Wildfires surge as dangerous heat waves hit southwest
A dangerous heat wave grabbed most of California and the southwest, bringing triple-digit temperatures and increasing the risk of wildfires.
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Firefighters were fighting fast wildfires in California’s Wine Country and Central Oregon as hot, dry weather on the weekend increased the risk of wildfires in the West of the United States.
The swelling heat waves remaining in the west prompted extreme heat warnings and clocks, monitoring parts of the Southwest Desert, California, Washington and Oregon. Several high temperature records have recently been broken in northwestern Oregon and southwestern Washington, with heat warnings and recommendations expected to remain until August 26th.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, high temperatures and low humidity combined with dry winds and low humidity promoted the growth conditions of existing and new fires. Several wildfires have already erupted in parts of the west, including Oregon and Napa County in California.
“The heat, dry, unstable weather continues in most of the West, with very low humidity and thunderstorms that can lead to both lightning and gusts of wind,” the National Ministries’ Fire Centre said in a news release on August 24. “These conditions mean that any spark, whether it’s people or nature, can grow rapidly.”
The Pickett fire occurred on August 21 near Calistoga in Napa County, growing about two hours after consuming a few acres around 3:30pm local time. By the afternoon of August 24th, the flame had grown to over 6,800 acres, including 11%.
Oregon’s flat fire, the state’s largest active wildfire this year, began on August 21st and grew rapidly in dry, hot and windy conditions. On August 24, the fire, located two miles northeast of the sisters, a small town in central Oregon, reached an estimated 21,971 acres and was not suppressed, according to fire information in central Oregon.
The causes of the two fires were under investigation, fire information for Cal Fire and Central Oregon said.
Picket Fire
The Pickett fire broke out into the same area where the glass fire was burning in 2020 after it caught fire on rugged terrain on the northern outskirts of Calistoga, a small town in the Napa Valley.
In an August 24 update, Calfire said the Picket Fire increased 1,841 acres on August 23, increasing “many of the activity observed at the eastern edge of the fire.” The agency added that fire activity was midnight overnight as five night-flying helicopters supported the ground fire truck, dozers and hand crew.
More than 1,200 staff members, as well as multiple helicopters for targeted water droplets and air tankers for firefighters, have been assigned to the picket fire, according to Cal Fire. Firefighters also completed operations in areas near the fire, eliminating unburned fuel between the control line and the main fire.
An assessment of the damage is ongoing and Cal Fire said there are no reports of damaged or destroyed structures in the area. The Democrats, a local newspaper in Sonoma and Napa counties, reported that about 190 people had been evacuated on August 24th, and 360 others had been evacuated warnings.
“Structural protection remains a priority as fires are burning near the community,” according to Cal Fire. “Firemen are actively engaged in the protection of their homes and other structures, particularly in areas such as Aetna Springs Road and Butts Canyon Road.
Cal Fire noted that the hot and dry conditions predicted for the coming days will continue to challenge firefighting operations. The crew was focusing on “wiping the construction of direct and emergency control lines inside existing confined combustion lines” on August 24, the agency said.
The Bay Area Air Quality Control District has expanded its air quality advice until August 25th due to smoke from the picket fire. Wildfire smoke is expected to affect Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
Flat fire
Firefighters have been fighting a flat fire “around the clock” since the afternoon of August 21st, according to fire information in Central Oregon. More than 800 staff have been assigned to the fire.
“Overnight, firefighters continued to fight 21,971 acres of flat fires actively,” the agency said in an August 24 update. “The night shift crew were able to establish early dozers and handlines around parts of the fire. In particular, the crew established an initial line along the head of the fire’s southern part, and further advances along parts of the fire’s north and west perimeter.”
Eric Perkins, chief of the Oregon Forestry Department’s division, said firefighters were facing difficult terrain on August 24, along with a Red Flag warning.
The Red Flag Warning was issued for fires between August 24th and August 25th. This means the flame could grow in the next few days. Fire information in Central Oregon predicted that the area would see high temperature conditions, including low relative humidity, unstable air mass, and temperatures reaching three times the digits of magnitude.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek declared a big fire, and the Oregon Firefighter S has multiple teams working to protect their homes on potential fire roads. Evacuation orders and warnings are in place in both Deschute and Jefferson County, and expanded along Highway 126 with Sisters on August 24th.
At least 3,938 homes are threatened by the fire, according to an August 24 update on social media. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said about 1,000 homes are Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation orders, with four major closures of roads in the area in place due to the fire.
Fire Hazard Advisories are valid in some US states
As of August 24, at least 50 large, unconnected fires were burning across the country, according to the National Inter-Ministry Fire Center. The agency noted that about 1 million acres in the United States have already been burned this year.
The agency said fuel and fire hazard recommendations are in effect in some western provinces. The National Inter-Ministry Fire Station urged its public to comply with local fire restrictions amid a dangerous heat wave.
“Temperatures are normal above 10-20°F, along most of the west coast near the Cascade and Sierra and near the west, as well as across the Pacific Northwest and Western Montana.”
Contributors: John Bacon, USA Today; Zach Urness, Salem Statesman Journal; Paris Barazá, Palm Springs Desert Sun
