it is ~very~ steep and unforgiving terrain. It could potentially run toward Junipero Sera and all throughout the wilderness areas. A Team order isn’t a far cry at all, if it hasn’t been done already.
I’m curious what team would get the call. Team 14 and 15 were skipped. Who’s up?
Team 14 is still on 2 hr call until midnight tonight. Then team 15 will be on 2 hr.
If this thing doesn’t get turned in the next couple of hours it will go big. Aircraft are doing their best to hold it in check, but that ends at cutoff. The weather here is similar to the Soberanes ignition conditions with the exception of the drought factor. Tonight will be dry above the marine layer which has been very thin all day.
BC12, that is what I was thinking. Do we have plenty of type I crews from FS? Our concern was the sun going down too and possibly not having enough boots on ground. Hard to know how many crews they have. Also terrain is nasty at night. SOO steep and rocky up top. Injury at night would SUCK big time for you guys.
Agreed. Hard to find out if it’s gotten over Cone Peak Rd, or if it’s slopped into Kirk to the north. Can’t run dozers in there even if they let us! FS supervisor has to approve. Any word from anyone if they DID?
Fyi,
I’m not LPF BC 12, but I have been involved with many fires here on the Central Coast on the State side…including Soberanes.
Don’t worry BC 12 on the LPF has been vacant for years!l