Big Bear trails

[calstyl2]

Well, we may be loosing some of our favorite trails for a while, Fire in Big Bear that started at Butler Peak is moving North and East through Hanna Flats and into Holcomb Valley, with the expectation of pushing out into Apple and Lucerne Valleys, We could expect to see Holcomb Creek closed and many spots in Western Holcomb Valley...............hope for the best but 2-3000 acres overnight

 

[Matador98]

Not good. I was excited when the first Butler fire was out so quick, but 3K acres overnight isn't good, and it's heavy brush where it's burning. Hopefully it won't get established on the back side and start racing down towards the backside of Arrowhead.

Reminiscent of the 2003 Firestorm, I thought forsure we were going to lose our family cabin between Crestline and Arrowhead.

Hopefully they have good luck today.

 

[calstyl2]

Not good. I was excited when the first Butler fire was out so quick, but 3K acres overnight isn't good, and it's heavy brush where it's burning. Hopefully it won't get established on the back side and start racing down towards the backside of Arrowhead.

Reminiscent of the 2003 Firestorm, I thought forsure we were going to lose our family cabin between Crestline and Arrowhead.

Hopefully they have good luck today.

well as of a few minutes ago, its running straight North into the open desert and off the Forest, Its well established in Southern Holcomb Valley and burned through Holcomb Creek trail early on, Structure wise they have concern for Green Valley Lake and Apple and Lucerne Valleys, Its on the ridge above both, But Hanna Flats and Big Pine Flat areas have burned out

 

[Matador98]

So the wind is coming up over the mountain and pushing it North, pretty standard. Desert is better than forest, if I had to choose. Bummer it's burned so much already.

 

[redcheetah]

excuse my ignorance, but I am going to assume the trails up there are closed this weekend? Or that it wouldn't be the best idea to wheel up there this weekend? I don't know what the typical closure steps they take when there are fires

 

[calstyl2]

Id stay off the mountain, they are looking at madatory of Fawnskin right now, things are getting bad early today..................go cruise lytle creek or cajon if your really pushed

 

[redcheetah]

we were going to run dishpan springs tomorrow but it really doesnt sound like the best idea to even be up there now. What site are you guys looking at to see the fire progress?

 

[calstyl2]

bigbearscanner.com, but yes, Id stay off the hill, they are gonna pull the plug on Greenvalley lakes real soon................

 

[Matador98]

s***, not good.

You guys would be ok to wheel out towards Silverwood, and hit the trails around there, Pilot Rock, etc, but I wouldn't go further east than Deep Creek and the back of Arrowhead.

 

[calstyl2]

Fire running through Holcomb Valley, evacuations in progress for Bellsville, John Bull is in that area

 

[Slomo]

Man that sucks. It was only a matter of time but it will suck to see that area so devastated and closed. Hopefully the structure loss will be minimal.

 

[Matador98]

Fire running through Holcomb Valley, evacuations in progress for Bellsville, John Bull is in that area

Yeah, it's getting worse. Running Springs, the back of it, is under evacuation too.

Rimoftheworld.net is having pretty good updates, if you don't want to listen to the scanner.

But they brought in the "kinda" big guns today, smart move, as long as the pilots don't clip any trees this time.

But, if they wanna drop a 2 mile line with 24,000 gallons, they need the "real" big guns...to bad it's tied up in politics.

 

[calstyl2]

that fire wont go out till the weather changes................too much dead fuels and no lines to slow it down..................

 

[hatman406080]

so far it good here 37* this morning


smoky the bear say....be careful where you light a fire!

 

[hatman406080]

i hope for ...................soon

 

[Slomo]

i hope for ...................soon

I would be happy with a relative humidity above 15% and some cooperative wind, let alone snow.



Hopefully it won't get as close or as bad as the Waterman Fire. That was an eerie and depressing sight seeing everything deserted.

 

[calstyl2]

I would be happy with a relative humidity above 15% and some cooperative wind, let alone snow.



Hopefully it won't get as close or as bad as the Waterman Fire. That was an eerie and depressing sight seeing everything deserted.

Yeah I was on the first few hours of that, for a while I was on the only fire engine protecting about 200,000 people, watched that thing march over San Bernardino and into town,

Today the Butler Fire is pushing on Fawnskin and Holcomb Valley, not sure how far East in Holcomb Valley the fire is but I heard thats its well established and surrounding the mine there. Holcomb Creek is burned out

 

[cheme02]

But, if they wanna drop a 2 mile line with 24,000 gallons, they need the "real" big guns...to bad it's tied up in politics.

Whoa, how do they refill those things? I'm used to seeing the helicopters and small planes that just "dip" into the nearest lake. They must have to land those things after every drop? Seems like its very time consuming. Forgive me if I am just stupid ignorant.

 

[calstyl2]

They land at Airports that can handle them then they pump the retardant(those pictured drops are using water) in to the tanks, the DC-10 has the tanks under the airframe, the 747 has internal tanks, the nearest airfield in Socal is Victorviller for the DC-10, the smaller planes use places like Ramona, Hemet, San Bernardino and Lancaster. The 747 seems to be dead on arrival, it never got approval and the company does not seem commited to it

 

[Matador98]

They land at Airports that can handle them then they pump the retardant(those pictured drops are using water) in to the tanks, the DC-10 has the tanks under the airframe, the 747 has internal tanks, the nearest airfield in Socal is Victorviller for the DC-10, the smaller planes use places like Ramona, Hemet, San Bernardino and Lancaster. The 747 seems to be dead on arrival, it never got approval and the company does not seem commited to it

Yep, you hit it right on the money. The company is not committed to it. I worked the project, and it hurts to see the subpar DC-10 getting all the work. The 747 is a much more refined and innovative design...and it dumps under pressure (a lot, trust me, I saw a test on the ground and the thrust is amazing, I know the number, just can't share it), so there is no reason to get down as low as the DC-10 does and clip trees, as it did back in June (could you imagine the forest fire that would cause?). The DC-10 is just a glorified C-130 gravity drop bomber...but, in this case simplicity won. Another issue is that the not to be named 747 operator wants a fed contract, and won't settle for a "little" state one.

They fill the 747 with fire hoses, multiples of them. It actually doesn't take too long to fill it, but again, the refill number is probably proprietary, so I shouldn't share it. And they both can get back to their home airports so damn fast and drop so damn much, their throughput of getting water/retardant/gel on the fire is way superior anything else out there. The DC-10 can drop a mile line or so, and the 747 can drop two.