Quail Fire 35% Contained

Firefighters achieved 35% containment of the Quail Fire with no significant growth in the fire perimeter as of Monday evening. Precise mapping of the fire perimeter pegged its size at 269.2 acres.

Difficulty of access on the south flank of the fire and hot weather were among the challenges today. New resources began to arrive in the afternoon to augment the firefighting effort and 150 firefighters are expected to work the Quail Fire from late today through Tuesday. Five hand crews will be supported by 12 engines and three water tenders. One helicopter will continue water drops. In late afternoon, Battalion Chief Mary Stock of Cal Fire took over as Incident Commander.

Fire management objectives for tonight and Tuesday are: 1) to increase containment along the south edge of the fire where it is burning in rocky, tree- and brush-covered slopes, 2) firefighter safety, and 3) preservation of wilderness resources. Barring unanticipated changes in fire behavior, fire officials hope to achieve 90% containment of the fire by Tuesday evening with full containment projected by 6 pm Wednesday.

Numerous additional agencies have sent resources to the fire. Among the newly arriving units are crews from Sequoia National Forest and Angeles National Forest, a Bureau of Indian Affairs crew from the Tule River Indian Reservation, and a Department of Defense wildland fire crew from Vandenberg Air Force Base.