Seasonable weather conditions continue to aid firefighters in their efforts towards containment. Above 2,000 feet elevation, firefighters are still seeing low humidity throughout at night, which allows for increased fire activity overnight which challenges containment efforts. More than 14,600 firefighters today are battling over two dozen major fires and lightning complexes across California. In the past 24-hours there were over 90 lightning strikes in Northern California, however only one new fire was reported as a result. Firefighters will continue to monitor for additional lightning strike wildfires. Firefighters will be performing firing operations to strengthen containment lines and burn out islands of unburned vegetation within the fire’s perimeters. Smoke columns will be visible on some fires today.
Since the lightning siege that started on Saturday, August 15, 2020, there have been nearly 14,000 lightning strikes. During this time-period, there have been more than 700 new wildfires, which have now burned over 1.38 million acres. The significant acreage burned makes the fires collectively larger than the State of Delaware. In this siege, there have been 7 reported fatalities and nearly 2,100 structures destroyed.
The marine layer is now receding. The weakening offshore low will also result in lighter onshore winds today which will make for poor air quality in some areas. A stronger offshore ridge will strengthen Saturday through early next week. Higher elevations are expected to remain warm and dry with little humidity recovery at night. Warmer conditions are expected over the weekend and Isolated thunderstorms are still possible in the upper portion of northern California and the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The rest of California will experience a return to a warm and dry weather pattern.
With the weekend approaching, CAL FIRE is asking all Californians to take steps to prevent sparking a wildfire. To learn more ways to prevent sparking a wildfire visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org
Fires of Interest:
**CAL FIRE Incidents**
LNU Lightning Complex Fire, Napa County (more info…)
Napa, Lake, Sonoma, Solano, and Yolo Counties
State DPA, SRA, Napa County
*371,249 acres, 35% contained
*Hennessey (merged fires) 313,536 acres, 33% contained
*Wallbridge 55,353 acres, 25% contained
*Meyers 2,360 acres, 98% contained
*1,080 structures destroyed
*Evacuations in place
*CAL FIRE IMT-2 in command
SCU Lightning Complex Fire, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara and Stanislaus Counties (more info…)
Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara and Stanislaus Counties
*372,971 acres, 35% contained
*20 fires in the complex, several have merged together
*Canyon/Reservoir (merged) 368,867 acres 35% contained
*Deer 3,104 acres 100% contained
*Evacuations and road closures in place
*48 structures destroyed
* CAL FIRE IMT-6 in command
CZU August Lightning Fire, San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties (more info…)
San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties
*82,540 acres, 26% contained
*Warnell Fire has now merged into CZU Lightning
*Evacuations in place
*799 structures destroyed
*CAL FIRE IMT-3 is in command
BTU/TGU Lightning Complex Fire, Butte and Glenn Counties (more info…)
Butte, Tehama and Glenn Counties
*55,936 acres, 32% contained
*Elkhorn 37,400 acres, 33% contained
*Ivory/Doe 15,900 acres, 60% contained
*Potters (5-4) 927 acres, 96% contained
*CAL FIRE IMT-4 in command
River Fire, Monterey County (more info…)
East of Salinas
*48,732 acres, 66% contained
*12 structures destroyed
*Repopulation is complete
*CAL FIRE IMT-1 in command
Carmel Fire, Monterey County (more info…)
South of Carmel
*6,767 acres, 71% contained
*73 structures destroyed
*Repopulation is complete
*CAL FIRE IMT 1 Team in command
Moc Fire, Tuolumne County (more…)
Moccasin
*2,800 acres, 92% contained
Jones Fire, Nevada County (more info…)
Northwest of Nevada City
*705 acres, 92% contained
*21 residential structures destroyed
**Federal Incidents**
Lake Fire, Los Angeles County (more info…)
Southwest of Lake Hughes
* 31,089 acres, 70% contained
*Continued structure threat
August Complex, Tehama County (more…)
Grindstone Canyon, Elk Creek
*212,010 acres 87% contained
*Includes the Hull Fire and Doe Fire
Dolan Fire, Monterey County (more info…)
Ventana Wilderness – Los Padres National Forest
* 21,861 acres, 20% contained
Ranch 2 Fire, Los Angeles County (more info…)
San Gabriel Canyon
*4,237 acres, 96% contained
*Road closures lifted
*Federal Type 2 in command
Apple Fire, Riverside County (more info…)
Cherry Valley
*33,424 acres, 95% contained
North Complex Fire, Plumas County (more info…)
Southwest of Susanville – Plumas National Forest
* 54,993 acres, 21% contained
*Evacuations in place
*Includes the Sheep and Claremont Fire
*CA IMT Team 1 is in command
Loyalton, Vegetation Fire, Sierra County (more info…)
East of Loyalton – Tahoe National Forest
*47,029 acres, 93% contained
Red Salmon Complex – Shasta-Trinity National Forest (more info…)
Northeast of Willow Creek, CA
*21,584 acres, 42% contained
SQF Complex, Tulare County (more…)
East of Giant Sequoia National Monument/ Golden Trout Wilderness
*23,625 acres, 0% contained
*Castle and Shotgun Fires merged into this complex
W-5 Cold Springs, Lassen County (more…)
East of Madeline.
*70,795 acres, 41% containment
Dome, San Bernardino County (more…)
Mojave National Preserve
*43,273 acres, 95% contained
Beach, Inyo County (more…)
Inyo National Forest
*3,780 acres, 90% contained
Blue Jay/Wolf Fire, Mariposa County (more…)
Yosemite National Forest
*564 acres, 15% contained
Woodward Fire, Marin County (more…)
Point Reyes National Seashore
*3,072 acres 8% contained
Spring Fire, Shasta County
Shasta-Trinity National Forest
*230 acres, 90% contained
Trimmer Fire, Fresno County
Sierra National Forest
*600 acres, 99% contained
R-8 Pinecone, Lassen County (more…)
West of Termo
*612 acres, 80% contained