As California enters another fire season, officials say it's still all too common to find property owners and their employees unwittingly doing the right thing in the wrong way.
More than 1,600 fires are started each year by people improperly using mowers, weed trimmers, tractors and other power equipment to clear vegetation. Improper use of power equipment -- working without spark arresters, for example, or trimming or cutting during the hot afternoon hours -- is the single largest factor in accidentally set blazes, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Most are quickly extinguished. But a few grow into roaring wildfires that destroy homes, tax the state's firefighting capacity and cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars to battle. In May, flames from the Jesusita wildfire in Santa Barbara roared across mountaintops for nearly a week, destroying 80 homes and injuring 32 firefighters. Authorities believe the blaze, which cost an estimated $20 million to fight, was sparked in the early afternoon of May 5 by someone using power equipment to clear brush on a hiking trail.
Portions of Southern California were hit by thunderstorms and lightning today, causing at least two deaths and sparking several small brush fires.
In Fontana, authorities said a 35-year-old woman was struck by lightning in front of her home. Earlier in Big Bear Lake, a tree snapped about 11 a.m. and fell on a vehicle traveling on Catalina Road just north of Avalon Road. The vehicle was crushed and at least one person was confirmed dead, according to a news release from the Big Bear Lake Fire Department.
Weather conditions also fueled lightning strikes that sparked at least 15 fires -- the largest of which burned about 150 acres -- in the San Bernardino National Forest. Most of the fires were less than one acre. Another small fire was reported this afternoon in San Dimas.
Details on the Fontana death were unclear. But helicopter footage from KABC showed burns on a tree next to where the woman was apparently struck. The Associated Press confirmed the death with the San Bernardino County coroner, who said the woman's identity has not been released.
--Ari B. Bloomekatz
Photo: Maribel Chavez from Mexico City gazes out over Lake Elsinore while watching the storm. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
[Updated at 1:15 p.m.: There are now at least 15 lightning-related fires, including at least five in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. The McKinley fire has spread to about 150 acres, but officials say it has mostly been contained. State Route 330 has been reopened.]
Lightning strikes sparked several small fires in the San Bernardino National Forest and closed a portion of State Route 330, authorities said.
The lightning was part of a storm system that brought light drizzle to parts of Los Angeles along with cool temperatures.
The largest fire, named the McKinley Fire, spread to about 100 acres, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Norma Bailey.
"We certainly did have a big storm overhead," she said.
Bailey said lightning began to strike the forest about 8:30 a.m. and that there were a total of at least eight strikes that sparked blazes. Most of the fires were just "spot" fires or ones that were held to less than an acre, she said.
One, named the Cactus Fire, was sparked in the San Jacinto Mountains. Another was a quarter-acre fire named the Cucamonga fire.
Twelve hikers trapped at Joshua Tree National Park were airlifted to safety today as a 100-acre wildfire burned in rugged terrain near the park’s historic Lost Horse Mine.
The fire, which began around 4 p.m., trapped the hiking party, according to park ranger Pam Tripp. The hikers were rescued by helicopter. The fire, burning in Joshua trees, pinyon pines and junipers, as well as fast-burning desert grasses, was fanned by late afternoon winds.
The Lost Horse fire is burning in a remote area of rugged hills between the park’s Geology Tour Road and the Keys View Road. Both have been closed to the public.
All other areas of the park remain open, including campgrounds. Officials said minor traffic delays may be encountered.
The terrain hampered efforts of fire crews to get engines near the blaze and hand crews began walking in Sunday evening, Tripp said. The fire is being fought by personnel from the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and San Bernardino County Fire Department.
Los Angeles firefighters are battling a 1-acre blaze in a residential neighborhood of Laurel Canyon above Hollywood, authorities said.
The fire started shortly after 7 p.m. in the 2100 block of Laurel Canyon Road in Mount Olympus, said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman with the Los Angeles Fire Department. No homes have been damaged and no injuries reported.
The hillside neighborhood is dotted with multimillion-dollar homes.
