Author: John Hanno

Associated Press

Firefighters get some help from cooler temperatures after California’s largest wildfire explodes

Nic Coury and Olga R. Rodriguez – July 27, 2024

FOREST RANCH, Calif. (AP) — Thousands of firefighters battling a wildfire in northern California received some help from the weather Saturday, just hours after the blaze exploded in size, scorching an area greater than the size of Los Angeles. The blaze was one of several tearing through the western United States and Canada, fueled by wind and heat.

Cooler temperatures and an increase in humidity on Saturday could help slow the Park Fire, the largest blaze so far this year in California. The blaze’s intensity and dramatic spread led fire officials to make unwelcome comparisons to the monstrous Camp Fire. That fire burned out of control in nearby Paradise in 2018, killing 85 people and torching 11,000 homes.

And Paradise again was near the danger zone. The entire town was under an evacuation warning Saturday, one of several communities in Butte County. Evacuation orders were also issued in Plumas, Tehama and Shasta counties. An evacuation warning calls for people to prepare to evacuate and await instructions. An evacuation order means to leave immediately.

Temperatures are expected to be cooler than average through the middle of next week, but “that doesn’t mean that fires that are existing will go away,” said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

The blaze has scorched 540 square miles (1,409 square kilometers) as of Saturday with no containment. Los Angeles covers roughly 503 square miles (1,320 square kilometers). The blaze was moving north and east after igniting Wednesday, when authorities said a man pushed a burning car into a gully in Chico and then calmly blended in with others fleeing the scene.

Ronnie Dean Stout, 42, of Chico, was arrested early Thursday in connection with the blaze and held without bail pending a Monday arraignment, officials said. There was no reply to an email to the district attorney asking whether the suspect had legal representation or someone who could comment on his behalf.

Cal Fire incident commander Billy See said at a briefing on Saturday that the blaze had been advancing 8 square miles (21 square kilometers) per hour since its inception. But there was cautious optimism as weather conditions slowed the fire’s advance in some areas, and firefighters were able to plan and deploy additional personnel. Nearly 2,500 firefighters were battling the blaze, aided by 16 helicopters and numerous air tankers.

“Today we’ve got almost three times the personnel we had yesterday morning,” he said. “We still don’t have enough.”

He advised his crews to be aggressive, stay safe and take advantage of what likely are the best conditions they will experience in coming days.

Communities elsewhere in the U.S. West and Canada also were under siege Saturday from fast-moving flames.

More than 110 active fires covering 2,800 square miles (7,250 square kilometers) were burning in the U.S. on Friday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Some were caused by the weather, with climate change increasing the frequency of lightning strikes as the region endures record heat and bone-dry conditions.

In Chico, California, Carli Parker is one of hundreds who fled their homes as the Park Fire pushed close. Parker decided to leave her Forest Ranch residence with her family when the fire began burning across the street. She has previously been forced out of two homes by fire, and she said she had little hope that her residence would remain unscathed.

“I think I felt like I was in danger because the police had come to our house because we had signed up for early evacuation warnings, and they were running to their vehicle after telling us that we need to self-evacuate and they wouldn’t come back,” said Parker, a mother of five.

Amanda Brown, who lives in the same community where Stout was arrested, said she was stunned that someone would set a fire in a region where the memories of the devastation in Paradise are still fresh.

“That anyone could deliberately put our community through that again is incredibly cruel. I don’t understand it,” said the 61-year-old Brown, who’s about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the fire but had not been ordered to evacuate.

Elsewhere, fire crews were making progress on another complex of fires burning in the Plumas National Forest near the California-Nevada line, said Forest Service spokesperson Adrienne Freeman. Traffic was backed up for miles near the border on a portion of the main highway linking Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as crews continued Saturday to battle a fire that started a day before when a truck carrying lithium-ion batteries crashed and turned onto its side.

The most damage so far has been to the Canadian Rockies’ Jasper National Park, where a fast-moving wildfire forced 25,000 people to flee and devastated the park’s namesake town, a World Heritage site. Authorities there said cool and wet weather was helping crews battle the wildfires. This comes after Parks Canada said 358 of the 1113 structures in the town of Jasper had been destroyed.

In eastern Washington state, crews late Friday stopped the forward progress of a fire near the community of Tyler that had destroyed three homes and five outbuildings, the Washington Department of Natural Resources said Saturday. The South Columbia Basin fire burned timber and grasses, and crews continued work on containment lines along the fire perimeter.

Two fires in eastern Oregon, including the Durkee and Cow Valley blazes, had burned about 660 square miles (1,709 square kilometers). Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek late Friday expressed condolences to the family of a pilot of a single-engine air tanker that had gone down in forested terrain while fighting a separate fire near the town of Seneca and the Malheur National Forest.

