[pct-l] Fire east of Walker Pass on Friday 4/6/07

[Bob Bankhead]

According to the 2nd URL article, "The fire was six miles east of Walker Pass, just south of Highway 178, in eastern Kern County". That puts it far to the East and a little south of the PCT crossing at Walker Pass. Winds usually blow from west to east so while this fire may not represent any danger to the trail, the dry conditions and lightening strikes certain imperil the entire trail throughout the area. The fires is 70% contained at this time because it was reported quickly and the response to it was immediate. We got lucky this time.

Bottom line - BE VERY CAREFUL WITH FIRES ON YOUR TREK. California law allows them to charge you for the costs of fighting the fire and for the damage it causes if they can prove it was your fault. 


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Judith G 
  To: pct-l at backcountry.net ; matt at mattmaxon.com 
  Sent: Monday, April 09, 2007 2:09 PM
  Subject: [pct-l] Fire east of Walker Pass on Friday 4/6/07


  > From: matt maxon <matt at mattmaxon.com>
  > While driving South on Highway 14 ominous clouds of smoke where
  > bellowing up from the vicinity of Walker Pass, as we turned on to
  > Highway 178, sure enough it was up there....

  I too was up there, on Friday, after placing a cache at Walker Pass  
  Campground I had lunch at Canebrake Cafe, then stopped at Onyx to use  
  my cell phone.   I saw several lightning strikes in the mountains to  
  the south of Hwy 178, and soon there were Forest Service and County  
  fire trucks screaming past me.  Looking back toward Walker Pass I saw  
  the smoke billowing up.  Soon thereafter, driving down Kelso Valley  
  Road to put water at Mary's cache, I was concerned about the fire,  
  because I wanted to drive out to Bird Spring Pass to drop off water  
  as well, and I thought the fire might be in that area too.  It  
  wasn't, however.

  there are news articles at:  http://www.bakersfield.com/619/story/ 
  114198.html  and  http://www.bakersfield.com/619/story/114343.html   
  The second URL has a photo and map, but the map isn't very specific.

  Two Legs

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