There are no evacuations at this time, Humphrey said. The cause of the fire is unknown.
Updated, 8:20 p.m.: Firefighters extinguished the blaze just after 8 p.m.
--Andrew Blankstein
Photo: A helicopter makes a drop on a fire above Laurel Canyon today.
Credit: Jim Steinfeldt / For the Los Angeles Times
A brush fire burned more than 100 acres and damaged three homes in the Pala area in northeastern San Diego County, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials said Sunday.
At 6 p.m., the wind-driven fire was being fought by 25 engines, two water-dropping helicopters and four air tankers. Voluntary evacuations were underway.
The fire is east of Interstate 15 and along Highway 76 in the Rice Canyon area. The California Highway Patrol closed portions of Highway 76. There were no reports of injuries.
The blaze was moving east toward the Pala Indian Casino but the casino was not considered imperiled, officials said.
Firefighters today are mopping up the remains of the 10-day-old Jesusita fire in Santa Barbara, calling it 90% contained this morning.
All evacuation orders and warnings related to the fire have been lifted after a return of warm winds failed to reignite still-smoldering embers and hot spots, an official said today.
"It's been wind-tested,'' spokesman John Jayasinghe said. "Everyone's happy around here."
A destructive wildfire in Santa Barbara is 90% contained, but the remaining portion burning along a ridge in the coastal mountains has been difficult for firefighters to reach and extinguish, an official said today.
The Santa Barbara Fire Department has set a containment date for May 20.
“Right now, it’s pretty steep,” said Capt. David Sadecki. “The last 10% is the most difficult part to put out and we’ve been working on it the longest.”
With the 8,700-acre Jesusita fire still burning, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department announced this morning that the Pre-Season Media BBQ originally scheduled for May 21 has been canceled.
No word yet on when, or if, the event will be rescheduled.
Meanwhile, fire officials have pushed back full containment of the Jesusita fire to May 20 because of dry and windy conditions. The fire has destroyed 78 homes and cost $13.5 million to fight.
Investigators said the blaze may have been started by someone using a weed whacker on the Jesusita trail.
-- Carlos Lozano
Check out The Times' interactive map to see the locations of the homes, photos of the destruction at some locations and the perimeters of this fire.
Fire officials were anxiously watching for a return of winds to the hills above Santa Barbara as crews continued cutting containment lines around the still-burning Jesusita wildfire.
About 3,140 firefighters and equipment operators worked to douse smoldering embers and carve wide swaths around the fire zone. The blaze was 80% contained, and fire officials expect full containment by May 20 if the weather cooperates.
"This fire is still burning," said Michele Mickiewicz, a spokeswoman for Santa Barbara County's emergency operations center.
By late afternoon Tuesday, winds of 15 to 20 mph were blowing in the San Marcos Pass area, close to the fire's western flank, Mickiewicz said. The air was calmer in the foothills above Montecito, but southwest winds up to 65 mph were possible, she said, adding, "There is all kinds of preplanning going on in case anything changes to move the fire eastward."
Most of the 30,000 residents evacuated at the height of the fire have returned home. The blaze has burned 8,733 acres, destroyed 78 homes and cost $13.5 million to fight. Officials say it may have been sparked by someone using a weed whacker on the Jesusita trail.
-- Catherine Saillant
Check out The Times' interactive map to see the locations of the homes, photos of the destruction at some locations and the perimeters of this fire.
Map of burned homes in Santa Barbara in a larger map
Santa Barbara County officials tonight released a list of homes damaged and destroyed in the Jesusita fire.
The 8,733-acre blaze was apparently ignited by power tools in the hills north of Santa Barbara on the afternoon of May 5. The flames were fanned by sundowner winds, which pushed embers toward dozens of homes.
In all, at least 78 homes were destroyed and at least 11 were damaged.
Only when temperatures dropped and the marine layer moved in on Saturday morning were firefighters able to assert control over the fire.
Check out The Times' interactive map to see the locations of the homes, photos of the destruction at some locations and the perimeters of this fire.
