Some numbers usually go in one direction only. The acreage a wildfire has burned, for example, goes up and up until it levels off, but it doesn't usually decrease.
The number of acres burned by the Dolan Fire, which started on Aug. 18 in Big Sur, has stayed steady for about a week at 128,417 acres. In a daily reported released Tuesday morning, Sept. 29 by the U.S. Forest Service, acreage burned decreased by 3,492 acres to a total of 124,924 acres after officials were able to see they had been erroneously counting part of a previous burn scar on Fort Hunter Liggett on the south end of the fire.
The reassessment comes thanks to infrared imaging. "The significant reduction in acreage is due to an earlier controlled burn area previously thought to be part of the Dolan Fire footprint," according to the Forest Service's report.
Containment is up to 85 percent, and a marine layer last night helped keep much of the fire area cool.
However, firefighters are expecting triple-digit temperatures today, Sept. 29. "This will be a good test for our containment line," the Forest Service reports.
Firefighting plans today include a partnership with the Monterey County Sheriff's Department bomb squad to take down a 125-foot redwood tree that has been deemed unsafe for firefighters.
There are currently 502 personnel assigned to the Dolan Fire.
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