Costs, long-term impact of Zaca Fire grow

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

As the cost of fighting the Zaca Fire rose to $10.2 million today, Forest Service officials closed the entire San Rafael Wilderness and adjacent national forest land as a precautionary measure.
Officials estimated that 12,600 acres have burned since the blaze began on July 4, with 37 percent of the fire contained. Due to favorable weather conditions, only a few hundred acres on the eastern tip of the fire burned yesterday, U.S. Forest Service Spokesman Jim Turner said.

“There was just a little bit of smoke late this afternoon when it finally started to warm up again and dry out,” Turner said. “It just picked up a little bit out there.”
Today, firefighters are preparing for a direct attack on the northern edge of the fire along Hurricane Deck Trail, officials said.
As the blaze continues to eat up land, the long-term impact of the fire, after it is contained and extinguished, continues to grow, Turner said. Depending on the intensity of the flames, large areas of soil may become hydrophobic -- permeated with oils from the burning vegetation -- and will shed water more easily than usual.
“There’s very definitely going to be some sediment loading in the Sisquoc River,” Turner said, adding that the river drains into Twitchell Reservoir, a key part of the water supply and flood protection for Santa Maria Valley. Crews will be on hand to map and assess the watershed damage and to work on stream drainage to modify water runoff.
“That all follows up behind this fire, after we get it contained and controlled,” Turner said. “But there are definitely significant repercussions.”
Yesterday, firefighters took advantage of the cloud cover that kept temperatures from rising by fortifying a fire line along the northwest side of the blaze, safeguarding the community of Tepusquet, Turner said. If similar weather conditions continue, firefighters may attempt a controlled burn in that area to create a buffer along Sisquoc River.
“We are going to put a lot of resources up there if we do get around to doing that,” Turner said.
Federal officials expanded closures to land between Highway 166 and Buckhorn road, a 382,000 acre swath of wilderness that may be in danger if the warming trend expected this weekend occurs, authorities said.
“If it picks up on us again, it’s going to be much tougher to contain,” Turner said. “The Hurricane Deck is one of the most remote, rugged areas of the forest. And there’s no water. It’s pretty hard to deal with out there.”
Bulldozer crews are working on fire lines along San Rafael Ridge to Santa Cruz Peak in the event that the fire continues to move east. Turner said the southern edge of the fire is so cold, crews won’t even staff it today.