Busy time at C.D.F.
A CDF Helicopter ready for equipment pickup
(stock photo taken
during training in Bieber earlier this year)
Bieber CA, Wednesday 24 August 2005
Copyright 2005 BigValleyNews.net
Bieber residents have probably been aware of the C.D.F. helicopter
being very active this month. Most of the activity has been to
assist in fires nearby in Lassen and Modoc counties. It is
routine to dispatch helicopters and air tankers to even small fires.
Yesterday, late afternoon (August 23) Helicopter 202 was called. along
with another helicopter and some air tankers to fight a fire near
Soldier Mountain, about 20 miles west of Bieber. There was quite
a bit of radio traffic indicating many air drops of fire
retardant on the fire. Unofficially this fire only burned about
80 acres and is not burning today.
Because of high fire activity locally, it was necessary to bring in 2
fire crews made up of prisoners from Antelope Camp near
Susanville. Normally, inmates from the nearby Intermountain
Conservation camp serve this area. The inmates, who are trained
to fight live fires (not simply cleanup and labor) were seen resting up
at the Bieber CDF facility.
Today, about 4.00 PM, our local helicopter 202 was dispatched to assist
in a major fire near Lake Tahoe and Lassen/Modoc counties are currently
short of helicopter coverage.
BARREL FIRE GROWS TO 8,000 ACRES
(News release from CDF)
Editor's note: The fire is located in Surprise Valley near the
Nevada border and a few miles south of the Oregon border
August 24, 2005
The Barrel Fire, a lightning-sparked wildland blaze burning 13-miles
east of Fort Bidwell in remote northeast California, has grown to 8,000
acres. More than 300 firefighters, assisted by aerial tankers and
helicopters, are battling the fire.
Fire officials said control efforts are being hampered by rugged
terrain, high winds and heavy accumulations of dry grass. The fire is
burning grass, sagebrush, juniper and white fir, impacting wildlife
habitat.
No structures have been damaged, but structure protection was in
place yesterday for the Coleman Ranch. There are no threats to the
community of Fort Bidwell. There are no reports of firefighter
injuries.
An interagency incident management team will oversee the fire
fighting effort beginning this morning.
The fire started Sunday, Aug. 21, and was fanned by high winds. It
is burning on private land and public land managed by the Bureau of
Land Management.
Today, there are five air tankers (three single engine aircraft and
two heavy tankers), four helicopters, five bulldozers, 15 fire engines
and two water tenders assisting ground crews. There is no estimate of
containment or control.
Additional firefighting resources are being assigned to the fire
today.