Negative Ghost Rider, the Pattern is Full

I was working a quiet shift in the Black Mountain Lookout today. Well, it was supposed to be quiet. Right around 10AM, we had some wifts of smoke less than a mile off the tower. Cranston Station sent a helicopter to confirm, and identified the smoke as a snag burning in the timber cutting area. By the time the first crews were on scene, ladder fuels were involved and the helicopter began doing water drops. We watched the chopper make five runs to Lake Fulmor for water, but we never could see the actual fire, even though it was less than a mile off the tower, it was behind the ridge. Later on, we were buzzed by a tanker coming home from the Tujunga Fire. So much for a quiet Sunday in the tower.

This morning, I edited some cool timelapse video of the De Luz fire from July 2nd. It really shows how fast a fire can grow from spark to 94 acres.