The Wildfires Thread

[PCS]

 

[China]

Dixie Fire becomes largest single wildfire in California history

 

 

The Dixie Fire burning in two Northern California counties is now the largest single wildfire in recorded state history, exploding in size overnight as drought-stricken lands continue to fuel the flames.

 

The fire, which has burned for 23 days and forced mass evacuations, razed the Gold Rush town of Greenville on Thursday, destroying 91 buildings and damaging five others. Smoke from the blaze has blown to lower parts of Northern California, including the state capital of Sacramento where the air quality index on Friday reached "unhealthy" levels.

 

The troubling development reflects not just the dire effects of climate change and neglected forest management, but also that the electric grid remains prone to sparking wildfires. Pacific Gas & Electric disclosed last month that its equipment may have caused the catastrophic blaze.

 

The Dixie Fire is eerily similar to the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive blaze in state history — and sparked by PG&E. The two fires started less than 10 miles apart from each other in the Feather River Canyon, a heavily wooded area with decrepit transmission lines.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

Caldor Fire destroys hundreds of homes, grows to 82K acres

 

Hundreds of structures have been destroyed, several more have been damaged and thousands remain threatened as the Caldor Fire rages on uncontained.

 

The blaze remained active in all areas through the night and has grown to 82,444 acres, officials said Saturday morning.

 

Damage assessment teams have determined that 245 structures have been incinerated, 13 more have been damaged and 15,000 remain threatened. Two residents have been injured.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[China]

What An Atmospheric Scientist Wants You To Know About That Wildfire Smoke You’re Breathing

 

The air quality on Colorado’s Front Range is often unhealthy.

 

Much of the area doesn’t meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s standards for clean air, largely because of ozone — a gas created by a mixture of emissions from cars, oil and gas drilling and industrial facilities, combined with the heat and light from the summer sun. 

 

Another factor has been worsening the air quality lately: wildfire smoke. The recently smoky skies, from flames as far away as California and Oregon, are bad for your health in multiple ways. 

 

Even if you can’t smell it, that doesn’t mean it’s not impacting you.

 

“Your nose is not a good tool,” said Emily Fischer, an atmospheric scientist and associate professor at Colorado State University. 

 

Fischer studies the ingredients of wildfire smoke. When it travels on the wind from other states, it can lose its smell by the time it makes it to the Front Range. Recent research from Fischer’s department shows that long-range smoke actually had worse health effects on people than if they had been closer to the fire.

 

Why might that be? Fischer says it might be because people are more likely to take precautions when they see flames or smell smoke. When the fire is far away and there’s no smell, people can more easily brush off the possible effects to their health. 

 

Wildfire smoke contains fine particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs, aggravating chronic heart and lung diseases and triggering asthma attacks. It can also cause headaches, a runny nose, cough and difficulty breathing. Younger people and older people tend to be more susceptible. 

 

Click on the link for the full article

[PCS]

 

as for the smoke. Yeah. It's nasty. Hit over 400 last night and this a.m parts of Tahoe were 700 and above. 

[TheGoodBits]

8 minutes ago, PCS said:

as for the smoke. Yeah. It's nasty. Hit over 400 last night and this a.m parts of Tahoe were 700 and above. 

 

My brother is an El Dorado County deputy. He’s been busy escorting people into evacuation zones to retrieve things. Definitely a problematic fire for people in the Tahoe Basin, though I’m skeptical it actually gets that far. Lot of high, treeless terrain between the fire and SLT. 

[TheGoodBits]

Actually just heard from him. They’re prepping for a possible evacuation order for the area between Twin Bridges and Echo Summit if the fire keeps moving east. That would certainly put South Lake Tahoe squarely in the crosshairs. 
 

Their house is only a few miles from that possible evacuation zone… this sucks man. 

[China]

The AQI for the Tahoe basin on the fire map isn't good.

[PCS]

2 hours ago, skinsfan_1215 said:

Actually just heard from him. They’re prepping for a possible evacuation order for the area between Twin Bridges and Echo Summit if the fire keeps moving east. That would certainly put South Lake Tahoe squarely in the crosshairs. 
 

Their house is only a few miles from that possible evacuation zone… this sucks man. 

 

Zeke here,(he's really good at the fire mapping thing),,said it best a week ago with this tweet. 

