Cost of fighting Station fire at $82 million and growing fast

The cost of fighting the Station fire now stands at $82 million and rising, as firefighters today continued to make progress in containing the deadly blaze. 

With the fire not expected to be contained until Tuesday, it's possible the fire could end up costing more than $100 million to fight. 

"We keep evaluating the costs every day," said Tom DeBellis of the U.S. Forest Service. 

The Station fire, which has destroyed more than 80 dwellings and killed two firefighters, is 77% contained. About 1,500 homes are still threatened as the 3-week-old fire continues to burn on its eastern flank.

At its height, the fire threatened more than 12,000 homes. 

DeBellis said firefighters continued to complete back burns, with the hope of surrounding Mt. Wilson and vicinity in a "black line" fire buffer.

Although the federal government may foot 80% to 90% of the bill for fighting the fire, which broke out in national parkland, the state's expected multimillion-dollar share will hit at a time when California is in the grip of a fiscal crisis. Nearly half the fire's overall cost comes from ground-level equipment, including the army of bulldozers hired and deployed to scrape fire lines into the steep hillsides of the San Gabriel Mountains. Aviation, including two DC-10s and a retrofitted 747 jumbo jet used for the first time in California, accounts for 15% of the spending, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Meanwhile, detectives hunting for the arsonist responsible for the deadly Station fire have received tips from about 50 people and will pursue every one, officials said. 

Sheriff Homicide Lt. Liam Gallagher said investigators treat every tip and piece of information seriously because sometimes the smallest piece of information can lead to other clues that solve a case.

 “We will check out every piece of information very carefully,” he said. The number of detectives working the case has been increased to 10. With the arsonist responsible for the wildfire still at large, investigators have appealed for anyone near the point of origin -- on Angeles Crest Highway just north of La Cañada Flintridge about 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 26 -- to come forward and report whatever they can recall. 

The probe became a homicide investigation when two firefighters died a few days later after their truck fell 800 feet into a ravine as they tried to find an escape route from the flames for fellow firefighters.

Los Angeles County and the state have offered a $150,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the arsonist. Investigators believe a substance found near the fire’s point of origin helped spread the deadly blaze, and it has emerged as a key piece of evidence in the arson probe, a source told The Times. 

The source would not identify the substance but said it was found in the brush off Angeles Crest Highway, walking distance from the turnoff that is at the center of the arson probe. The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, said the substance was taken to a lab for testing to further verify arson investigators' findings.

-- Richard Winton and Shelby Grad

Comments

[H. Craig Bradley]

FIRE FIGHTING NUMBERS DON'T ADD UP

THE CHIEF OF THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE, AND PAST REGIONAL FORESTERS IN RECENT YEARS, HAVE ALL PUBLICALLY STATED THE COST OF FIRE SUPPRESSION AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL ANNUAL BUDGET OF THE FOREST SERVICE IS ABOUT 50%. THE APPROXIMATE OPERATING BUDGET OF THE FOREST SERVICE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009 IS ABOUT $4 BILLION.

THE STATION FIRE NOW APPEARS TO BE CLOSE TO A $100 Million Fire. Furthermore, the L.A. Times recently reported the cost to suppress and control the Station fire now exceeded the total costs of all the other fires in the Western United States, put together for this year.

So, if you add up the numbers as reported, you dont come close to "half the Forest Service annual budget". The reported costs appear incoherent. Either the numbers are incomplete, or there is alot of administrative costs (and contract costs) associated with the agency's annual fire fighting budget.

[Scotty]

Government and environmentalists are to blame for the high costs of these fires. By restricting access to most parts of the forest by off road enthusiasts many fireroads have not been maintained and have been allowed to be overgrown with brush. This has resulted in the inability to quickly access remote areas to fight the fire and allowed the fire to rapidly jump these now narrow firebreaks.

The solution for everyone would be to allow off road use to most of the angeles forest, and get the off road clubs involved in the maintenance and preservation of these important fire breaks. If the off-roaders can access a trail, that means a firetruck and firemen can also quickly access those areas. With most of the Angeles forest closed to anyone but hikers and equestrians, the trails will stay little more than 2 to 3 feet wide. With vehicle access, these breaks will stay 8 to 10 foot wide in most areas. This is a win-win-win for firefighters, the public, and government.

[Smokey Bear]

the road access issue has nothing to do with fighting the fires. Obviously, the person bad mouthing environmentalists has never been to the Angeles Crest forest. Plenty of access road exists. The rest is just un-accessible due to the terrain and nothing is going to change that. With forest and population, fires are going to occur - always has - always will. That is a part of the ecosystem for the beginning of time.

[H. Craig Bradley]

FOREST USERS LOCK HORNS

When I worked for the Forest Service (White River Nat'l Forest-Colorado) Smokey the Bear was a costume which was officially worn on an occasional basis. Other than posters of a cartoon bear, there is no Smokey the Bear. However, there are a variety of forest users, each with a limited view of how Forests should be managed and often at odds with other recreational users.