In Idaho, lightning strikes sparked fast-moving wildfires and the evacuation of multiple communities. The fires were burning on about 31 square miles (80 square kilometers) Friday afternoon. Juliaetta, about 27 miles (43 kilometers) southeast of the University of Idaho’s campus in Moscow, was evacuated Thursday just ahead of roaring fires, as were several other communities.

Rodriguez reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Rebecca Boone, John Antczak, Rio Yamat, David Sharp, Holly Ramer, Sarah Brumfield, Claire Rush, Terry Chea, Scott Sonner, Martha Bellisle and Amy Hanson contributed to this report.

ABC News

Wildfires break out across California: Latest fire and smoke maps

Mark Osborne – July 27, 2024

Wildfires are exploding across the West, especially in California, where the Park Fire has now grown to be the biggest in the state this year.

The largest of several wildfires in the state is the Park Fire, burning in Butte and Tehama counties, just north of Chico, which grew to over 348,370 acres on Saturday with 0% containment. At least 134 structures have been destroyed by the blaze, which has grown to be the 7th largest fire recorded in California history in only a few days.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency for Butte and Tehama counties due to the Park Fire, as well as Plumas County, due to the Gold Complex Fire, which combined have burned more than 424,000 acres.

“We are using every available tool to protect lives and property as our fire and emergency response teams work around the clock to combat these challenging fires. Stay safe and remain alert for instructions from local authorities as dangerous fire weather conditions continue,” Newsom said in his statement.

Ronnie Dean Stout II, 42, has been arrested on suspicion of arson for starting the Park Fire after he allegedly pushed a burning car into a gully in Bidwell Park, near Chico, according to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.

There are more than over 2,400 personnel, six helicopters and 153 fire engines assigned just to the Park Fire.

MORE: Man arrested in connection with California wildfire that has burned more than 160,000 acres

The Lake Fire, in Santa Barbara County, is the second-largest burning in the state at the moment at over 38,000 acres, though it is 90% contained after sparking July 5.

Meanwhile, farther north, the Durkee Fire in Oregon had grown to over 288,000 acres on Friday morning with 20% containment, according to the Oregon/Washington Bureau of Land Management. It was sparked on July 17 by a lightning strike and has grown to the largest fire in the country this year.

More than 500 people fighting the fire, as rain fell overnight in the area, providing some relief for firefighters.

The pilot of a single-engine fire tanker carrying retardant was found dead on Friday in Grant County in eastern Oregon after the aircraft was reported missing, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

Smoke spreads across several western states

The smoke from fires in Northern California and Oregon is spreading across several states, including Idaho, Montana and North Dakota, which will all see regions under “very heavy” smoke conditions — the second-worst level.

Fox Weather

California’s Park Fire now among largest in state history as evacuation orders spread

Scott Sistek – July 27, 2024

https://s.yimg.com/rx/ev/builds/1.7.4/pframe.htmlScroll back up to restore default view.

CHICO, Calif. — The Park Fire burning in Northern California near Chico has now become one of the largest wildfires in state history as flames continue to grow, causing additional evacuations to now spread across four counties and taking aim at a community that is still reeling from a deadly wildfire just six years ago.

But some good news emerged for firefighters with the weather forecast as the weekend began without the triple-digit heat and Fire Weather Warnings of the past few days.

CAL Fire now estimates the Park Fire has burned nearly 350,000 acres as of midday Saturday, which ranks the fire as No. 7 on California’s list of most acreage burned by a fire.  At least 134 homes and structures have been damaged or destroyed and another 4,200 are threatened, fire officials said. Over 50 community zones are now under evacuation warnings across 4 counties, spanning more than 4,400 people.

WILDFIRE SMOKE TRACKER: SMOKE PLUME FORECAST MAPS, AIR QUALITY READINGS AND MORE

“Extreme fire behavior has occurred due to the slope and winds aligning, causing significant growth,” CAL Fire officials wrote in their Saturday morning update. “Damage inspection teams are working to identify structures that have been damaged or destroyed.”

So far, there are no reports of any deaths, but two people have been treated for minor injuries.

Vanessa Starling, who lives near the heavily damaged town of Cohasset, told FOX 2 Bay Area they could hear the sound as they evacuated their home.

“It was pretty crazy, there is one spot that had a little fire tornado going on. We could hear it, just this roaring sound, you can hear the fire roaring as we were leaving,” Starling said, worried about her family home. “We have property that’s been in our family since 1905.”

WATCH: ‘FIRENADO’ FORMS ALONG CALIFORNIA’S PARK FIRE. HERE’S HOW IT FORMED:

Late Friday night, the entire town of Paradise, California was placed under an evacuation warning, which means all residents should get ready to run if the fire gets closer.

