Update: Dolan Fire near Big Sur jumps line, firefighters trapped by flames
Fifteen firefighters who were defending the Nacimiento Station against the Dolan Fire were trapped Tuesday morning when flames overran their position — and three were injured, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
One of the injured firefighters was in critical condition, while the extent of injuries for the other two firefighters remained unknown.
The Forest Service said injuries include burns and smoke inhalation.
Several firefighters were airlifted to Community Regional Hospital in Fresno.
The injuries came after the fire near Big Sur more than doubled in size overnight, spreading to 73,089 acres, according to the Forest Service and Cal Fire.
The wildfire remained at 40% containment Tuesday morning.
According to the Forest Service, firefighters were trapped by the fire and used a last-resort protective shelter around 8:30 a .m. Tuesday.
The fire reportedly jumped over the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road line, according to scanner traffic.
The Nacimiento Station was destroyed, the Forest Service said.
The extraction of 15 firefighters came days after the first rescue of an injured firefighter in the Big Sur area.
According to the Santa Monica Fire Department, four extraction team members rescued a crew member Saturday night. The team hiked about four miles and used a rope rescue system to reach the injured crew member and belay them off a steep cliff side.
Ash from the Dolan Fire drifted down the Central Coast on Tuesday, blanketing cars and houses in some areas of San Luis Obispo County.
Ash was spotted in the North County as well as Arroyo Grande, Los Osos and San Luis Obispo.
Other California fires, including the Creek Fire in Fresno and Madera Counties and SCU Lightning Complex near Santa Cruz, could also be contributing to smoky conditions, according to San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District officer Gary Willey.
Dolan Fire prompts more evacuations
The Dolan Fire’s rapid growth prompted more evacuation orders to the south of the fire on Monday.
A mandatory evacuation order was issued around 5 p.m. Monday for Santa Lucia Memorial Park east of Lucia, according to the Forest Service.
Evacuation orders remained in place for the Prewitt Ridge, South Coast Ridge and Lucia areas, while evacuation warnings were in place for the Partington and Big Creek communities.
An evacuation warning was also issued to Zone 24 of Monterey County, east of the fire and west of King City.
Highway 1 remained closed Tuesday, with the closure extending from Vista Point to Pacific Valley.
Los Padres National Forest was also closed Monday due to fire concerns.
Weather, lack of burn scars helped Monterey County wildfire spread
The Dolan Fire has continued to burn to the east near Hare Creek, on both sides of the San Antonio drainage and in Lost Valley. The last fire in that area reportedly took place in 1999, if not earlier, according to Los Padres National Forest.
Northerly winds pushed the fire toward Arroyo Seco and Avila Ranch, the U.S. Forest Service reported.
On Monday morning, firefighters reported the fire was at 36,237 acres. By Tuesday morning, it had burned an additional 36,852 acres, according to the Forest Service.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, the lack of recent burn scars in the southeast area of the Dolan Fire allowed the fire to burn through fresh fuel, while burn scars in other areas surrounding the fire have helped reduce spread.
The region’s terrain presented another challenge for firefighters.
According to the Forest Service, the fire was burning in steep rugged terrain, including in areas of the Ventana Wilderness — where a condor research facility was destroyed.
As predicted, a heat wave over Labor Day weekend also contributed to the fire’s growth.
The high temperatures dissipated the marine layer, which had helped firefighters subdue the flames at higher altitudes, according to the Forest Service.
Without the marine layer, the flames were able to make “uphill runs,” burning trees along the way, the Forest ervice said in an incident update.
Flames were “burning aggressively now at all elevation ranges across the fire” as of Tuesday morning, the incident report read.
Crews were expected to finish control lines from Nacimiento-Fergusson Road to Cone Peak and bolster lines along McWay Ridge.
Structure protection remained a high priority, according to the Forest Service, as firefighters continue to battle back flames in the Arroyo Seco and Avia Ranch areas.
The Dolan Fire was believed to have been started by arson Aug. 18.
As of Tuesday, the fire was expected to be 100% contained on Sept. 28. Dry and hot conditions were expected to continue for several days.
What to do if you see ash
Despite the ash visible in much of San Luis Obispo County, the APCD predicted that air quality throughout the county will be moderate.
“It’s not good, but it wouldn’t be what we call poor air quality,” Willey said.
PG&E meteorologist John Lindsey tweeted that smoke and ash will continue to blow over the county into Wednesday.
If ash or smoke is visible, the APCD recommends people take precautions and reduce their exposure to the outdoors.
All adults or children who see ash should head indoors and stay inside, avoid strenuous outdoor activity and close all windows and doors to prevent smoke from entering a house or building, according to the APCD.
Willey said that face masks and coverings will prevent people from inhaling larger ash particles — but they will not protect people against tiny particulate matter.
When dealing with ash, the APCD recommends that people do the following:
- Do not use leaf blowers.
- Do not allow children to play in the ash.
- Wait until conditions improve to clean up ash.
- Use a damp cloth and spray areas lightly with water, directing the ash-filled water to the ground and away from the runoff system.
- Take your vehicle to the car wash and wash toys that have been outside in the ash.
- Due to its corrosive nature, avoid skin contact with the ash by wearing gloves and long-sleeved shirts.
- If you have existing heart or lung conditions, avoid doing ash clean-up yourself or anything else that stirs the particles back up into the air.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 11:43 AM with the headline "Update: Dolan Fire near Big Sur jumps line, firefighters trapped by flames."
CORRECTION: The article has been updated to reflect three of the 15 firefighters were injured after receiving clarification from the U.S. Forest Service. The article has also been updated to reflect a correction made by the Forest Service regarding Zone 24’s evacuation status.
