Fires Near TEHACHAPI, Calif.

[mrhenniger]

I was able to see the fire in the hills from where I was gassing up. Later that evening in Lancaster at Fox Field I was taking pictures of the CDF Trackers and at least one of the three Neptunes launching to attack the fires. One Neptune went right over me. Wow!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/sto ... 50259870/1

Of course you are going to ask for pictures... not for a while I am sorry to report. I need to get some sleep and early tomorrow I am off on another leg of the Desert Odyssey.

Mike

[mrhenniger]

I meant to include the suggestion that if there are any WIX spotters in the area you may wish to check out Fox Field at first light as I suspect the fires won't be out by then. I was getting some great photo ops off the end of the runway.

Mike

[mrhenniger]

I stopped by Fox Field this morning. While watching the S-2s and the Neptune(s) launch I saw a Skycrane come in and join the fight.

When I got down to Van Nuys today I saw a pair of CL-215s launch. When I was driving from Santa Monica to Malibu on the PCH I would see the CL-215s drop onto the Pacific and climb to carry their loads inland. From what I could see their cycles to an from the Pacific were about the same for time as the S-2s operating from Fox. It must be on the extreme edge of their range though. At what point is the water source too far away?

Mike

[ZRX61]

The 215's were working the fire just west of Sepulveda Pass, not the Tehachapi fire. The DC10 is also working the Tehachapi fire.. which was actually started by a small plane crash. It was 5000 acres Monday night, by this morning it was 8700 acres.

I drove by Fox Monday AM as my cousin is visiting & wanted to see what was going on.

[oshosh84]

OT I know, but does anyone know how this has effected the railroads in the area?

[ZRX61]

I can see the fire from here, or at least I could last night when it got dark, the RR is on the other side of the Mtns from me & I haven't heard about them closing the 58 either.

[RickH]

DC-10 was supposed to be in Texas today. Texas is on fire.

[ZRX61]

14,000 acres now...

[K5DH]

DC-10 was supposed to be in Texas today. Texas is on fire.

Texas is indeed on fire. Over 500 homes have been lost in the Bastrop fire alone. Monday night the TV news mentioned that there were at least 60 wildfires burning in Texas at that time. Tuesday night, the news said that over 100,000 acres have burned so far this month, and 3.5 million acres have burned in 2011. The woodlands behind my house are bone-dry, and all it would take is one little spark to get something awful started. Scary times!

I was in the Philly area over the weekend (actually in Newark, Delaware), and the TV news showed a little aerial video of one of the California fires. The video showed Neptunes, Trackers, a DC-10, and some helos making drops, mostly Fire-Trol from the fixed wingers and water from the helos.

[mrhenniger]

Here are a few photos from Sunday evening and Monday morning...





Mike