We urge you to bookmark this page. As soon as breaking news becomes available, the information will be posted immediately. There’s never a need to wait for the next newscast, the next newspaper or for banner ads to download. Unless updated sooner, our next scheduled update will be 6pm, Monday.
The 2nd phase of rehabilitation after the Darby Fire has begun with a sale of timber burned. See “REHABILITATION” below. We’ve posted the latest available “WATER EMERGENCY” information including the news that restricted landscape watering has returned to Angels Camp & the Highway 4 / Murphys, Vallecito, Avery corridor … see “LANDSCAPE WATERING” below.
You’ll find the final fire stats posted … as well as an overview map (see below). The “HEARTFELT THANKS” list is a bit bigger.
WATER EMERGENCY: This continues to be the BIG story. The fire destroyed a portion of the historic, wooden flume system that feeds several area reservoirs. Water officials tell us the worst is indeed behind us. The all important “Overland Pipe Project” is up & running & delivering water … pumping 8 to 10csf [cubic feet per second]. Water conservatiaons measures, however, need to be respected until the permanent flume replacement in functioning … sometime next year.
LANDSCAPE WATERING: The Utica Power Authority voted Friday (Oct. 12) to approve the recommendation of the City of Angels & the Union Public Utilities District (UPUD). That vote means landscape watering resumes under the following “phase II” restrictions:
1. Watering lawns, flower beds, landscaping ornamental plants or gardens is prohibited except on watering days as follows:
ODD – Numbered addresses on Wednesday, Friday & Sunday.
EVEN – Numbered addresses on Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday.
(WATERING IS NOT ALLOWED ON MONDAYS)
2. Watering lawns, flowers, landscaping, ornamental plants & gardens between 10am & 6pm is prohibited.
3. Washing down sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, patios & other paved areas or buildings is prohibited.
4. Washing any motor vehicles, trailer or moveable equipment may be done only with a bucket. A hose (see #5 below) shall be used for rinsing only.
5. Use of a hose may only be used with a positive shutoff nozzle. (NO OPEN HOSES)
6. Allowing excess water to flow into a gutter or any drainage area for longer than (3) minutes is prohibited.
WATER PROJECTS:
The “Schmauder – Tryon Mine” is a short term (30 day) project. This site is now pumping an estimated 500,000 gallons of water per day from an underground source through an abandoned mine shaft directly to the Angels Camp water treatment plant … this after passing critical state water quality tests.
Another short term project entitled the “Forest Meadows Hydrant Project” is already rerouting water. This water is being drawn from Forest Meadows hydrants & is providing a somewhat disappointing 275,000 gallons of water a day to residents in the Murphys area. Water officials had hoped this project would have produced a half million gallons per day.
The crucial “Temporary Flume Bypass” or the “Overland Pipe Project” is now operational … pumping 8 to 10csf [cubic feet per second].
“Permanent Flume Reconstruction”: Work has already begun of reconstruction. Various agencies are involved in the permanent reconstruction of the damaged flume. The timeframe is anticipated to be 3 to 6 months.
WATER EMERGENCY CONTINUED: The water distribution system is complex with multiple regulatory & operational agencies involved (we count at least 13). While construction continues of the permanent flume replacement, residents of Angels Camp, Murphys, Douglas Flat, Vallecito, Carson Hill & Six Mile Village are asked to continue conservation & to avoid any unnecessary use of tap water.
DARBY FIRE STATS:
14,280 acres burned
100% contained (as of 9/16)
100% controlled (as of 9/24)
44 injuries, none life threatening
1 structure lost in the Doud’s Landing area (a camper)
Cost of the fire: $21,476,122
Dollar Value of Property Threatened/Saved: $297,184,633
DOLLAR VALUE: As indicated above, the dollar value of property threatened or saved is $297,184,633. That figure includes 2,435 structures & 7,100 acres of timber as well as Big Trees State Park (priceless!).
REHABILITATION: The US Forest Service hAS begun removal of over four million board feet of timber damaged in the Darby & White fires. This is the 2nd phase of rehabilitation in these burned out areas. Much of the wood has already been put up for sale with November 2nd bid openings.
Here’s an overview map:
Click here
CONTAINMENT / CONTROL: With full control now achieved, let’s discuss what these terms mean:
CONTAINMENT: A fire is contained when it is surrounded on all sides by some kind of boundary but is still burning & has the potential to jump a boundary line. The boundary may be a “fire line” which is a strip of area where the vegetation has been removed to deny the fire fuel, or a river or some other barrier which is expected to stop the fire.
CONTROL: A fire is controlled when there is no further threat of it jumping a containment line. While crews continue to do mop up work within the fire lines, the firefight is over.
OUT: The fire is out when mop up is finished & all crews can be released.