Santa Barbara County officials said that the Jesusita wildfire that has charred 8,700 acres, destroyed 31 homes and damaged 47 others was apparently sparked by power tools being used to clear brush.
Officials said they believe workers were using the power tools to clear brush along the Jesusita trail in the area of San Roque and Tunnel roads between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. last Monday and Tuesday.
Investigators are also requesting information from anyone who may have witnessed any activity in the area of Inspiration Point.
The location has been closed because of the ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information that could be helpful in the investigation is asked to call (805) 686-5074 or e-mail sbctip@sbcfire.com
Fire officials in Santa Barbara continued expressing optimism this afternoon. Helicopters are dousing hot spots, while ground crews are manning the edges of the fire to prevent its spread. The fire is still active on ridge tops.
"We feel confident that the threat is lessening," said Capt. Dave Sadecki of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. He added, however, that a threat remains because much of the wildfire is still uncontrolled. Officials have pegged containment at 30%.
But with cooler and moister conditions today, fire officials have lifted mandatory evacuation orders for all areas south of Highway 192, including the Santa Barbara Mission -- neighborhoods where most of the 30,000 people ordered to leave their homes lived. Areas north of the road, in mostly mountainous terrain, remain under mandatory evacuation.
Highway 192 is still closed to vehicles but was open to pedestrians. Some residents heading back home lugged suitcases along the road.
Cheers rose inside the UC Santa Barbara MAC Center when Santa Barbara Sheriff Bill Brown announced to evacuees taking refuge there that most of them would be able to return home.
As he called out street names, people responded “That’s me!” They folded up blankets and went to their cars which most had turned into mobile garages to hold their belongings. Many had been displaced for several days and the air around the cots had grown a bit stale.
Diane Lacey, 44, had spent time in her car to get away from the noise and buzz of the center. She was headed into the center to see if her street was on the list. “Heck, yeah, I get to go home,” she said. She had been staying at the shelter since Thursday night. Mostly she was worried about her cats, Bubbie and Beebz. They were at the animal shelter. First priority -- pick them up.
Britney Ayers, 23, a student, and her grandfather, George Wasco, 77, had spent two days at the center. Ayers, who had her laptop with her, spent the time working on an English paper. Now she gathered up her computer and clothes and was ready to return to home.
“We’re relieved,” said Ayers. “We finally get to go home.”
For some, the trauma of being evacuated was replaced by the adventure of getting to meet Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who paid a visit to the evacuation center.
“I actually got to meet the governor, and I took my picture with him. I still can’t believe it,” said Dawn Naranjo, 43. She and her roommate, Kathy Taylor, 45, arrived at the evacuation center Friday afternoon. They had hustled to leave their home, south of Foothill Road near State Street, dropping off their seven hamsters and four birds at a pet store.
Dawn said when they return home today they would be spending the rest of the day trying to make their animals feel comfortable.
“It was so good to be able to come to a place where everyone was so sweet and we felt so safe,” said Taylor echoing others’ praise for the Red Cross staff that runs the evacuation center. At its peak, the center had 600 evacuees. This morning, when the governor visited it was down to 60 to 70 and about 50 staff members.
[Updated at 12:52 p.m.: The Woodland Hills fire was declared knocked down a few moments ago, and firefighters are continuing to mop up the scene, said Art Marrujo, dispatch supervisor for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The blaze consumed 20 acres of brush.]
Firefighters and helicopters are responding to a brush fire in Woodland hills, near the 4200 block of North Canoga Avenue, just south of the Woodland Hills Country Club.
Winds were mild and fire officials said crews were surrounding the blaze, which was reported about 11:30 a.m. A large plume of smoke, however, rose from the area.
Karen Telleen-Lawton and her husband, David, stood at the Mission Canyon Road blockade, thumbs out, trying to hitch a ride back to what they hoped was their home.
They had evacuated Tuesday from Rattlesnake Canyon. They had covered the deck with fire foam. Then they got in their car with seven tubs of belongings and drove away. This morning they were hiking back in, desperate for a look at what the firestorm had left for them.
