Jul 16, 2008 8:10 pm US/Pacific
4 Burned By Fires; More Progress Near Big Sur
REDDING (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ―
-
-
A sign displays the fire danger as extreme in Yankee Hill, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Three men and a teenager trapped by flames in a Northern California forest near Redding were rescued on a closed road by fire crews Wednesday and treated for burns, authorities said.
Jose Alcazar Fernandez, 25, received third-degree burns and was flown to a burn center in Davis. Sylvestre Carrillo, 25, and Miguel Alcazar Carillo, 24, were arrested for being in a closed area and then transfered to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The teenager's name was not released. He was treated at a hospital for minor burns, ticketed for being in a closed area and released, said Jim Richardson, chief ranger at the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.
Richardson said their presence in an area known for clandestine marijuana plantations will be investigated as soon as the fire is extinguished.
The rescue and subsequent arrests came as firefighters continued to battle blazes around the state, most sparked by a massive lightning storm three weeks ago. The wildfires, which at their peak numbered in the thousands, have combined to create what officials are calling the single largest fire event recorded in California history.
Nearly 1,400 square miles has burned in place around the state, including in the mountains around Big Sur and Santa Barbara and in Butte County.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in 12 counties affected by the wildfires and called in the California National Guard to help.
Schwarzenegger met Wednesday with Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, the chief of the U.S. Northern Command, to discuss federal and state military cooperation in fighting fires and the resources necessary.
"Given the size and intensity of the fire threat facing California, it is only through working together ... that we will stay prepared to fight future fires," the governor said in a statement.
Despite burning a record number of acres for a single fire event, there have been few deaths and injuries so far compared to previous disasters, including what officials consider one of the worst series of fires in October 2003, during which 1,155 square miles burned. Those blazes killed 24 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
"Considering the number of acres that burned, there was so much more potential for injuries and fatalities than occurred," said Daniel Berlant, a state fire department spokesman.
The second-degree burn suffered Monday by a firefighter who fell into a hole created by tree roots in Butte County was among the most serious injuries. The only firefighter death so far has been attributed to a heart attack, Berlant said.
Among residents, accidents have also been few. A man whose body was found Friday in a burned-out house in rural Butte County was identified Wednesday as 61-year-old Van Scott West. Officials said West didn't heed evacuation requests from sheriffs' deputies.
"It's important that people listen," Berlant said. "When we put an evacuation notice out, there's a reason. People want to defend their property, but they're not trained, they don't have safety gear."
Monterey County
Meanwhile, firefighters reported progress with a massive blaze in the Los Padres National Forest after beginning a series of controlled burns to clear tinder-dry brush in the path of flames that already have ravaged more than 190 square miles near the central California coast.
The controlled burns designed to clear brush from the hills skirting the Big Sur coast were going well Wednesday in spite of the humidity which made fire sputter and smoke the prior day, officials said.
Mandatory evacuation orders remained in place Wednesday for about 20 homes along the heavily wooded ridges near Carmel Valley, said Ruby Urueta, spokeswoman with the Monterey County Emergency Operations Center.
Another 200 houses were emptied in the nearby rural community of Cachagua because of the fire danger. Flames destroyed 27 homes along the Big Sur coast before spreading inland.
The Basin Complex Fire was now 61 percent contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The blaze, ignited by dry lightning June 21, had cost $48.9 million to fight and injured nine people so far. It was expected to be fully contained by the end of the month, according to fire officials.
On Tuesday, authorities lifted the remaining evacuation advisories on the western flank of the blaze, including the town of Big Sur.
Six sites along the Big Sur coast were also set to reopen Friday after closing due to the fire, which had burned more than 122,000 acres since June.
Pfieffer Beach, Mill Creek, Sand Dollar, Jade Cove Beach, Willow Creek and San Carpoforo Creek were expected to reopen Friday, although camping, wood fires and charcoal barbecues would be prohibited at the sites, according to fire officials.
All other land within the Monterey Ranger District, including all lanes east of state Highway 1, were to remain closed to the public until the fire is extinguished.
Butte County
The Butte Lightning Complex of fires in Butte County was 75 percent contained after burning through 84 square miles and destroying dozens of homes.
Arson investigators, meantime, said a wildfire in Butte County that destroyed more than 80 homes in and around the town of Paradise last month was intentionally set.
Joshpae White, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said investigators had ruled out other causes for the blaze known as the Humboldt Fire.
The fire burned more 23,500 acres and was set just after noon on June 11. It was reported 10 minutes later by a 911 caller.
Authorities said they want to talk to occupants of two vehicles seen in the area. A white panel truck with a roof rack and a maroon Nissan pickup truck were both spotted.
The state offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the person responsible for setting the fire.
Bush Damage Tour Thursday
President Bush was set to travel to Redding Thursday to survey fire damage during an aerial tour of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest with Governor Schwarzenegger and meet with first responders, according to White House officials.
The president was scheduled to arrive at the Redding Municipal Airport shortly before 2:30 p.m. to receive a briefing on the California fires, take the aerial tour and make a statement.
At 4:15 p.m,. the president was to fly to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield and from there will go to attend a private Republican fundraising event in Napa. He would then depart from Travis just before 8 p.m.
Cal Fire updates on all the major blazes burning throughout the state are available online at: http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_current.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report.)
Real-Time Traffic Conditions | 
Web Cam Network
CBS 5 WeatherCenter: Fire Weather Conditions
Slideshow: Raging California Wildfires
Complete Wildfires Video Coverage
Click to enlarge
Nearly 22K California Teachers Pink Slipped 19 mins ago 
Same-Sex Marriage Foes Attack Campbell 12 mins ago 
Stumble It!
Comments