2:33 p.m. PDT August 17, 2021
An update from the Dixie Fire’s Incident Management Team includes the fact that the fire has been mapped at 604,000 acres, an increase of 26,000 over the previous update.
The numbers of confirmed destroyed structures has risen to 638 residences, 134 commercial buildings, and 400 minor structures.
Resources assigned include 516 fire engines, 186 water tenders, 20 helicopters, 103 hand crews, and 203 dozers, for a total of 5,963 personnel.
Strong frontal winds caused the Dixie Fire, between Susanville and Chester, California, to grow substantially in several locations Monday. (see map above) The fire is so huge, more than 578,000 acres, generalizations can’t be used. The south portion has been relatively quiet for several days, while other portions across the north end have been extremely active.
A weather station near Susanville recorded winds Monday afternoon from the southwest, west, and northwest at 10 to 18 mph gusting up to 29 mph while the relative humidity at one point dropped to 9 percent.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Dixie Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)
Southwest of Susanville the fire made a four-mile run between two fires from 2020, the Sheep and Hog Fires. The two-mile gap between those blazes is partially filled by a fire from 2016, the Willard Fire. As of early Tuesday morning the Dixie Fire has moved a short distance into that old burn. Presumably firefighters have been anticipating the fire spreading into this location and had made preparations, such as very wide dozer lines or tactical burning to remove fuel.
The Incident Management Team reported that northeast of Antelope Lake a spot fire developed five miles east of the main fire. That is a long, but not unheard of, distance for a spot fire to occur. It was three miles south of Janesville and three miles west of Highway 395. By early Tuesday morning it had spread to and crossed the highway, forcing its closure. The fire was also very active west of the lake.
A new fire separate from the Dixie Fire has been growing on the west side of the fire near the intersection of Highways 89 and 36. It blew up Monday, running for about six miles north-northeast, and early Tuesday had advanced two miles inside Lassen Volcanic National Park, about a mile from merging with the Dixie Fire. The portion of the Dixie Fire already in the Park was also extremely active, moving a mile to the west and north.
This fire and others in the West are driven by very low fuel (vegetation) moistures resulting from drought. On the Dixie fire fuel moistures are historically low and the Energy Release Component is extremely high.
A Red Flag Warning will continue until 11 p.m. Tuesday due to low RH and gusty winds creating critical fire weather conditions. Ridgetop winds will pick up out of the west at 15 to 22 mph with gusts of 30 to 35 mph. Afternoon minimum relative humidity readings will again fall into the teens. A dry cold front will pass over the fire Tuesday night with winds out of the north.
The video below shows the Dixie Fire hitting Highway 395 Monday night.
This fire whirl jumped 395 and lit the east side on fire. Scariest footage I’ve shot yet. #DixieFire pic.twitter.com/PS5wJMmaMC
— Brett Forrest (@brettforrest89) August 17, 2021
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The video of the fire jumping 395
Where on earth are those cars coming from or going to? A little too close for safety?