Radford Fire 3-D map, looking west at about 11 p.m. September 7, 2022.
The spread of the Radford Fire just south of Big Bear in Southern California slowed Wednesday night and Thursday morning as the wind slowed to a calm in some areas and the relative humidity rose to 50 to 70 percent depending on the location on the mountain. With the change in the weather, Thursday morning the fire is burning in the understory with only limited torching or uphill runs.
That could change Thursday afternoon as the influence of Hurricane Kay increasingly affects the area. The wind is expected to increase to 14 mph out of the southwest gusting to 22 while the relative humidity drops into the 30s. Winds should be much more subdued overnight but on Friday will increase by 4 p.m. to 25 mph gusting out of the east-southeast up to 39 mph with RH in the 30s and 40s. Beginning at 11 a.m. on Friday the chance of rain jumps to 60 percent with the RH rising to 80 percent. Precipitation amounts through Friday night could be more than 0.6″ of an inch. The rain could continue into Saturday night or Sunday morning.
Radford Fire map at about 11 p.m. September 7, 2022.
A mapping flight at around 11 p.m Wednesday found that the Radford Fire had burned about 1,100 acres. The fire, moving uphill to the north, crested the ridge above the two skiing areas and spread down hill toward Big Bear a short distance between the two areas.
Fairview Fire map. The red line was the perimeter at 4:55 a.m. PDT Sept 9, 2022. The white line was the estimated perimeter at 10:23 p.m. Sept. 7.
Thursday night firefighters assisted by night-flying helicopters were dealing with flare ups on the west and northwest side of the Fairview Fire. There was a report of structures burning near Mento Way.
Rain is in the forecast for the Fairview Fire, beginning Friday morning with showers followed by more steady rain in the afternoon and evening. The minimum relative humidity Friday will be 54 percent. East winds at 13 to 25 mph will increase to 26 to 29 mph in the afternoon. Thunderstorms are possible at any time with lightning, gusty erratic winds, and heavy rain. Strong winds are expected to decrease Saturday, with showers continuing.
Erratic fire behavior with extreme fire lengths and spotting on the #FairviewFire early yesterday evening. This was near Reed Valley Rd. pic.twitter.com/KIVmV1u3Qu
The Fairview Fire southeast of Hemet, California was extremely active Wednesday night, exhibiting extreme fire behavior resulting in fire officials requesting an additional 25 engines. It pushed strongly to the south and to the east as it doubled in size in about six hours, growing to 19,377 acres. (see map above)
Fairview Fire 3-D map, looking northeast at 10:23 p.m. Sept 7, 2022.
When the fire was mapped Wednesday at 10:23 p.m. it had spread south across Red Mountain Road, Oak Glen Road, and Timber Trail. At that time it was about three miles northeast of the community of Sage and was still east of Sage Road.
The Fairview Fire was very active September 8 at 3:41 a.m., as seen looking WSW from the Idyllwild camera.
The east side continued growing east across Bautista Road and when last mapped had reached Forest Road 5S15 about a mile from Highway 74.
Three large helicopters from the Quick Reaction Force worked the fire during the night, dropping retardant aided by their intelligence gathering helicopter.
The spot weather forecast issued Wednesday at 5:27 p.m. predicts for the fire area on Thursday 94 to 100 degrees, 21 percent relative humidity, and winds out of the west at 4 mph. There is a small chance for wetting rains Friday afternoon which will increase to about 40 percent by late Saturday morning.
The photos below were taken by Ryan Grothe September 7 at the Fairview Fire.
Fairview Fire, Sept. 7, 2022. By Ryan Grothe.Fairview Fire, Sept. 7, 2022. By Ryan Grothe.Fairview Fire, Sept. 7, 2022. By Ryan Grothe.Fairview Fire, Sept. 7, 2022. By Ryan Grothe.
The Mosquito Fire east of Foresthill, California made an impressive run Thursday afternoon, growing from 8,265 acres at 1:30pm to 13,705 acres at 5pm — an increase of 5,440 acres in about 3.5 hours. Most of the growth was on the east half of the fire but the west side spread closer to Foresthill.
