Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 7
Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Airspace Structure; Procedure
There were several wildfires in San Diego County including one very close to the airport which prevented some controllers from getting to work.  Traffic at CRQ is usually very light in the early evening hours and with the fires and resultant flight restrictions it was even less busy than usual. Aircraft X was the only airborne aircraft I was talking to when he called inbound on the ILS approach.  I started giving him traffic calls reference the fire fighting aircraft south of a six mile final.  I was not too worried because the fire fighters had been there for hours and had always been south of final and around 1;500 feet and lower. Two of the aircraft climbed to 1;800 and moved a little further north so I gave another traffic call.  One of those aircraft started turning south again so I figured the one behind would as well; but instead the aircraft started climbing opposite direction on final.  The two aircraft were about a mile apart with Aircraft X descending from 2;600 and the other aircraft climbing from 2;200 when I started the traffic alert; by the time I finished the traffic alert the targets were already merged. The pilot of Aircraft X was understandably not happy.  I took down his information over the frequency after he landed and began making notifications and writing the MOR after the other Controller came back upstairs.The TFRs took way too long to get into place. The TFR for the Carlsbad fire went into effect 8 hours after the fire started; coincidentally right after all the aircraft that were fighting it had departed.  I think the San Marcos fire did not have a TFR until the next day.  Even without a TFR; ATC could have been more proactive in denying approaches. The weather was fine for the most part and we could have done visual approaches. If aircraft are going to be firefighting and not talking to anyone then we probably should not be running approaches right next to them.  It also seems like ATC should have had communication with someone at the fire. During the day we were constantly communicating with fire fighting aircraft while just south of CRQ. I am sure there was an aircraft performing a similar function over the San Marcos fire.  I think that if we could have advised them that there was an aircraft on the ILS approach they would have stayed south of final.
CRQ Local Controller describes situation where fire fighting aircraft exit the TFR and become a conflict for an arrival.