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July 04, 2008

Big Sur Resident Arrested Inside Evacuation Lines

 
Surfire08 Blog has been reporting on the Basin Complex Fire and homeowner activity inside evacuated Big Sur Village. Earlier today they reported a homeowner was arrested by Monterey County Sheriff deputies in Big Sur.

It appears numerous homeowners in one canyon neighborhood started backfires in an effort to save their properties.

Everyone can appreciate homeowners doing all they can to protect home and possessions. Lighting backfires in the middle of a forest burning out of control is not an option. If this allegation is true the arrested homeowner unwittingly placed firefighters in danger. Whether forest dwellers know it or not firefighters are working with a plan and every move they make is calculated with safety in mind first. Starting another fire only complicates their plans.

Firefighters and deputies visited this canyon neighborhood to numerous times and warned homeowners not to emply burn out tactics. Having to do this in itself is a distraction from their assigned duties. If homeowners had evacuated, as encouraged firefighters would not have to make contingency plans to retreive them should the fire move into their enclave. This is why they were asked to leave in the first place.

An arson charge might be a consideration for civilians lighting backfires in the middle of a burning forest. Prosecutors would argue on behalf of wildland firefighters everywhere that such actions place them in danger.

Civil action might be a consideration as well depending if resources were diverted from their original assignments to suppress a "new" fire.

Bottom line;
If you stay behind after a mandatory evacuation order is issued don't become a nuisance.
Let the firefighters do their job, don't make it harder or more dangerous for them.

As a footnote I believe some homeowners in in question lost their homes. Sad story all around.

Labels:



Comments:
This is complete propaganda. WOW
 
If the firefighters had any sort of presence whatsoever on Apple Pie Ridge, none of this would have happened. The homeowners had a D4 caterpillar shipped in brand-new, just to cut their own firelines. It is pretty clear that the powers that be made the decision to punt off Apple Pie and retreat to more defensible locales.....so who cares if they light a couple of backfires in an area the powers that be have already blown off? The guy lost his house anyway.....and why do you need automatic weapons to arrest a direct descendant of the original homesteader?
 
Hard to imagine the fear & frustration to lead normal but otherwise desperate and untrained people to light backfires.

It's palpable on this forum: http://www.ventanawild.org/forum/forum.html [Though may provide more heat than light].

[Was posting here as Satmapper, but found out that's a product name for which I have no affiliation -- I also have no affiliation w/ FIRMS below...]
If want to know info. on MODIS Hotspot data, FAQ on the FIRMS website: http://maps.geog.umd.edu/firms/faq.asp#modisactive
and user manual at:
http://maps.geog.umd.edu/products/MODIS_Fire_Users_Guide_2.3.pdf
Of note resolution & confidence.

According to the FAQ and data set user guide: confidence value is broken. Sounds like anything below 100% is questionable.
 
We're all human and make mistakes -- especially under stress.

This most certainly includes fire command, firefighters,sheriffs, and those in authority.

If it were your home and it were about to burn, and you, with all your firefighting knowlege knew that a backfire would work, and no other help were available...don't you believe you would have done the same thing? If not, your family and buddies would be shaking their heads at your "law abiding" mentality the next day.
 
I knew Jack Curtis Ross's dad and he would have done the same thing. Thats not to say either side was right or wrong. The stess and fatigue of the situation is wearing on everyone lets remember whats at stake.

Good luck to both the fire crews and locals who have remained behind. Most of all "be careful".
 
Tony, Interesting question.

Backfire is an important tool only to be used by people that know what they are doing. Even pros blow it on occassion.

Simple answer, under the right scenario I would but here is what would have to happen before I did.

I would inform the division supervisor my intentions and discuss the situation with him.
I would use the tactic only if the main fire was bearing down on my home.
The principle is the main fire will draw the the smaller backfire towards it, exhausting the fuel between the smaller backfire and the larger fire.
Even so the right conditions must exist. You must have a water source on hand, an escape route available most of all proper communication with fire authorities.

Under no circumstance would I start a backfire unless all three pre-conditions existed.
 
COMPLETE PROPAGANDA TO SAY THE LEAST IN THE BLOG STORY!!!
(always check your references, and i know these people first hand)

First of all to clarify, NO houses or infrastrucutre was lost on Apple Pie thanks to these brothers, family, friends,and tenants and no thanks to the fire chiefs who had written the property off as "inaccessible and undefendable." And the "numerous land owners in one canyon" should be read as family members tryin to save thier 55 acre propety on a ridge.

Second of all, they had past experince being seasonal firefighters, so it wasnt like they were civilians acting unreasonably amidst a crisis.

Third of all, California California Public Resources Code 4426 states "it is illegal to start a backfire without permission or direct supervision unless 'setting of such backfire was necessary for the purpose of saving life or valuable property.'" So they were acting legally under the law.

So basically, the only problem that they encountered was a huge ego of the fire chiefs who couldnt swallow their pride enough to realize that the property was salvagable from the fire and admit that they just didnt have enough manpower and equipment yet had enough money to help the Curtises.

For future reference, you firefighters should begin working with the community now to prevent potential losses in future fires. The Big Sur community has a lot to offer in terms of knowledge of ridges, roads, back trails, how to best access "inaccessible" areas that could be beneficial to your fire fighting tactics. Learn to listen to them, instead of exiling them.

Read up
http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/archives/2008/2008-Jul-10/the-inside-story-about-what-went-down-on-apple-pie-ridge/1/@@index
 
TxaColi said above,
" It is pretty clear that the powers that be made the decision to punt off Apple Pie and retreat to more defensible locales....."

Well they punted on Tassajara as well, I'm trying to figure out if they punted on second down instead of fourth. What extent did they help, or not help?

The fact the homeowner on Apple Pie hill/ridge/mountain was a firefighter at one time means he knew the technique.
It worked, now he has to pay the price.
The truth is no jury on the PLANET would convict him.
He sounds contrite, he's not a criminal.
 
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