La Brea Fire

2009 wildfire in Southern California

La Brea Fire

An Ericcson Skycrane prepares to drop flame retardant on the La Brea Fire

Date(s)|

* August 8, 2009 (2009-08-08) –
* August 22, 2009 (2009-08-22)

Location| Santa Barbara, California
Coordinates| 34°57′00″N 119°58′41″W﻿ / ﻿34.95°N 119.978°W﻿ / 34.95; -119.978
Statistics[1]
Burned area| 89,489 acres (36,215 ha; 140 sq mi; 362 km2)
Impacts
Structures destroyed| 2
Damage|

* $34.9 million
* (equivalent to about $48.2 million in 2023)

Ignition
Cause| Cooking fire at an illegal marijuana growing operation
Map

The La Brea Fire was a fast-moving 2009 wildfire which occurred in Southern California in the United States. The fire began near La Brea Creek in Santa Barbara County, in the Los Padres National Forest.[1] The fire started burning on August 8, and just 5 days later on August 13 had grown by 10,000 acres, or 40 km2.[2] When the wildfire was finally contained on August 22, it had burned 89,489 acres (140 sq. mi; 362 km2.) of land.[1] The huge Zaca Fire burned in the same region as the La Brea Fire, and occurred just two years prior in 2007.[3]

## Progression

[edit]

The fire was first reported on Saturday August 8, 2009 at 2:45 pm in the San Rafael Wilderness and grew to a size of 1,300 acres by nightfall.[4] At the start, the fire was located 23 miles east of Santa Maria, and the containment operation was under the command of the leader of the California Interagency Incident Management Team 3, Jeanne Pincha-Tulley. The first step to their strategy to keep the fire contained was to first implement evacuations of people near the fire and to protect private property and homes. This allowed the fire to burn unattended in the San Rafael Wilderness. Once the private property was protected, the fire's growth in the wilderness began to stall, and the containment crew executed a direct attack plan. Helicopters dropped water on the fire, heavy air tankers dropped fire retardant, and hotshot crews operated on the ground. Mechanized equipment was used to cut down enough trees in the area to make places that helicopters could land.

A S-64 Skycrane helicopter drops flame retardant on the fire

After two weeks of managing the fire this way, the fire was declared 100% contained at 6 pm on August 22, and management of the contained fire was passed off from California Interagency Management Team 3 to Central Coast Interagency Incident Management Team 7, headed by Incident Commander Jim Smith.[3] At least 29 engines, 17 crews, 4 bulldozers, 56 water tenders, 5 aerial firefighting helicopters and 878 firefighters were deployed to fight the blaze.[1] The total cost of the firefighting effort amounted to $34.9 million.[5]: 18

## Cause

[edit]

After a week-long investigation on the part of United States Forest Service Special Agents, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Narcotics Unit and Fire Investigators announced that the cause of the La Brea Fire was linked to a cooking fire in a marijuana drug operation. The illegal drug operation was believed to be run by a Mexican National Drug Organization.[6] The illegal marijuana garden where the illegal drug operation was conducted was left unburned by the La Brea Fire, and there were signs of it being occupied shortly before the fire started. Officials were able to find and secure this camp area, and believed that the culprits were still in the San Rafael Wilderness attempting to escape on foot. As they feared the criminals were nearby, the police warned local citizens not to approach suspicious looking individuals, but instead report them to law enforcement.[7]

## See also

[edit]

2009 California wildfires

* Jesusita Fire
* Lockeed Fire
* Station Fire
* Guiberson Fire

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "La Brea Fire". San Diego State University. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
2. ^ "La Brea Fire". Earth Observatory, NASA. August 12, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
3. ^ a b "La Brea Fire Contained". The Santa Barbara Independent. August 23, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
4. ^ "La Brea Fire: 10,500 Acres Burned West of Cuyama". Noozhawk - Santa Barbara Local Newspaper. August 10, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
5. ^ Secretary of Agriculture’s Independent Large Cost Fire Review Panel; Guidance Group, Inc. (August 2010). Large Fire Cost Review for FY2009 (PDF) (Report). United States Forest Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2024 - via www.fs.usda.gov.
6. ^ "Fire Investigators Determine Cause of La Brea Fire". USDA, Los Padres National Forest. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
7. ^ Scully, Janene (August 16, 2009). "Fire tied to pot-growing operation". Santa Maria Times. Retrieved February 21, 2021.

