Contingency Planning

Relentless Zaca Fire Fully Contained

September 11, 2007

After nearly two months of battling a relentless wildfire in California's Los Padres National Forest, firefighters have announced they finally have the massive Zaca blaze fully contained.

In Idaho, firefighters reported major progress on the Castle Rock wildfire that threatened the resort community of Ketchum and the Sun Valley ski area. The Zaca fire, which started July 4 in the hills above Santa Barbara County, is now 100 percent contained. Fighting the fire, which burned 240,207 acres, cost an estimated $117.4 million, officials say.

Only one outbuilding was destroyed by the fire, which prompted evacuations and road closures in both Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Thirty-eight firefighters were injured battling the fire.

"Firefighters will continue to mop-up and patrol fire lines along the perimeter of the fire," officials say. "Aircraft using infrared photography will assist in identifying potential remaining hot spots within the interior of the fire."

"Continuing hot and dry weather will increase the potential for fire activity in unburned vegetation within the fires perimeter," they say, noting that temperatures were expected to be over 100 degrees with low relative humidity.

As of Sunday, there were about 1,100 firefighters still on the line, down from more than 3,200 at the height of the blaze.

Officials say the Zaca fire was caused by sparks as two men worked on a water pipe. Felony charges have been filed against the two men and the ranch where they worked in connection with the fire. If convicted, they could face up to nine years in prison and be billed for the cost of fighting the fire.

Firefighters in Idaho, meantime, were doing mop-up operations on the 48,189-acre Castle Rock fire, which was started by lightning on Aug. 16. Mandatory evacuations in place for some areas were downgraded over the weekend to voluntary. Other areas remained under advisory warnings. No homes were lost to the fire.

- Disaster News Network