But authorities turned them away at the roadblock. News crews and utility trucks rumbled by, but no one stopped to pick them up. Frustrated, they stood there, stalled pilgrims on their journey back to their neighborhood.
Even though evacuation orders were lifted this morning for most residents, some hard-hit areas remained closed.
“It would be nice if they could let us back in today,” Karen Telleen-Lawton said. The couple had already managed to sneak into an area that offered a vantage point Thursday night. A house across from theirs had burned. But theirs was intact that evening. Was it still?
“I’m sure there’s smoke damage,” she mused. “I really don’t know if it’s just a shell.”
In the distance, the hillside smoldered and trees were singed black. “We love our home,” she said.
-- Ann Simmons
Photo: Santa Barbara residents Karen and David Telleen-Lawton attempt to hitch a ride into Mission Canyontoday. Credit: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times
Fire officials lifted mandatory evacuation orders for most of the 30,500 residents in affected areas. A news release from fire officials is below:
Jesusita Fire Press Release as of May 9, 2009, at 10:40 a.m.
Jesusita fire evacuation update
The unified command team has developed a plan for the safe, structured return of residents to their homes and businesses. The current mandatory evacuation order has been downgraded to an evacuation warning for the following areas:
Effective immediately – All residences south of Foothill Road (Hwy 192), from Mission Canyon Road south to Los Olivos, Los Olivos to Garden Street, Garden Street to Constance Road, Constance Road to State Street, State Street west to San Roque Road, San Roque Road north to Foothill Road (Hwy 192).
All residences south of Cathedral Oaks Road from Patterson Avenue south to Hwy 101, Hwy 101 east to Turnpike Road, Turnpike Road north to Cathedral Oaks Road.
Effective at 11:30 a.m. – All residences south of Foothill (Hwy 192), from Hope Avenue south to State Street, State Street east to San Roque, San Roque north to Foothill Road (Hwy 192).
All residences south of Cathedral Oaks Road from Turnpike Road south to Hwy 101, Hwy 101 east to Hwy 154, Hwy 154 north to Cathedral Oaks/Foothill Road (Hwy 192)
Effective at 12:00 p.m. – All residences south of Foothill Road (Hwy 192), from Hope Avenue south to State Street, State Street west to Hwy 154, Hwy 154 north to Foothill Road (Hwy 192).
Residents of the above locations may return to their homes and businesses. Please remember that an evacuation warning stills exists in the area. Returning residents and business owners are cautioned to remain aware of the potential for an evacuation order on short notice.
Hwy 154 north of Calle Real remains closed except for emergency vehicle traffic. Cathedral Oaks from Patterson Avenue east, continuing east past Hwy 154/Foothill Road (Hwy 192) to Mission Canyon Road remains closed except for emergency vehicle traffic.
All other existing mandatory evacuation orders and evacuation warnings remain in effect.
The unified command is constantly evaluating the situation to repopulate affected areas.
The destructive Jesusita fire won't stop runners from competing in the 3rd annual Santa Barbara County Half Marathon on Saturday.
The race will take place in Santa Ynez, a small winery town 30 miles northeast of Santa Barbara. Runners will race through a 13-mile course that winds through horse ranches, fruit orchards, lavender farms and vineyards. Organizers are hoping clear skies will prevail.
“We’re keeping our fingers crossed,” said Matt Dockstader, a spokesman for Destination Races, the event’s organizer.
Six months ago, the Tea fire scorched through the valley below Jesse Benenati’s home, burned right up to his backyard pool and sent embers flying into the neighborhood beyond.
Houses all around him burned to the ground. But today, he stood by the pool with binoculars, scanning a fire high up in the mountains east of La Cumbre Peak.
“There is the fire wall right there,” said Benenati, a 49-year-old house painter. “Those gotta be 30-foot flames.”
