Gov. Jerry Brown declares state of emergency amid blaze
WILDFIRES in different areas of California intensified over the weekend, with more gusty winds fanning flames caused by lightning strikes.
More than 9,300 firefighters are on the scene battling at least 21 wildfires in the state, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
The largest inferno, known as the Rocky Fire, has already incinerated 54,000 acres in three counties. As of Sunday, August 2, the flames were only 5 percent contained and was feeding on the state’s drought to grow, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said.
This has been a very fast-moving wildfire with the dry conditions, and the weather not really cooperating with us over the past week,” Berlant said.
The Rocky Fire was burning in Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties northwest of Sacramento. More than 12,100 people in more than 5,100 structures were under some type of evacuation order or advisory as of Sunday afternoon, according to Cal Fire.
Almost 2,000 fire personnel, 180 engines, four air tankers and 19 helicopters are currently battling the Rocky blaze.
Across the state, more than 134,000 acres have been torched by the ongoing fires, according to Cal Fire.
The thousands of lightning strikes over the past several days has ignited hundreds of small wildfires, especially in the northern part of California.
“Accompanying thunderstorms have produced little or no rain,” Berlant added.
Most of the region experienced stronger winds Monday, Aug. 3 which helped fan any lightning strikes from over the weekend, Cal Fire said.
When night falls, the darkness typically allows firefighters to make headway against wildfires because humidity will go up and fire activity will die down, but that has not been the case with the Rocky Fire, Berlant said.
“This fire was very active throughout the night,” Berlant told CNN. “It was really burning very fast, all the way up into the late hours, so unfortunately we’re really not getting a break.”
On Friday, July 31, California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, mobilizing the National Guard to support the disaster response.
Statewide, the fires vary in size. The White Fire in Santa Barbara County is about 50 acres, while the deadly Frog Fire has consumed at least 3,900 acres since last Thursday and is barely 4 percent contained. The recently snuffed-out Lake Fire in San Bernardino County has burned more than 31,000 acres before it was contained.
Although Cal Fire says most of the fires are more than 60 percent contained, the land damage has been substantial in some cases. Fires in San Bernardino County and Alpine County combined have incinerated nearly 50,000 acres.
California’s current record-setting drought conditions are also not helping, and have already “turned much of the state into a tinderbox,” according to Governor Brown.
The Willow Fire in the Sierra National Forest and the Cabin Fire east of Porterville in the Sequoia National Forest have both made progress in containment. Firefighters used a controlled-burn operation intended to deprive the blaze of more fuel, according to the South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team. Neither the Willow nor the Cabin fires have destroyed any structures, but six people have reportedly been injured.
“Air resources will support ground crew as need as soon as smoke conditions clear and allow for safe aerial operations,” the team said.
Meanwhile, evacuation orders remain in effect for those around the fire, which has already consumed more than 5,600 acres.
The US Forest Service also announced that David Ruhl, a father of two from Rapid City, South Dakota, died fighting the Frog Fire in Northern California’s Modoc National Forest. Ruhl’s death remains under investigation. (with reports from CNN)