CAUSE OF THE FIRE: It continues to be under investigation but authorities now believe it was “human caused.” CDF investigators are continuing to look for anyone with information about a maroon colored pickup seen in the Camp 9 area the afternoon of September 5, 2001. They have received dozens of leads, but have not yet been able to identify the vehicle. The vehicle is a newer model (1994-2001) 4-wheel drive Toyota with a matching cab-high camper shell. There is possibly a sticker on the rear wheel fender in large lettering “TRD”, and the camper shell possibly has tinted windows. It was seen in the Camp 9 area near the Collierville power house about the time the fire started. There were two occupants, the driver being a male. If you have any information about this vehicle or any other vehicle seen in the Camp 9 area September 5, 2001, please contact fire investigators at 209.532.0821.
BIG TREES STATE PARK: The park has reopened to the public. Big Trees State Park : 209.795.2334.
FIREFIGHTERS’ SALUTE: Many in our community have expressed an interest in having some special way of giving thanks to our firefighters (& law enforcement, paramedics & other support crew). Our entire nation has gained a similar respect when witnessing on TV their heroic efforts in NYC & at the Pentagon. What do you think? Use this link to access e-mail feedback. Please e-mail any suggestions or offers of support: [email protected]
A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO HELPED SAVE OUR COMMUNITIES: They include (in alphabetical order):
Alameda County Fire Department
Alpine County Fire Department
Altaville Melones Fire Department
American Red Cross
Anaheim Fire Department
Angels Business Persons
Angels Camp Fire District
Apple Valley Fire District
Banning Fire Department
Benicia Fire Department
Beverly Hills Fire Department
Big Trees Market (donated food)
Bret Harte High School Agriculture Dept. (fresh tomatoes for the evacuation center)
Calaveras County Animal Control
Calaveras County Fire Department
Calaveras County Government Services
Calaveras County Office of Emergency Services
Calaveras County Sheriffs Department
Calaveras County Water District
Calaveras Title (donated Calaveras County maps to firefighters)
California Conservation Corps
California Department of Corrections
California Department of Emergency Services
California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection
California Department of Transportation
California Highway Patrol
California Parks & Recreation
California Youth Authority
Carlsbad Fire Department
Carole’s Just Delicious Cafe (lots of free breakfasts for the firefighters)
Central Calaveras Fire Department
City of Angels Camp
City of Lodi Fire Department
Clarksburg Fire District
Cloverdale Fire Department
Columbia College Fire Department
Contra Costa County Fire Department
Copperopolis Fire Department
Corona Fire Department
Costa Mesa Fire Department
Crockett-Carquinas Fire Department
Culver City Fire Department
Danville Fire Department
Davis Fire Department
Diamond Springs Fire Department
Dinuba Fire Department
East Bay Regional Park District
Ebbetts Pass Fire District
Ebbetts Pass Search & Rescue
El Cerrito Fire Department
Elk Grove Police Department
Fairfield Fire Department
Farmington Fire Department
Felton Fire Department
Foothill Community Church in Angels Camp (prepared & donated hundreds of sandwiches)
Forest Meadows Owners Association (various activities)
Fresno County Fire Department
Fullerton Fire Department
Giant Burger (donated food)
Goldrush World Access (major assistance with this site)
Hayward Fire Department
Hesperia Fire District
Holtville Fire Department
Huntington Beach Fire Department
Jackson Fire Department
Kautz Ironstone Winery (donated sandwiches)
Kentfield Fire Department
Kern County Fire Department
Kings County Fire Department
Knights Landing Fire Department
La Mesa Fire Department
Laguna Beach Fire Department
Laguna Hot Shots
Lake Tahoe Fire District
Lake Tulloch Resort (volleyball & more)
Larkspur Fire Department
Liberty (near Acampo) Fire Department
Linden Fire Department
Livermore – Pleasanton Fire Department
Livermore Fire Department
Lockwood Fire Department
Lockwood Fire Protection District
Long Beach Fire Department
Longs Drug Stores (donated bottled water)
Los Angeles County Fire Department
Los Angeles Fire Department
Los Banos Fire Department
Madera County Fire & Rescue
Manteca Fire Department
Marin County Fire Department
Marinwood Fire Department
Mariposa County Fire Department
Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital of San Andreas
Merced County Fire Department
Mi Wuk Protection District
Michelson School (donated space, phones; custodians cleaned evac. center on their own time)
Mill Valley Fire Department
Milpitas Fire Department
Modesto Animal Control
Modesto Police Department
Mokelumne Hill Fire Department
Montecito Fire Department
Moraga-Orinda Fire District
Mountain View Fire Department
Murphys Fire Protection District
Napa Fire Department
Newport Beach Fire Department
Norco Fire Department
North Tahoe Fire District
Northern California Power Agency
Novato Fire Department
Oakdale Fire Department
Oakland Fire Department
Oceanside Fire Department
Orange County Fire Authority
Orcutt Fire Department
Pacific Grove Fire Department
Palm Springs Fire Department
Palo Alto Fire Department
Rialto Fire Department
Rio Bravo Hot Shots
Rite Aid Drug Store (donated reading material)
