A’s rally COMMUNITY for win Friday Local happenings over Mariners ......................................Page 3 .............Page 6 July 11, 2008 INSIDE Mendocino County’s World briefly The Ukiah local newspaper ..........Page 2 Saturday: Sunny H 99º L 56º 7 58551 69301 0 Sunday: Sunny H 98º L 55º 50 cents tax included DAILY JOURNAL ukiahdailyjournal.com 40 pages, Volume 150 Number 93 email: [email protected] FIRE IMPACT National Guard joins fight Project Sanctuary postpones Sunset at the Cellars due to smoke Guard members deployed to fire for first time in 30 years By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal Due to the poor air quality from the The Daily Journal fires, Sunset at the Cellars has been post- Wearing yellow fire- poned to a date to be determined in proof Nomex suits over September. This annual bluegrass dinner fatigues, more than 200 concert was originally scheduled for National Guard troops July 19 as a fundraiser for Project from all over California Sanctuary, a nonprofit agency that headed out of Boonville to serves domestic violence and sexual work on a live fire line for assault victims throughout Mendocino the first time in recent County. memory. Executive Director Dina Polking- The soldiers, who com- horne said “We had everything ready to monly work in disaster go for the event: the food, the artists, the areas, rolled into their volunteers; everything was good to go camp at the Mendocino except the clean air. Hopefully come County Fairgrounds on September all this smoke will be a bad Monday and spent the next memory and folks will feel like getting two days training on the out and celebrating. I know I will.” now contained Table Those who have already purchased Mountain Fire near Albion tickets may contact Project Sanctuary at Ridge Road, learning the 462-9196 for refund/credit information. ins and outs of firefighting. National Guard mem- bers have been assigned mostly to cleanup duty and Smoke hangs patrolling firelines, watch- ing for flare-ups and free- ing firefighters for other over Ukiah duties. “We’re here mostly as By ROB BURGESS support,” said Staff Sgt. The Daily Journal Glenn Barrows. “We’re With the hills on either side of the helping them out.” Ukiah Valley veiled in smoke for yet Sarah Baldik/The Daily Journal National Guard Staff Sgt. Glenn Barrows readies his truck to head out on the fire lines for a cleanup Barrows was referring to another day, the Mendocino County Air the more than 1,800 fire- Quality Management District has issued effort and to provide relief for CDF firefighters, Thursday morning at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville. fighters who have been yet another Air Quality Alert. working the firelines for The pronouncement was made at 9 a.m. more than two weeks. Thursday and lasts until 9 a.m. today. “The training has been At 8 a.m. Thursday, the air pollution excellent,” said Private reading from a portable monitor for Ukiah First Class Joseph was at 0.101 milligrams per cubic meter, Samudio. which is considered “unhealthy for sensi- “I’m learning a lot from tive groups” by the MCAQMD. the firefighters,” Sgt. First Smoke was heavy in most parts of the Class Lewis Jacques said. county Thursday, with only selected “It’s a hard job.” coastal areas spared from the toxic fog, “We call it the CDF according to a release Thursday. weight loss plan,” he joked. “Overnight temperature inversions will Like many of the continue to cause heavier smoke concen- National Guard soldiers trations in lower elevations and in val- working in Mendocino leys,” stated a portion of the release. County, Lewis spent a year “Warming and winds are likely to reduce serving in Iraq before com- smoke levels later in the day, but smoke ing to Mendocino County. levels are likely to increase in the evening “It gives us a chance to hours.” do something for When a temperature inversion occurs, (Above) Private First Class Jaclyn Embry, of the California,” he said of the the ground loses heat very quickly once National Guard, discusses her two days of fire train- fires. the sun goes down, and this cools the air ing before heading out on the fire line Thursday. Samudio said the that is in contact with the ground. The National Guard is regularly warm air above cooler air acts like a lid, (Left) National Guard soldiers load food and water called in to help local and suppressing vertical mixing and trapping supplies onto their trucks for the workday ahead early state emergency crews deal the cooler air at the surface. However, Thursday morning in Boonville. with emergency situations since air is a very poor conductor of heat, such as floods, mudslides the air just above the surface remains and fires. warm, according to the National Weather ‘It’s a hard job. We call it the CDF weight loss plan.’ “If they need us, they Service. call us,” he said. “Heavier smoke accumulations are likely to continue this week as high pres- Sgt. First Class LEWIS JACQUES See GUARD, Page 16 sure continues to build and limits smoke dispersion,” stated the MCAQMD release. “Winds are expected to be out of the northwest and northeast most of this week. Smoke will generally travel to the south Not enough firefighters to go around 110-degree day from any fires; however terrain and local By BEN BROWN FIRE UPDATE winds will also impact smoke dispersion.” The Daily Journal breaks 98-yr.-old To ward off unhealthy exposure to The Mendocino Lightning Complex Fires fighters backed up by 168 fire engines, 67 smoke from the wildfires, some local resi- did not grow overnight Wednesday as fire- dents have taken to wearing face masks, water tenders, 30 bulldozers, 15 helicopters record in Ukiah fighters continued to light backfires on major and three air tankers. which is not recommended by Marvin blazes throughout the county. By ROB BURGESS Trotter, Mendocino County public health A shortage of firefighting staff has been an The Mendocino Lightning Complex Fires ongoing problem since the fires began due to The Daily Journal officer. held at 51,200 acres overnight burning in 36 Coming as no surprise to anyone who “It is recommended that masks only be fires burning all over California which were active fires. once numbered at 1,700. Many of those fires either drove by a bank or walked out their used if you can see heavy ash falling,” stat- Firefighters continued to arrive on scene front door, the record temperature in Ukiah ed the release. “Zero benefit is provided by Thursday, swelling the ranks to 1,863 fire- See FIRES, Page 16 was broken Wednesday. masks that are not of N-95 quality or high- The 98-year-old previous title holder was er or properly fitted. For those with chron- beat by a full two degrees with a reading of ic lung problems, masks may actually United Way allocates funding in county 110 degrees, said a representative from the exacerbate conditions.” Eureka office of the National Weather The Daily Journal percent of total funds requested by projects Service. LIGHTNING FIRE STATS Volunteers on Impact Teams and those on based in Sonoma County. As of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, the heat still held the United Way board of directors have In Mendocino County this year, the local a shot of breaking the record of 109 degrees Stats on the Lightning Complex Fire announced recommendations and funding United Way will commit the $270,000 to set in 2002 with a reading of 107 degrees. as of 5 p.m. Thursday decisions for the next year. Focused Funding of local projects that provide “The smoke really complicates things,” Size - 51,200 acres The board approved focused funding for direct services in the community. The United said a meteorologist at the NWS. “Usually the Fires - 36 projects totaling $270,000 in Mendocino Way also invests to help support Healthy Kids- temperatures keep climbing until around 6 Contained - 65 percent County, out of an unprecedented level of Mendocino, part of the Children’s Health p.m.” Fatalities - 1 requests totaling $948,636. Initiative, and is actively supporting the start- The record temperature for Friday was also Injuries - 36 This level of funding requested in applica- set in 2002 with a 110-degree reading. Structures destroyed - 2 tions from Mendocino County is almost 57 See FUNDING, Page 16 Rob Burgess can be reached at [email protected]. Structures threatened - 335 Estimated cost - $28.57 million Source: Cal Fire visit http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com for the latest news updates 2 – FRIDAY, JULY 11, 2008 DAILY DIGEST Editor: Jody Martinez, 468-3517 The Ukiah Daily Journal [email protected] Place: 05, California FUNERAL NOTICES CORRECTIONS Classic. The Ukiah Daily Journal 2nd Place: 03, Hot Shot. [\ we have to write this. their three boys; his broth- Sarah & Leo Conley; and reserves this space to correct 3rd Place: 01, Gold RICHARD (RICKY) He is survived by his 11 er Matthew J. Schlegel, many aunts, uncles, errors or make clarifications Rush. LINDSEY HILL JR month old son Bob- fiancee Winter and their cousins & friends. to news articles. Significant Race time: 1:46.98. Dec 29, 1987-June 27, 2008 by; mom Lisa C. McCoy & one son; grandparents Services will be errors in obituary notices or SUPER LOTTO: No tick- We lost our beloved step-dad Lewis C. Lynda & “Papa” Rob Saturday, July 12, 2008 at birth announcements will et matched all six numbers Ricky on Friday, June Bruce; dad Richard McPhetridge and Richard Anker Lucier Mortuary, 95 result in reprinting the entire drawn for the California 27, to a tragic car accident.