 

 

That's a huge area he's talking about and includes Hope Valley which is just South of Tahoe.  Desolation Wilderness is a good natural barrier that they can enforce,but there's more than one way to get to Tahoe. I've watched these wildfires  out here for awhile now,(a few of them from a fairly close distance),and  they can turn on dime and blow up fast at any time. These firefighters are doing amazing work though. This is some of the more rugged terrain to fight one in and they have made some progress. Still hasn't crossed 50 in force so that's something. It's sad to see a lot this burn though. Some great terrain to see and a few little towns that are cool to drive though. Lot's of history too. Grizzly Flats got pretty much burned off the map and that's a rough one. There's been a huge fight to save Omo Ranch and the surrounding area. Fire really wants to burn **** down there and the firefighters are having none of it if they can help it. Big time heroics going on there  right now including night drops.  Here's hoping the weather cooperates and your brother, (great he's helping folks out),and others don't have to dd out of there. 

 

 

[TheGoodBits]

@PCSupdated info: they’re bulldozing huge lines at Strawberry. Trying to cut it off there. 

[PCS]

2 hours ago, skinsfan_1215 said:

@PCSupdated info: they’re bulldozing huge lines at Strawberry. Trying to cut it off there. 

Just read that from this guy.

 

Getting ready for those winds again. Beast made some runs yesterday and they're trying to get ahead of it again it appears. Can't say enough about the work they're doing in structure protection everywhere with this thing. 

[TheGoodBits]

Evac order for Twin Bridges to Echo Summit was issued today. Fire hopped the dozer lines set up south of Strawberry. The eastward march continues… 

 

 

[TheGoodBits]

A more positive update on the east side of the fire. It’s progress seemed to have stalled today, some of the lines holding. They are a ton of dozers putting in additional lines (light grey on the map). My brother told me they are fairly confident they can get that side contained without it progressing further. 

 

[TheGoodBits]

Look at those lines 😍

 

Dozer fleet did some work yesterday. 
 

Monday is a big test to see if containment can hold. Forecast for high winds, gusts up to 30mph. 

 

 

Edited August 28, 2021 by skinsfan_1215

[PCS]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They're taking as much advantage of the variable winds in the area,(fire's creating its own winds in a few places though),before tomorrow and in to Monday when some high winds come back to the area. Possible red flag warning for Monday I think. Crossing fingers the lines hold. 

[PCS]

Meanwhile out here in the West closer to home. 

 

Last night

 

 

 

 

Leek Springs cam.  

 

http://www.alertwildfire.org/tahoe/index.html?camera=Axis-Leek&v=fd40740

 

 

 

 

[TheGoodBits]

My brother and his wife are anticipating an evacuation order as soon as today. He’s in the foothills above South Lake Tahoe, just down the ridge from Echo Lake. 

[PCS]

Sorry to hear that.    It's moving now and the winds haven't even started heavy yet. 

 

11:00 PT and it's already doing this.  The column on the right is closing in on the second pic. I read that moisture levels for trees in the area are lower than the kiln dried lumber at the store. Yikes. 

 

 

 

[TheGoodBits]

Correction: anticipating an evacuation *warning today, not order. Text from him just now: 

“Yeah it’s not good, yesterday was supposed to be a chill day where they could get ahead, and they lost it in strawberry. Sierra will probably burn, hoping it stays more SE between Kirkwood and Sierra.”

[PCS]

Firefighters have done an amazing job containing it in several areas,(considering some of the terrain),and remarkable,successful efforts at saving structures but this beast just doesn't want to be tamed. Just too dry out there.  

 

 

 

 

 

Smoke here in the valley on the other side of the Tahoe mountains just turned dark with that brown smoke from the fire. 

[TheGoodBits]

Annddd they’re under mandatory evacuation. ****. That happened fast. 
 

 

[TheGoodBits]

Oh my goodness it made a run through Desolation Wilderness last night. I was extremely skeptical that was possible… trees are kind of sparse there. Some low vegetation, but still, shocking. It’s knocking on the door of SLT, which is shockingly not under mandatory evacuation yet. 
 

My brother’s place is off Upper Truckee, noted in the second tweet here. Probably only a bit over a mile from the fire now, and I honestly don’t see how the firefighters can stop it before then. 

Thankfully they’re out of there and safe. Found a cheap hotel in Carson City that allows pets. 

 

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by skinsfan_1215

[PCS]

That stunned me too. I mean I knew it was kind of a possibility,but figured thatmight we something to look at today when the winds got going. Shows how dry it is out here and how thisee fires can creat their own weather. It's going to be a long day up there.  

[TheGoodBits]

Evacuation order for South Lake Tahoe is in. Along with about 1/3 of the entire shoreline of the lake. 
 

and more bad news…
 

 

[TheGoodBits]

 
That happened quick… fire still pushing east. Winds out of the southwest, set to shift to more out of the south tonight and tomorrow. Honestly there’s a fairly likely scenario right now where the whole eastern side of Lake Tahoe burns.