Riverside County Fire Department
Riverside Fire Department
Roseville Fire Department
Ross Valley Fire Department
Sacramento City Fire Department
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department
Sacramento SPCA
Salida Fire Department
Salinas Fire Department
Salvation Army
San Andreas Fire Department
San Bernardino County Fire Department
San Bernardino Fire Department
San Diego City Fire Department
San Francisco Fire Department
San Joaquin County Fire Department
San Jose Fire Department
San Mateo County Fire Department
San Miguel Fire Department
San Rafael Fire Department
Santa Barbara City Fire Department
Santa Barbara County Fire Department
Santa Clara County Fire Department
Santa Clara Fire Department
Santa Maria Fire Department
Santa Monica Fire Department
Saratoga Fire Department
Sausalito Fire Department
Shaver Lake Fire Department
Sierra Hills Market (deli sandwiches & sodas for evacuation center)
Snowshoe Brewery (donated too many pizzas to count)
Sonora City Police Department
South Marin Fire Department
South Placer Fire Department
Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Department
Sterling Title (donated Calaveras County maps to firefighters)
Stockton Fire Department
Subway (donated 75 sandwiches)
Suisun Fire Department
Sunnyvale Fire Department
Tahoe / Douglas Fire District
The Bistro (donated lots of food)
Tiburon Fire Department
Tulare County Fire Department
Tulare Fire Department
Tuolumne County Fire Department
Tuolumne County Sheriffs Department
Tuolumne Fire Protection District
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
U.S. Forest Service
U.S. Marine Corps (Camp Pendleton)
UC Davis Fire Department
Union City Fire Department
United Technologies & Pratt & Whitney Fire Depts., San Jose (sent a strike team)
Utica Power Authority
Vacaville Fire Department
Vallecito Union School District
Vandenberg Fire Department
Ventura County Fire Department
Vernon Fire Department
Visalia Fire Department
Vista Fire Department
West Sacramento Fire Department
White Pines Lodge (hundreds of firefighters’ meals)
Willow Oak Fire Department
Windsor Fire District
World Mark (2 cartons of pillow & pillow cases for evacuation center)
Yorba Linda Fire Department
Hey, go ahead & submit some more! Let’s make it complete.
(editor: We want to acknowledge all of those who are assisting. If you know of an agency involved that’s not listed above, please let us know via e-mail: [email protected] Additionally, if you know of someone who has offered special assistance, we would like to know. Special help deserves special coverage.
… Thank you.)
FIRE PHOTOS:
[the following 5 links contain very short photo essays]
- Fairgrounds memorial service
- Fire Strategy
- Fire City
- Fire Airborne
- Fire Other
[below are 2 photos courtesy of CDF]
an Indian Hills family serves lemonade & cookies to firefighters
helicopter with snorkel taking in water for firefight
[below are reader submitted photos]
One structure that burned: a camper
One of 3 fire trucks scorched (this one from Riverside County)
one of several propane tanks to burn
Fire Photo of the burned out flume.
Fire Photo of the Darby Knob hot spot.
Fire Photo taken by a resident of Canyon Ridge Court in Forest Meadows from his south – facing deck.
Fire Photo taken by another resident on Canyon Ridge Court.
Fire Photo taken from Ridge at St. Moritz in Blue Lake Springs.
Fire Photo also taken in Blue Lake Springs.
Fire Photo taken at sunset from ridge at the end of St. Moritz, Arnold.
Fire Photo taken from Sandalwood Drive.
Fire Photo taken from the tee box on the 12th fairway at Forest Meadows Golf Course.A MODEST PROPOSAL: With the fire 100% controlled, some of you will most likely not be visiting this page again. I hope that you would because we should follow through with a Firefighters’ Salute. In any event, might I suggest that you visit & bookmark our www.yosemitegold.com homepage? There’s lots of content, great weather info & when news breaks out in Yosemite / Gold Country, you have my pledge that we’ll be covering it to the best of our abilities. If you live here or if you visit here, this site is a valuable resource … and it will only get better. For those of you who don’t know me, I’ve spent most of my life as a journalist … included many years in LA radio. Like so many others who live here, I left the big city for a quieter, kinder life & I left radio for something new: the internet. These days I design websites & link many of them to my www.yosemitegold.com mega site. I’ve been doing it for over 7 years (that’s a long time in the relatively short history of the internet) & hope to do it for years to come. Thank you for visiting this site & for your positive feedback.
Ace Young
[email protected]ANOTHER LINK:
The National Tragedy continues to weigh deeply on all of us. We’ve created a page that you may find informative & perhaps even consoling: The National Tragedy Reflected in Yosemite / Gold CountryWe urge you to bookmark this page. As soon as breaking news becomes available, the information will be posted immediately. There’s never a need to wait for the next newscast, the next newspaper or for banner ads to download.
The fire is now 100% controlled. The story is not over: rehab, a proposed Firefighters’ Salute, ongoing water delivery reconstruction … these issues will continue to be covered right here. Unless updated sooner, our next scheduled update will be at 6pm, Monday.