REMINDER
Second guessing the IC or placing blame from afar will not be tolerated. Fair warning, this year promises to be as severe as last year and the Moderators will not be as forgiving as in the past. Keep your discussions focused on the incident and not who’s running it.
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From the a few videos I watched, the flame lengths were cresting the edge of the downslope and crossing over that break in the fuel. I’m guessing some were probably even impacting the structures and vegetation on some of these parcels. Not sure if I’d want to place my engine in there after seeing that.
Looks to me like they did everything possible given the structure sizes w/defensible space. Flame lengths of 100’+ and convective heat did the rest.
Regarding backfiring, how you gonna backfire against a 70 mph thermal wind blowing in your face 
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Sure, there is a time and place. I wasn’t there. I just said maybe it’s an option. I know better to question the tactics as none of us are there. I simply made a comment for thought, and suggested some pre-planning. That’s all! As for 70mph winds, I wasn’t there. All the reporting at the time, including weather websites and the windy app had 30mph winds. The IC, fire chief said 30mph winds. So, maybe we’re both wrong! Go gett’em this year boys. Us retired guys just get to watch and wish we were there!
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CalTopo shows no fire history there. The Aliso in 2018 was just north.
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This is the structure defense problem scenario we all face from time to time. Fire is in alignment homes in the way. IMHO this was ember cast galore finding every nook and cranny and findiny its way into attics. Its very hard to detect these attic fires in the insipient stage because you already have tons of smoke in the air. By the time you realize it you have a decent fire on your hands which now threatening the other structures. The pictures/videos i have scene shows manicured yards. I dont see any ornmanetal veg burning causing issues. Every palms was well maintained. I didnt see everything of course but from what i wartched ember cast with strong wind in alignment with the homes was the culprit.
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Agreed. Spot on I believe.
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Looking at some helicopter footage on my evening news, that was one deep and steep drainage that lead up to these homes. Would have needed quite the force to do much work with a lot of water “right now” With firing not bein in question. Unfortunately it did what it’s supposed to, hot and fast up up up. Crazy to see the picturesque “WUI” structure masonry siding and tile roof go up, Lots of thermal heat, and agree with the probable great deal of ember cast it had as it crested and not to mention some open windows. Wondering what the time was when it jumped to the time it made it to the top. Might be an impressive number.
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May 10, 1987 started this way with the Morse Fire in Pebble Beach.
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Agree,AJohansson,
I Personally witness this happening on the Cedar Fire on 2003. embers with suck up into the attic space via the vented bird blocks in the eves. Even on homes with adequate clearance.
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So you all know im a tech nerd. Thinking application for firis. It would be interesting to see thermal properties in a remote sensing platform. I wonder at what extent of the fire in an attic its noticed in the sensor. Then direct crews to the exact house. They could litteraly over the radio give the address, even drop a point into atak, intterra yada yada system of your choice. That ISR sensor though has to be up sooner rather than later though. Im not sure the reason for the perceived late start of firis on this incident. Could be mechanical, whatever thats not the point but testing would be rad to see how early we might catch an attic fire. I can personally attest to at the canyon 1 fire when it burned into corona i stood up corona comms because I new 911 calls were gonna come to our psap, we had multiple ringing fire alarms that we pushed to operations and they were in fact working attic fires that structure defense units caught early enough to keep the house from burning down. Not all homes of course have fire alarms. But goes to show early detection can help.
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My comments in no way suggested any of these properties had A.D.U.’s. I was responding to another post and was simply educating by pointing out a potential new issue to deal with during this fire season on any wildland Fire.
The problem we face on this platform, or any social media platform, is you can’t see or hear a persons true intent in a response. It’s easy to misunderstand the posters comments and emotional state of mind, and it’s to easy to assume.
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Yep certainly possible. I am not an investigator but there is an intersection of two power lines near the area of origin. Our electricity bills may be going up again…
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