The Chalk fire was listed as 100% contained on October 29th and on October 30th, it started raining. From then until November 3 we received 2.16 inches at Highlands Peak. So we are happy to know that the fires shall not flare up again. Below is a map that shows the final perimeters of the three fires that burned in the Los Padres National Forest near Big Creek this summer. You can see that Big Creek and Vicente Creek watersheds are the only unburned watersheds between the Little Sur River and Mill Creek. As a result, we are set up to be sort of a “control” for studies that focus on the impact of fire on the landscape and runoff in the creeks. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is already organizing water sampling along the coast to capture what happens during and after rainfall. We shall be keeping an eye out for their results.
