Tuesday, August 2, 2016 #Soberanes Fire Smoke Impact Summary #5

Smoke Impact Summary #5                             Soberanes Wildfire

Air Basin: North Center Coast                                                    CAL Fire IMT 4 w/ USFS

Issued for August 2^nd, 2016                                                          Prepared by:  Gary M. Curcio ARA

Time 8:00 PM                                                                                                    Steve Fraidenburg ARA (T)

Fire Status & Key Points:  

1.       Total fire acreage has been adjusted today at 40,714 acres.

2.       Yesterday the fire experienced an estimated growth of 2,707 acres.

3.      Projected smoke emission impact is estimated at 4,000 acres.  

Photo: IR fire perimeter & MODIS heat signatures identify active burning on the fire’s east side. This E/SE side of the fire is where fire growth continues to occur and continues to be the main emission source impacting local Carmel Valley and Salinas Valley communities. On the SE corner of the fire perimeter most recent MODIS heat signatures (red) are capturing todays burnout operation.  Because of favorable fire weather and fire behavior, burnout has progressed as expeditiously as possible always evaluating situational conditions.

  

     Photo above: Sunday 8/2 at 6:30 PM PDT.

Photo: IR Flight from last night August 1st   IR heat intensity is very similar to the previous night. It still identifies areas of intense heat (red shading), scattered heat (yellow shading) and isolated heat spots (red dots). Still with numerous sources of emissions in combination with the burnout operation, the eastern and southern sides of the fire will continue to affect AQ in local communities.

Photo above: IR Flight from last night August 1st 

5.    The extent of smoke production and its long range drift are displayed below.  It is anticipated that this smoke will turn more to the SE as the night time progresses.

Photo: NOAA Hazard Mapping System-August 2. 1) Green = light , 2) Yellow = medium & 3) Red = dense (only shown in the left picture). These colored layers are not defined by their elevation above ground. However, they do provide valuable information concerning the horizontal extent of wildfire’s smoke plume or zone of influence

6.        Smoke transport tomorrow will be similar to what was experienced today. It begin with Westerly winds and later becoming NW.  The Carmel, Salinas and San Joaquin Valleys were impacted by the burnout operation as captured by the visible satellite image and pictures from Carmel Valley Road and Laureles  Grade. The smokes initial transport was affected by west winds then experienced deflections into the Carmel and Salinas Valleys while some smoke continued and breached the Gabilan Range and filtered into San Joaquin Valley.

         

Photo Above: taken facing east from the East Carmel Valley Road at 3:18 p.m on Tuesday August 2. Smoke was drifting to the east with 6 ridges visible from the photo location.

Photo right: taken facing southeast from the Laureles Grade at 4:15 p.m. August 2. Smoke from the main fire drifting to the northeast with transport winds.