Canyon Fire (2016)
{{Short description|2016 wildfire in Southern California}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox wildfire
| title = Canyon Fire (2016)
| image = CanyonFireULA.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Smoke rises from the Canyon Fire with Launch Complex 3 in the foreground.
| cost = $12 million
| injuries =
| fatalities = 1
| reference = {{cite news |url=https://www.noozhawk.com/article/canyon_fire_vandenberg_air_force_base_wildfire_news_20160918 |title=Canyon Fire Chars More Than 4,500 Acres at Vandenberg Air Force Base |work=Noozhawk |last1=Scully |first1=Janene |date=September 19, 2016 |access-date=September 19, 2016}}
| date = {{Unbulleted list|{{Start date|2016|09|17}} – |{{End date|2016|09|24}}}}
| location = Vandenberg Air Force Base, Santa Barbara County, California
| coordinates = {{coord|34.612|-120.568|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map = USA California Southern
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Southern California
| area = {{Convert|12742|acre|km2|1}}
| buildings =
| cause =
| landuse =
| perps =
| motive =
}}
The Canyon Fire was a wildfire that burned on Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California during September 2016. By the time the fire was contained on September 24, it had burned {{Convert|12742|acre|km2|1}} of land.{{cite news |url=http://www.independent.com/news/2016/sep/29/vandenberg-beats-back-four-separate-fires/ |title=Vandenberg Beats Back Four Separate Fires |work=Santa Barbara Independent |first=Keith |last=Hamm |date=September 29, 2016 |access-date=September 29, 2016}} Due to the nature of the activities that take place on the Base, there were a number of unique challenges posed during the fire including the presence of potentially hazardous materials.{{cite news |url=https://www.noozhawk.com/article/canyon_fire_at_vandenberg_air_force_base_present_unique_challenges |title=Canyon Fire at Vandenberg Air Force Base Presents Unique Challenges |work=Noozhawk |last1=Scully |first1=Janene |date=September 20, 2016 |access-date=September 20, 2016}}
Progression
File:DC-10 waterbomber drops retardant on Canyon Fire at Vandenberg AFB (160920-F-DB561-024).jpg
The fire broke out September 17 and quickly grew to over {{convert|500|acres|km2|1}}. Due to the location of the fire, burning in a remote canyon on the southern half of the base, access was difficult for fire crews.{{cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-fire-vandenberg-base-20160918-snap-story.html |title=Central California wildfire swells to 4,500 acres at Vandenberg Air Force Base |work=Los Angeles Times |last1=Hamilton |first1=Matt |last2=Rocha |first2=Veronica |date=September 19, 2016 |access-date=September 19, 2016}} On September 18 the fire jumped to over {{convert|2200|acres|km2|1}} prompting evacuation warnings for homes on San Miguelito Canyon south of Lompoc and east of the base.{{cite news |url=http://www.ksby.com/story/33122615/canyon-fire-at-vandenberg-air-force-base-reported-at-1200-acres-0-contained |title=Update: Canyon Fire at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 2,200 acres 0% contained |publisher=KSBY |last1=Slyke |first1=Matt Van |date=September 18, 2016 |access-date=September 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920072850/http://www.ksby.com/story/33122615/canyon-fire-at-vandenberg-air-force-base-reported-at-1200-acres-0-contained |archive-date=September 20, 2016 |url-status=dead }} By mid-afternoon on September 19 the fire had grown to over {{convert|4528|acres|km2|1}} and with no containment was continuing to burn with a moderate rate of spread.{{cite web |url=http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/948567/crews-fight-vandenberg-afb-wildland-fire-update |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923020219/http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/948567/crews-fight-vandenberg-afb-wildland-fire-update |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 23, 2016 |title=Crews Fight Vandenberg AFB Wildfland Fire |publisher=Vandenberg Air Force Base |access-date=September 19, 2016}}