“Fire behavior and predicted winds require all residents in Paradise to prepare to evacuate and await further information,” CAL Fire officials said.

It’s a particularly daunting reminder of wildfire dangers for this community that was devastated by the fast-moving Camp Fire in 2018 that left dozens dead as flames raced through town.

Additional evacuation shelters have opened in Red Bluff, Los Molinos, and the Butte County Fairgrounds in Gridley in addition to shelters in Chico.

Nearly 2,500 firefighters are dedicated to fighting the blaze as of Friday night, and California Gov. Gavin Newsome declared an emergency, allowing additional state resources to flow toward the fire.

The Park Fire began Wednesday as a bizarre care of arson, investigators said.

Witnesses spotted a man next to a car where a fire had started under the left wheel of what turned out to be the suspect’s mother’s vehicle, and watched it burn, according to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.

The man climbed into the vehicle for a few moments, then got out and pushed the flaming car down a 60-foot embankment into a gully, investigators said.  The burning car eventually became engulfed, spreading flames into the nearby brush and eventually tearing through nearby neighborhoods.

The suspect was identified later that evening and arrested early Thursday morning. He’s being held in the Butte County Jail without bail, awaiting arraignment on Monday.

After days of fighting triple-digit heat and blustery winds that have triggered Fire Weather Warnings across much of Northern California, the weather pattern has finally shifted to give firefighters a temporary reprieve.

Cooler, ocean breezes have pushed inland, not only knocking temperatures down into the upper 80s and low 90s but increasing the humidity.

No weather alerts were in effect for Saturday and the pattern was expected to hold through the middle of the week. However, hotter weather and perhaps a return to triple digit heat was looming for later in the week.

Reuters

Oregon wildfire explodes to half the size of Rhode Island

Rich McKay – July 26, 2024

(Reuters) -Winds and lightning strikes have sparked and fanned wildfires across the Pacific Northwest this week, including the largest fire currently burning in the U.S., which was rapidly expanding near the Oregon-Idaho border on Friday.

The Durkee Fire near Huntington, Oregon, has scorched 600 square miles (1,600 square km), an area more than half the size of Rhode Island’s land mass, authorities said. It is threatening several towns.

The blaze was set off by lightning on July 17, and wind gusts up to 60 mph (100 kph) drove the flames across brush, timberland and ranches, killing hundreds of cattle. The fire was only 20% contained on Friday, officials said.

While there is zero chance of rain through next week, winds have dropped and cooler air is in store, said meteorologist Marc Chenard of the National Weather Service.

“Hopefully it gives firefighters a break,” he said.

As of Thursday, wildfires this year have burned almost 1 million acres (400,000 hectares) in Oregon and 125,900 acres in Washington, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center in Portland, Oregon.

In 2020, the worst year in recent memory, Oregon wildfires scorched more than 1.14 million acres, according to a tally by CBS TV affiliate KOIN.

In California, the Park Fire, believed to have been started by an arsonist, has forced the evacuation of more than 4,000 residents in Butte County, about 100 miles northeast of Sacramento.

A suspect was arrested on Thursday, accused of pushing a burning car down a bone-dry gully.

The fire grew uncontrolled overnight from 125,000 acres on Thursday to 178,090 acres on Friday afternoon, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. More than a hundred buildings had been damaged or destroyed.

“The biggest challenge with this fire is getting to it,” said Fire Captain Dan Collins. “It’s steep land with almost no roads. It’s hard to get our people and equipment to the fire lines.”

More than 1,600 firefighters were deployed to contain the blaze, CalFire said.

Forecasters warned that winds would reach 30 miles mph (50 kph) on Friday and through the weekend. Combined with low humidity, it is a recipe for rapid growth, officials said.

Smoke from fires in western Canada and the Pacific Northwest have brought hazy skies and unhealthy air from the Rocky Mountains to Minneapolis and as far east as Detroit, weather reports said.

Denver had the worst air quality in the U.S. on Friday and ranked the 30th worst in the world, according to IQAir, a group that tracks air pollution across the globe.

Much of the smoke coming into the Central and Eastern U.S. comes from a raging wildfire in the mountainous Jasper National Park in the Canadian province of Alberta.

The park and the town of Jasper, which draws more than 2 million tourists a year, were evacuated on Monday, displacing 10,000 residents and 15,000 park visitors. As much as half of the structures in the town could be damaged or destroyed, officials said, as the blaze burned more than 89,000 acres as of late Thursday.

Videos posted on social media show entire streets leveled by the blazes in the Alberta province, with scorched trees, charred metal skeletons of cars, and nothing but rubble where homes and businesses had stood.

(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Rod Nickel, Sandra Maler and William Mallard)