* v
* t
* e

California wildfires

Pre-2007|

* Santiago Canyon (1889)
* Berkeley (1923)
* Matilija (1932)
* Griffith Park (1933)
* Rattlesnake (1953)
* Harlow (1961)
* Bel Air (1961)
* Loop (1966)
* Laguna (1970)
* Marble Cone (1977)
* Agoura-Malibu (1978)
* Panorama (1980)
* 49er (1988)
* Painted Cave (1990)
* Tunnel (1991)
* Fountain (1992)
* Kinneloa (1993)
* Laguna (1993)
* Mount Vision (1995)
* Jones (1999)
* Storrie (2000)
* Poe (2001)
* Wolf (2002)
* Copper (2002)
* Biscuit (2002)
* McNally (2002)
* Curve (2002)
* Old (2003)
* Simi (2003)
* Cedar (2003)
* Rumsey (2004)
* Labor Day (2005)
* Topanga (2005)
* Sawtooth Complex (2006)
* Day (2006)
* Esperanza (2006)

2007|

* Island
* Angora
* Zaca
* Moonlight
* October 2007 wildfires
* Harris
* Witch
* Santiago
* Rice
* Corral

2008|

* Summit
* Indians
* Basin Complex
* Klamath Theater Complex
* Gap
* Telegraph
* Sesnon
* Tea
* Sayre
* Freeway Complex

2009|

* Jesusita
* La Brea
* Lockheed
* Station
* Guiberson

2010|

* Bull
* West
* Crown

2011|

* Lion
* Comanche Complex

2012|

* Reading
* Chips
* Barry Point
* Rush
* Ponderosa

2013|

* Summit
* Springs
* Powerhouse
* Mountain
* Silver
* Rim
* Clover

2014|

* Colby
* Etiwanda
* May 2014 San Diego County wildfires
* Tomahawk
* Poinsettia
* Cocos
* Shirley
* Butts
* Bully
* Happy Camp Complex
* Meadow
* King
* Boles

2015|

* Round
* Lake
* North
* Wragg
* Rocky
* Mad River Complex
* Humboldt Complex
* Frog
* Rough
* Jerusalem
* Cuesta
* Butte
* Valley
* Tassajara

2016|

* Sherpa
* Border
* San Gabriel Complex
* Erskine
* Trailhead
* Curry
* Sand
* Soberanes
* Cold
* Pilot
* Chimney
* Clayton
* Blue Cut
* Rey
* Bogart
* Canyon
* Loma

2017|

* Gate
* Holcomb
* Schaeffer
* Salmon August Complex
* Manzanita
* Winters
* Alamo
* Wall
* Whittier
* Garza
* Detwiler
* Empire
* Parker 2
* Young
* Pier
* Railroad
* Ponderosa
* Mud
* Slinkard
* Helena
* La Tuna
* Palmer
* Mission
* October 2017 Northern California wildfires
* Atlas
* Tubbs
* Canyon 2
* December 2017 Southern California wildfires
* Thomas
* Creek
* Rye
* Skirball
* Lilac

2018|

* Lions
* Lane
* Pawnee
* Waverly
* County
* Klamathon
* Valley
* Georges
* Ferguson
* Natchez
* Carr
* Cranston
* Mendocino Complex
* Whaleback
* Donnell
* Holy
* Hirz
* Delta
* Camp
* Woolsey

2019|

* Sand
* West Butte
* Tucker
* Mountain
* Tenaja
* Walker
* Taboose
* Lime
* Red Bank
* South
* Lone
* Sandalwood
* Saddleridge
* Nustar
* Kincade
* Tick
* Getty
* Easy
* Maria

2020|

* Quail
* Grant
* Crews
* Soledad
* Mineral
* 2020 Lassen County wildfires
* Gold
* Loyalton
* Red Salmon Complex
* Apple
* August 2020 lightning wildfires
* Lake
* Dome
* River
* CZU Lightning Complex
* SCU Lightning Complex
* August Complex
* LNU Lightning Complex
* North Complex
* SQF Complex
* Dolan
* Creek
* El Dorado
* Bobcat
* Slater/Devil
* Oak
* Glass
* Zogg
* Silverado
* Mountain View
* Bond

2021|

* Palisades
* Willow
* Lava
* Tennant
* Salt
* Beckwourth Complex
* Tamarack
* Dixie
* McFarland
* Monument
* River Complex
* McCash
* Antelope
* River
* Caldor
* French
* KNP Complex
* Windy
* Fawn

2022|

* Colorado
* Electra
* Washburn
* Oak
* McKinney
* Red
* Route
* Border 32
* Mill
* Fairview
* Mosquito
* SRF Lightning Complex

2023|

* Rabbit
* Pika
* York

2024|

* Corral
* Lake
* Post
* Point
* Thompson
* Borel
* Basin
* Park
* Nixon
* Pedro

* Category
* Commons

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template