As the fire continued to spread, firefighters were faced with a number of unique challenges. Base officials warned that there was possibly unexploded ordnance that was left over from the days when the base was used during World War II and the Korean War. By the morning of September 20, the fire had been estimated at {{convert|10542|acres|km2|1}} in size with only 18% of the fire contained.{{cite news |url=http://www.ksby.com/story/33135749/9755-acres-burned-in-canyon-fire-at-vafb-18-contained |title=10,542 acres burned in Canyon Fire at VAFB, 18% contained |publisher=KSBY |last1=Garcia |first1=Ernesto |date=September 19, 2016 |access-date=September 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921195224/http://www.ksby.com/story/33135749/9755-acres-burned-in-canyon-fire-at-vafb-18-contained |archive-date=September 21, 2016 |url-status=dead }}
On September 21, a Ventura County OES water tender assigned to the fire crashed on Highway 246 just outside Lompoc.{{cite news |url=https://www.noozhawk.com/article/fire_vehicle_crash_reported_east_of_lompoc |title=Ventura County Firefighter Assigned to Canyon Fire Dies in Rollover Crash East of Lompoc |work=Noozhawk |last1=Scully |first1=Janene |date=September 21, 2016 |access-date=September 21, 2016}} The crash killed one firefighter and sent the second to the hospital with minor injuries. The individual was identified as engineer Ryan Osler.{{cite news |url=http://www.ksby.com/story/33148260/firefighter-killed-in-crash-near-lompoc |title=Firefighter killed, another injured in crash near Lompoc |publisher=KSBY |last1=Herndon |first1=Kathrene |date=September 21, 2016 |access-date=September 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160922125021/http://www.ksby.com/story/33148260/firefighter-killed-in-crash-near-lompoc |archive-date=September 22, 2016 |url-status=dead }}
The fire was fully contained on September 24 after burning {{Convert|12742|acres|km2|1}}.{{cite news |url=http://santamariatimes.com/vafb-commander-addresses-fires-at-town-hall-forum/article_521eef13-7c39-5010-8bdd-c79b12e21f55.html |title=VAFB commander addresses fires at town hall forum |work=Santa Maria Times |first=Willis |last=Jacobson |date=September 28, 2016 |access-date=September 29, 2016}}
Effects
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V carrying the WorldView-4 earth observation satellite that was set to launch on September 18 from Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 3 had to be delayed.{{cite news |url=https://www.noozhawk.com/article/atlas_v_rocket_launch_attempt_delayed_due_to_fire_at_vandenberg_afb |title=Atlas V Rocket Launch Attempt Delayed Due to Fire at Vandenberg AFB |work=Noozhawk |last1=Scully |first1=Janene |date=September 18, 2016 |access-date=September 19, 2016}} According to the Emergency Operations Center commander, base procedures require firefighting crews to be standing by for every launch, thus the launch was delayed so that all resources could concentrate on the growing fire. While all fires at Vandenberg were contained by September 27, facilities and instrumentation needed to be surveyed for damage and, due to the delays, the launch did not occur until November 11, 2016.{{cite news |url=https://www.noozhawk.com/article/vandenberg_afb_beefs_up_security_in_wake_of_fires_damage_still_unknown |title=Vandenberg AFB Beefs Up Security In Wake of Fires; Damage Still Unknown |work=Noozhawk |first=Janene |last=Scully |date=September 27, 2016 |access-date=September 29, 2016}}{{cite news |url=http://spacenews.com/worldview-4-launches-successfully-after-two-month-fire-delay/ |title=WorldView-4 launches successfully after two-month fire delay |work=SpaceNews |first=Phillip |last=Swarts |date=November 11, 2016 |access-date=November 12, 2016}}
The fire also caused widespread power outages in multiple facilities on the base including at least one fire station which had to operate on generator power.
{{clear}}
See also
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
{{Commons category|Canyon Fire (2016)}}
- [http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5038/ Canyon Fire information] on InciWeb
{{California wildfires lists}}
Category:2016 California wildfires