Fire-friendly weather to return to Northern California
Source: AP
By CHRISTOPHER WEBER and JONATHAN J. COOPER
Thick smoke that held down winds and temperatures began to clear Sunday from the scenic forestlands of Northern California as firefighters battling the largest single wildfire in state history braced for a return of fire-friendly weather.
The winds werent expected to reach the ferocious speeds that helped the Dixie Fire explode in size last week. But they were nonetheless concerning for firefighters working in unprecedented conditions to protect thousands of threatened homes.
The live trees that are out there now have a lower fuel moisture than you would find when you go to a hardware store or a lumber yard and get that piece of lumber thats kiln dried, Mark Brunton, operations section chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said in an online briefing Sunday morning. Its that dry, so it doesnt take much for any sort of embers, sparks or small flaming front to get that going.
Fueled by strong winds and bone-dry vegetation, the fire incinerated much of Greenville on Wednesday and Thursday, destroying 370 homes and structures and threatening nearly 14,000 buildings in the northern Sierra Nevada.
Burned trees and smoke fill the Bear River canyon after the River Fire burned through Friday, Aug. 6, 2021 in Chicago Park, Calif. Firefighters are gaining the upper hand on the fast-moving River Fire that broke out Wednesday near the town of Colfax and destroyed nearly 90 homes and other buildings. More than 5,000 people were ordered to evacuate in Placer and Nevada counties, state fire officials said. (Elias Funez/The Union via AP)
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/business-science-fires-environment-and-nature-california-5d1fd7d8883b04f641f7ee28f45c2bfa
NH Ethylene
(30,793 posts)Is that weather that helps the fire or the firefighters?
Hugh_Lebowski
(33,643 posts)AllaN01Bear
(17,346 posts)the last two days the smoke has been bad here . visiblility less than 1/2 mile . couldnt see the house a mile down the canyon from me.
in the next county calaveras , a friend reported that she could see blue sky the day before . the winds shifted again today and i can see the sun.(red) and semi blue skys. been staying indoors mostly and when outside i wear my particle mask. the smoke was bad and reminded me of the rim fire from long ago.
Hugh_Lebowski
(33,643 posts)NOT covid, she's vaccinated. But she's 80 and had a different problem. She's out of the ICU as of last night, but my mom says there's a lot of COVID cases there right now.
My aunt is from PML, Groveland just up the grade. My folks also have a house there. I LOVE that area, lived there for a year in 2006 actually.
Ever been to Mercer Caverns in Murphy's? Place is freakin' cool.
AllaN01Bear
(17,346 posts)AllaN01Bear
(17,346 posts)yes . there have been quite a # of cases in the last few months .currently we are at 4721cases . 64 deaths . alot of stupidity going on . hope your aunt gets well soon.
Hugh_Lebowski
(33,643 posts)Warpy
(110,900 posts)Another big fire broke out in the Four Corners, so it looks like we'll be eating smoke for a while.
Mr.Bill
(24,103 posts)call our forests in the western states "standing gasoline".