Ranch2 Fire

                     RANCH 2 FIRE      

                                   AUGUST 20, 2020

         Angeles National Forest:

         www.fs.usda.gov/angeles

         Facebook: facebook.com/angelesnationalforest

         Twitter: twitter.com/Angeles_NF

Public Information                             

Phone: (747) 322-6643

Incident Website:

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6961

INCIDENT INFORMATION

Start Date: 08/13/2020                                          Size: 4,237 acres

Location: San Gabriel Canyon (Hwy 39)             Containment: 33%

North of Azusa, Los Angeles County, CA           Cause: Human-Caused, Suspected Arson

Assigned Resources

Hand Crew: 14                                   Engines: 21                 Dozers: 7         Total Personnel: 505

Helicopters: 4                                      Fixed Wing: 1             Water Tenders: 1

Current Conditions

In spite of rugged terrain and high heat, progress continues to be made on all flanks of the Ranch 2 fire.  The southern edges of the fire continue to show no activity.  Resources are still being vigilant and patrolling those areas to insure there are no unexpected flare-ups.  The eastern flank is also constantly patrolled with personnel to make sure there is no activity.  During the day and overnight, crews continued to reinforce our firebreaks along the northern edges of the fire and are conducting small firing operations near Pine Mountain to clean up fingers of unburned fuel along the line. 

Over the next 24 hours, personnel will continue to mop up any hot spots along the northern edge of the fire perimeter, and proceed with their push to complete the firebreak line along the western flank of the fire between Fern Canyon and Cold Springs Canyon.  Once this line is sufficiently tied in with the rest of our perimeter, small firing operations may take place as needed to reinforce our position.  Operations in these areas continue to be supported by spiked crews, with equipment resupply being provided by helicopters. 

Although we are expecting a termination of the excessive heat warning today, the temperatures in the area will continue to be above average for this time of year.  We are expecting temps from 93-97 degrees along all fronts of the fire perimeter.  Winds are predicted to be southwest from 6-9 mph with gusts along the peaks around 18 mph.  Hurricane Genevieve, located offshore near Baja California, is expected to introduce some additional clouds and moisture to the fire’s area in the near future.  Its’ impact on our operations is unknown at this time.  As mentioned before, steep terrain and dense fuels contribute to incident complexity for firefighters.

Road Closures:

• San Gabriel Canyon Road/Hwy 39 – Closed at Northbound Hwy 39 at Sierra Madre Avenue. Southbound Hwy 39 is closed at East Fork Road

• Glendora Mountain Road – Closed from Big Dalton to East Fork

• Glendora Ridge Road – Closed from Glendora Mountain Road to Mt. Baldy Road

• Santa Anita Canyon Road – Closed from Arno Drive to Chantry Flats Road

For more information on road closures due to the Ranch 2 Fire, please visit both the Caltrans website: http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ and the LA County Public Works Website: https:dpw.lacounty.gov/roadclosures/

Angeles National Forest Fire Restrictions:  The Fire Danger today on the Angeles National Forest is EXTREME and Fire Restrictions are now in effect for this Forest.

The following activities are currently prohibited:

1. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, or stove fire.

2. Smoking

3. Welding, or operating an acetylene or other torch with open flame

4. Discharging a firearm, air rifle or gas gun, except in the authorized public shooting ranges.

Please see https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/angeles/home and go to “Alerts and Warnings” on the right-hand side of the homepage for this and other Forest Orders.

Air Quality Impacts:  Please visit http://californiasmokeinfo.blogspot.com/ for current information.