Benenati was home just for a moment to wet the lawn and pick up some cherished possessions. It was the second time in six months that his family had to evacuate the hillside neighborhood on the eastern edge of Santa Barbara near Montecito. But he found comfort looking across the deep basin – burned bare by the Tea fire – between today’s fire and his home.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention sent its largest plane, a converted DC-10, to Santa Barbara today to help fight the Jesusita fire.
The plane flew over La Cumbre Peak, the nearly 4,000-foot mountain that looms over Santa Barbara, at about 12:55 p.m. It dropped its 12,000-gallon load of fire retardant in an attempt to keep the fire from crossing the ridge.
Mike Carr, a Cal Fire battalion chief, said the plane was “simply another tool” in the massive firefighting effort.
“What the DC-10 is very effective for is looking out in front of the fire, going in and making very large and long-range capacity drops,” he said. “It’s effective in terrain where it has room to operate, fly safely and make large-volume drops.”
But Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Tom Franklin said Thursday that the DC-10 "would be completely ineffective in this terrain."
After its drop this afternoon, the plane flew to an airbase in Victorville to reload.
In other fire news, Carr said assessment teams are out surveying the damage, but officials have not been able to inform evacuated residents on the status of their homes.
“That is our biggest concern right now," he said. "It’s an important objective for us."
For Montecito resident Sonja Lindstrom and her 6-year-old daughter Chloe, it was all too familiar. The two evacuated their rented home early Friday as the fire roared in a canyon near their heavily wooded neighborhood off San Ysidro Road.
”When it started coming toward Montecito, I decided it really wasn’t worth it to stay,” Lindstrom said, noting that her house is on a dead-end road. “It’s pretty devastating.”
Lindstrom said she and her daughter are staying at a friend’s beach house. She said they sought refuge at the same place last November when the Tea fire destroyed their rented adobe-style home and most of their belongings.
The stay-at-home mom said they only had 10 minutes to evacuate the last time. She managed to grab her computer hard drive, iPod, purse and hiking boots next to the door, she said.
Lindstrom said she and her daughter moved into their new home in January but were still dealing with insurance issues and bills from the first fire. She said people like herself who suffered losses in last year’s wildfire were just beginning to grieve when the most recent fire erupted.
“I don’t have the energy to break down and cry,” said Lindstrom, who moved to Montecito five years ago from San Francisco. “I’m kind of in survival mode again. It’s like here we go again. But I’m being a rock for my kid.”
Two hours ago, Kathy Ireland, a former model and founder of Kathy Ireland Worldwide, sent a message on Twitter that she had been forced to evacuate from her home.
“Santa Barbara fires…we are OK!” Ireland wrote. “Finding place to stay."
Before noon today, the Jesusita fire was burning under shifty, gusty winds in the high peaks at the end of Gibraltar Road.
Firefighters were letting it burn, the flames following fingers of vegetation down rocky draws and exploding up to 30-feet as they hit oaks and old-growth manzanita. The smoke cast an orange light, and the sounds of falling rocks and popping timber created an otherworldly scene.
The burned-out roots set off rock slides up and down the road. The tangled black branches littered the slope, crackling and burning. Dust devils whirled along the ridges.
Just 1,000 feet below, the slopes were covered with the ephemeral wildflowers that burst forth after the last fire. Blue, purple, yellow, the delicate white flutes of native morning glory.
Two field observers from the Montecito fire department rolled up at 11:30 a.m. to map the fire and call in engines, if needed.
"The up-slope wind is fighting the down slope right now, so it's back and forth," said one, who didn't give his name. Three engines and more crews began to arrive.
-- Joe Mozingo
Photo: A spotter airplane keeps tabs on the Jesusita fire along the San Marcos Pass. Credit: Los Angeles Times
A destructive fire in the hills of Santa Barbara flared up early this morning, prompting officials to evacuate thousands more residents.
The fire has burned more than 2,800 acres and destroyed dozens of homes. Television footage showed several new structures burning this morning, and 30,000 people were under evacuation orders.
Firefighters had hoped the worst was over, but heavy winds picked up overnight and pushed the flames to the south and west. The National Weather Service clocked wind gusts of 60 mph in Montecito Hills overnight, and forecasters warned of heavy winds through this morning.
