Wild View Yonder

Please visit Wild View Yonder, a collection of aerial photography from Shutter-Eye.

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Jesusita Fire


Seen from a commercial flight leaving the San Fernando Valley, the smoke plume from the Jesusita Fire in Santa Barbara doesn't look all that large. It's barely visible in the MODIS satellite imagery (see links below). But it's concentrated in a built-up hillside residential area that hadn't burned in a very long time. Whipped by strong winds, the fire has destroyed many very lovely homes. The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has sustained fire damage as well.

Satellite Image Courtesy of NASA MODIS

Click image to enlarge

Other satellite images:
MODIS Satellite Imagery (May 5th) [NASA]
MODIS Satellite Imagery (May 6th) [NASA]
MODIS Satellite Imagery (May 6th) [NASA]
MODIS Satellite Imagery (May 7th) [NASA]
MODIS Satellite Imagery (May 8th) [NASA]


Smoke plume spreading to the south.

Inciweb - Jesusita Wildland Fire [inciweb.org]

Fire Status:
  • Acres burned: 8,733
  • Percent contained: 98%
  • Expected full containment: 05/20/09
  • Evacuation orders and warnings: All were lifted as of 05/13/09
  • Cause: Under investigation (please call 805-686-5074 if you have any information pertaining to how the fire started)
  • Homes destroyed: 80
  • Homes damaged: 15
  • Outbuildings destroyed: 79
  • Outbuildings damaged: 2
  • Commercial property destroyed: 1
  • Commercial property damaged: 0
  • Total number of personnel assigned to the incident: 189
  • Engines: 11
  • Crews: 4
  • Bulldozers: 2
  • Water Tenders: 1
  • Fixed Wing Air Tankers: 0
  • Air Attack Aircraft: 1
  • Helicopters: 2
  • Firefighter injuries to date: 32
  • Estimated costs to date: $20 million

List of properties damaged or destroyed [Santa Barbara County]

Santa Barbara County 2009 Press Releases [Santa Barbara County]

Google Maps - Jesusita Fire Evacuation Permieter
Google Maps - Jesusita Fire Zone
Google Maps - Jesusita Fire - LA Times map
Google Maps - Jesusita Fire Map

2 comments:

Solo said...

Timely, and I'm appreciative.
Surprised you were so close to the coast on the flight out... thought they did the ocean route on the flight..
Either way, Nicely done and.... I'm always amazed at what you can capture thru a double / glas plexi window.
Let's see how a patio dinner at the wharf fares to to a dockside table tomorrow night. Maybe the wine will complement the smoke...

The Eye said...

Ah,thanks. The flight path goes more-or-less over I-5, but the view from 3-4 miles up on the climbout covers about a 100 mile radius and the air was very clear yesterday, the winds blowing the smoke from the fire in a different direction at the time.

Take a peek at the tail end of the Yosemite post on WildViewYonder - I put up a couple of new images there, also from yesterday.