Crews make progress on Zaca Fire

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

As firefighters continue to be successful in attacking the Zaca Fire directly on its southern edge, fire officials are holding off on the decision to conduct large-scale burn operations.
With the wind in their favor yesterday, fire crews have kept the southern edge of the fire in its place as large islands of unburned fuel in the fire’s interior started to flare up in 100-degree heat and extremely low humidity.

“If the direct line attack doesn’t work, then they will drop back to a firing operation,” Zaca Fire Spokesman Curtis Vincent said. “A number of days ago, it looked like that was the way they were going to have to go.”
However, after cleaning up the southern flank, Vincent said firefighters are confident their lines will hold. Today, fire crews will continue to attack the southern lines directly and reinforce indirect lines on Camuesa Road, officials said.
Zaca Fire Spokesman Jim Turner said winds are expected to come out of the north today, which will make life tough for firefighters on the southern lines, but may give crews a chance to conduct burn operations in the north.
As of this morning, the fire stands at 94,552 acres burned and 44 percent containment with more than 2,700 firefighters on the scene at a cost of around $66.7 million. The expected date for full containment is still September 7.
With firefighters concentrating on the southern flank, flames continue to rage unchecked to the north, crossing the Sisquoc River on Saturday. Yesterday, Turner described the northeast corner of the fire as “pretty wild” as flames burned up toward Samon Peak, putting a huge amount of smoke into the air and flooding the information phone lines with concerned coastal residents.
“It was really going to town up there,” Turner said.
Fire officials also confirmed that a modified DC-10 airplane conducted four drops yesterday, pouring up to 12,000 gallons of fire retardant on the flames in Pie Canyon. Vincent explained that the tanker’s maximum capacity is 12,000 gallons, but it may carry less depending on weather conditions and drop altitude.
The former passenger jet, now known as Tanker 910, has three external tanks mounted along its underbelly that can hold 50 tons of water or retardant, according to the Cal Fire website. It costs $41,000 per day to operate the airliner, along with a $5,500 charge for every hour it is in the air.
Although the S2T tankers normally used to fight fires are more maneuverable, they only hold 1,200 gallons, making them better suited for tighter, more precise drops, according to the website. Tanker 910 is based out of Victorville, Calif., and can be refilled in about eight minutes.
Turner said the airliner focused its drops along the southeast edge of the fire, hoping to box it in and force it north, and described yesterday’s efforts as successful.