An evacuation shelter in Goleta was filled to capacity. Officials said more evacuations were possible in the Montecito area.
[Updated at 8:20 a.m.: Santa Barbara Acting Fire Chief Andy DiMizio, said firefighters made a stand last night on Foothill Road, working successfully to keep the fire from entering the central section of Santa Barbara.
"The fire was threatening the city directly," he said. "Last night, all hell broke loose."
Weather conditions will remain hot and windy today, officials said. Winds were dying down this morning, but officials said they were expect to pick up again in the afternoon and evening.]
About 2,300 firefighters, as well as 246 engines, 10 air tankers and 15 helicopters, were fighting the fire. The cause remained unknown.
On Thursday morning, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, meeting with fire officials, called the blaze "a great challenge" and promised money for fighting the fire despite a state budget crisis.
"We are 100% behind the people of Santa Barbara," he said.
In Mission Canyon, the century-old Gane House at the 78-acre Santa Barbara Botanic Garden was engulfed in flames, leaving little more than three brick chimneys standing.
"We're very heartbroken," said Nancy Johnson, the garden's vice president of marketing and government relations. "We were hoping to restore it to its grandeur."
Lost inside were all the gardening tools, horticultural materials, the metal shop that made tags to identify plants, the overstock of books published by the garden, and the office contents and computers of the head gardener and facilities maintenance man, Johnson said. Biofuel gardening trucks parked outside also appear to have been destroyed.
On Wednesday, a Santa Barbara County sheriff's search-and-rescue team saved 13 Ojai seventh- and eighth-graders and their teacher hiking in the backcountry and trapped by the fire, said Sheriff Bill Brown.
A helicopter, using night-vision equipment, also located three hikers reported missing in the hills, Brown said.
Residents who remained in their homes when the fire flared up Wednesday described walls of fire and blasts of embers stirred by ferocious winds.
Walter Hildbrand was jubilant Thursday. It was his mother's 90th birthday, and the flames hadn't touched her house on leafy Las Canoas Road.
Hildbrand, a 69-year-old former Santa Barbara city firefighter, also saved his own home with a garden hose.
"I came up the driveway and saw this wall of flames on the hillside behind the house and just kept on spraying," he said.
Albert Lindenmann said he and his wife watched the fire scorch the mountainside below the home they had owned for more than 40 years. They stayed and spread a fire-blocking gel.
"We just thought we could defend ourselves," said Lindenmann, a history professor at UC Santa Barbara. "Our house didn't catch on fire. I think we did everything right."
Howard Schiffer was told that his home on Orange Grove Avenue was destroyed.
Schiffer said he spent last week in a Kenyan refugee camp, distributing nutritional supplements for a group he started in 1994 called Vitamin Angels Alliance.
"These people had nothing at all," he said. "They had to deal with losing their homes to violence and hate, which, I believe, is tougher than losing one to a natural disaster. We're OK."
-- Ann M. Simmons
Interactive: Place cursor on the image below to explore the scene as Paso Robles firefighters battle flames threatening homes on Debra Drive north of Santa Barbara late Thursday night.
Barbara and Albert Lindemann went searching this morning for a family member who went missing when flames surrounded their Mission Canyon ranch house late Wednesday.
Angelina is middle-aged with gray hair and some numbers tattooed on her neck. Oh, and she's a donkey.
The Lindemanns, both history professors, rescued the wild donkey about a dozen years ago. Soon after she gave birth to a female foal, Pollyanna. Donkeys help with brush control, but to the Lindemanns, they are more pets than livestock.
Both donkeys were in their wood-fenced corral Wednesday when the Jesusita fire climbed up the canyon and into the backyard garden of the Lindemanns' adobe house, which they have called home since 1966.
Their nephew, worried the donkeys might be trapped, opened a gate and set them free.
He's not running because at the moment, he knows he wouldn't win, given all the self-inflicted damage he's done by way of empty public promises and dubious private choices.
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