Piute fire

Photo: Kern County Fire Department.

A fire started on Piute Mountain a couple weekends ago when I was there. Piute flanks the basin east and northeast. As of today, containment is 46 Percent; total acres burned: 37,026; cost to date: $20,700,000; structures threatened: 1,432; total personnel: 1,598; countless airplanes, helicopters, bulldozers are being used to fight the beast. As of a couple days ago, Piute fire personnel have worked 188,365 hours and constructed 28.3 miles of hand line and 56.3 miles of mechanical line. Several areas have been evacuated but so far, thanks to the fire crews, very few houses destroyed.

Last night a storm rolled in, complete with hail and lightning. The result: operations stopped, 59 firefighters stranded and two flash floods.

I get news regularly from my neighbor George. They're holding out in spite of the smoke and keep an eye out on several properties, including some up Thompson Canyon, 3/4 mile away from the fire.

I can't help but think that back in April, Ernie took my son and I up Piute Mountain and we went up until the Jeep couldn't make it over the snow on the road. It's truly beautiful up there but now, it's probably all black and desolate.

Here are my photos from two weeks ago, when the fire first started. For more current photos, check out Clara's Bell's photo stream. She lives up Piute Mountain and has been documenting the fire up close and personal from the beginning.





Below is a close to real-time map showing the extent of the fire. Let's hope this will be over soon. Meanwhile, hats off and thank you to all involved in fighting this fire.


View Larger Map

p.s. California is burning, there are many fires throughout the state:


Photo by NASA, 7/7/08. Click to view large.