By Thursday of this week, the Lockheed Fire had burned 7,364 acres north and west of Bonny Doon, but not a single home was damaged by the weeklong blaze — though two outbuildings were, and one was destroyed.
The fire was 80 percent contained as of press time, but Cal Fire had set up a line at the south end of the fire, and once the fire reaches the perimeter, it will be fully contained. Cal Fire estimated the fire would be fully contained Saturday, Aug. 22.
The fire began near Swanton Road in Davenport, southwest of the Lockheed Martin campus at the end of Empire Grade Road. The blaze spread south for the next week.
Keeping the fire out of Bonny Doon
After the fire was reported at 7:35 p.m. Aug. 12, a Wednesday, Cal Fire crews from the Big Creek station and volunteers from Bonny Doon made the initial response.
Fanned by winds of up to 20 mph, the fire began spreading south and east along the natural drainages toward Davenport and Bonny Doon.
Davenport was evacuated, and a fire line with bulldozers and hand crews blocked the fire’s path into Bonny Doon. But when the fire jumped over the line toward Empire Grade, Cal Fire officials made the call to evacuate.
“We made the decision to put a mandatory evacuation in place to the west side of the Bonny Doon area,” said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Ian Larkin, who made the initial response to the fire.
“The morning of the second day, actually Aug. 13 and 14, were real critical days for the potential to spread to Bonny Doon,” Larkin said.
During that time, the fire nearly doubled in acres burned, torching pine trees and low brush in its path.
As more firefighters arrived from around the state and a state of emergency was declared by Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, Cal Fire dedicated an entire branch of firefighters to the Bonny Doon region, splitting into groups and strike teams to protect individual homes in the event the fire continued to spread.
Larkin praised the effort residents had made since last year’s Martin Fire to keep their property clear.
“We found a lot of fuel reductions at the residences we contacted,” Larkin said. “It would have made a difference (if the fire had swept into Bonny Doon).”
The evacuation order was lifted in Bonny Doon at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16.
Larkin also said the Warnella Road truck trail played a significant role in containing the fire and keeping it away from homes in Bonny Doon by allowing personnel to access the fire line on the blaze’s east side.
The fire originated in the southern part of Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and the cause is still unknown.
At a glance:
Lockheed Fire
Cost: $18.7 million
Fire personnel: 2,165
Engines: 295 plus
Helicopters: 14
Bulldozers: 31
Water tenders: 21
