A Red Flag warning is in effect through Friday evening. [A Red Flag warning is put in effect to alert forecast users to an ongoing or imminent critical fire weather pattern.] Hot and dry conditions are expected across the fire area again today through the end of the week. Temperature in the lower elevations will be 88 – 96 degrees with 80 – 88 degree temperatures in the upper elevations.

This recent fire serves as a vivid reminder that we live in fire country-especially to those families who had to be evacuated during the wildfire. The advent of another El Nino adds to the possibility of more unstable weather. The right combination of lightning and wind can pose a serious threat to individual homes as well as whole communities. And that brings up a very important question-how fire defensible is your home?

Saving your home, your life, and the life of firefighters depends on defensible space around your home. Preparing and maintaining defensible space around your home is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself from wildfire. In addition, in California you are required by law to clear a 100 foot zone of defensible space.

Over the next several days, firefighters will continue to mop up 500 feet inside the fire lines, patrol and rehabilitate the suppression lines. Rehabilitation is to repair the damages incurred during fire supression activities. Air resources will continue to monitor fire perimeter and interior fire behavior.

Although likely to decrease each day, some interior smoke and flare-ups are to be expected, consuming islands of unburned fuel mostly well inside the burned area.

An emergency closure order remains in effect for portions of the Los Padres National Forest in and around the burned area. For more information

Resources: 19 Engines, 14 Crews, 47 Water Tenders, 5 Helicopters.

Total Personnel: 734

Current Situation and Outlook

Isolated interior pockets or islands of fuels continued to smolder well within the interior of the fire perimeter.

Significant Events: Crews continue to mop up interior heat sources and suppression rehabilitation.

Planned Actions: Resources will continue to monitor heat sources, patrol, mop-up and suppression rehabilitation.

Growth Potential: High

Terrain Difficulty: Extreme

Remarks: A Red Flag Warning is issued over the fire starting Wednesday morning thru Friday August 28, 2009. The La Brea Fire is under the command of California Central Coast Interagency Incident Command Team 7 with Dana D’Andrea commanding.

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