The 81,000 acre Indians Fire and the 78,000 acre Basin Complex fire have met. The combined acreage will soon exceed the total consumed by the Marble Cone Fire in 1977. the Marble-Cone fire claimed 178,000 acres.
I’m trusting the GeoMAC software on this one. Basin Fire command has been planning on this for some time. I posted on the possibility here last month.
The Indians Fire and Basin Complex Fire currently burning in the Ventana Wilderness will likely combine to become the the largest fire in modern California state history.
This morning’s ICS-209 report for the Basin Complex Fire, now called Basin Complex West includes an estimated final size at 170,000 acres. The Basin Complex West fire will come close to matching the Marble-Cone Fire of 1977 that consumed 178,000 acres on the same ground.
The Indians Fire management team has stated since the start of the fire in May they expect their fire to exceed 80,000 acres. The fire has burned over 60,000 acres so far.
Wikipedia maintains a list of the largest wildfires in California history as;
1 – Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889: 300,000 acres ·
2 – Cedar Fire: 273,246 acres
3 – Zaca Fire: 240,207 acres
4 – Matilija Fire: 220,000 acres
5 – Witch Fire: 197,990
6 – Laguna Fire: 175,425 acres
7 – Marble-Cone Fire: ~178,000 acres
8 – Day Fire: 162,700 acres
9 – McNally Fire: 150,670 acres
10 – Old Fire: 91,281 acres
11 – Harris Fire: 90,440 acres (366 km²)
If the Basin Complex West and Indians Fire meet the stated expectations the combined acreage could challenge the Cedar Fire of 273k acres. Worth noting both current fire managers were in command of the Zaca Fire (#3 all time) at various stages last year.
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Indians Fire (60,000 acres 71% contained) management (joint, headed by CIIMT2 (Molumby, IC) bucked convention and conducted a firing operation on the north side of the fire. You can see in the image below (indicated in red) where they burned today.
The Indians Fire ICS-209 report filed tonight indicates the firing operation was carried out in the face of 16 mph winds from the east, towards the Basin Fire less than three miles downwind.
If this is their long range plan then it means they intend for the two fires to merge. The Basin Fire (26,000 acres 3% contained) hints so in their June 27 pm ICS-209.
Remarks:
“Plans are being implemented to zone the Basin Complex with Indians Fire command team. Damage assessment continues. Containment value remains static due to defensive actions. The Basin Complex is in unified command with USFS, Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade and Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. “
If the fires meet in the middle on their own I have no problem. If the fires are being directed to meet I suggest the forest is a victim of mismanagement.
The Molumby crew has been consistent from the beginning his fire would be an 80,000 plus acre event. He’ll be dead on if he pushes his fire into the Basin Fire. Dead on for his Indians Fire contribution. A combined Basin/Indians perimeter could easily combine to take out 125,000 acres.
The Ventana Wilderness deserves better than this.
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The Indians Fire has burned 58,000 acres and is at 71% containment. The fire has been burning since June 8. Two thousand firefighters are assigned to the Indians Fire.
By comparison 580 firefighters are assigned to the 13,500 acre Basin Complex. Indians Fire command is sharing some resources and, “preparing to assist the Basin Complex with strategic planning and implementation as the need arises“.
KSBW TV Salinas reports tonight that new evacuations have been ordered.
They report;
“Mandatory evacuation notices were issued late Tuesday afternoon for residents in the Arroyo Seco area as the Indians Fire continued to move north toward homes. Residents on Arroyo Seco Road from Carmel Valley Road to the Arroyo Seco Campgrounds have been ordered to evacuate the area.”
This supports evidence seen on the map above that the Indians Fire is still far from full containment. The map below points to Tassajara Hot Springs, directly between the Basin Complex and Indians Fire.
The combined fires could easily total 125,000 acres or more.
Sixteen homes have been consumed by the Gallery Fire/Basin Complex. Two homes and fourteen outbuildings have been destroyed by the Indians Fire.
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