At times the rapidly expanding fire was putting up multiple convection columns topped by pyrocumulus clouds.
Mosquito Fire as seen looking ENE from the Auburn camera at 5:32 p.m. Sept. 8, 2022.
On Thursday structures were being threatened in Volcanoville and Foresthill.
The Goes 17 satellite detected heat and smoke from the Mosquito Fire at 606 p.m. PDT Sept 8, 2022.
On Thursday afternoon the temperature topped out at 101 degrees in Foresthill, the relative humidity dropped to 15 percent, and the wind was only 2 to 5 mph mostly out of the west. The forecast for Friday calls for 102 degrees, 15 percent RH, and winds out of the east and northeast around 5 mph shifting to the west/southwest at 6 to 12 mph in the afternoon with gusts up to 20 mph.
Updated 7:43 p.m. PDT September 7, 2022
Mosquito Fire map 4:03 p.m. Sept 7, 2022.
Wednesday afternoon the Mosquito Fire east of Foresthill, California spread significantly north and east. On the north side it moved into the Michigan Bluff area, while on the east side it spread beyond Gorman Ranch Road, along Mosquito Ridge Road, and across Blacksmith Fit.
Mosquito Fire as seen from Bald Mtn Eldorado camera looking north at 6:35 p.m. PDT Sept. 7, 2022.
At about 4 p.m. the FIRIS aircraft mapped it at 4,223 acres, an increase of approximately 3,000 acres since 11 a.m.
Evacuations have been ordered for the Mosquito Fire in the Foresthill area of Northern California, 17 miles northeast of Auburn.
Wednesday morning the fire was about a mile east of Foresthill, and was burning very actively during the afternoon. The estimated size at about 11 a.m. was 1,220 acres.
Most of the fire is within the boundaries of the Tahoe National Forest. It was reported at about 6:27 p.m. Tuesday September 6.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office has ordered evacuations. They produced a map with the details.
The fire started at around the same time the power company reported “circuit activity”
Updated 8:23 p.m. PDT Sept. 7, 2022
Fairview Fire map, 3:50 p.m. Sept 7, 2022.
When the Fairview Fire was mapped at 3:50 p.m. Wednesday most of the recent growth was on the east side, on both sides of Baustista Canyon Road. The FIRIS aircraft determined that it was 9,840 acres.
Fairview Fire, as seen from the Idyllwild fire camera looking WSW at 6:16 p.m. Sept 7, 2022.
Updated at 1:52 p.m. PDT Sept. 7, 2022
Fairview Fire south of Hemet, CA, looking west-southwest from the Idyllwild camera at 149 p.m. PDT Sept. 7, 2022.
Updated 12:58 p.m. PDT Sept. 7, 2022
Fairview Fire map 10:07 a.m. Sept. 7, 2022.
Wednesday morning CAL FIRE said the Fairview Fire southeast of Hemet, California has grown to 7,091 acres. Activity on the fire began to increase at around noon on Wednesday as you can see in the photo below.
Fairview Fire, looking west-southwest from the Idyllwild camera at 12:51 p.m. Sept 7, 2022
Much of the spread over the last 24 hours was on the north and east sides. It reached Baustista Canyon Road in several places where the additional spread was stopped by agricultural land. But at Blackburn Canyon there was nothing but brush on both sides and it spotted across the road. When the fire was mapped at 10:07 Wednesday morning it had run east beyond the road for nearly a mile through rugged country. At that time it was about three miles west of Highway 74.
On the west side of Baustista Canyon Road where it burned across, is the fire scar from the 2019 Fairview Fire which blackened 1,740 acres. That three-year old footprint was not a major barrier. Nor was, on the east side of the road, two fires from 2001, the 181-acre Baustista Fire and the 262-acre Canyon Fire.
Following those barriers of little consequence there is no recent fire history to the east of the Fairview Fire until it reaches Highway 74 and the Mountain Center Area where the 2018 Cranston Fire burned 13,229 acres, and further to the north, the 2,410-acre Cottonwood Fire of 2009.
The Radford Fire at Big Bear Lake in Southern California was mapped at 1,052 acres at about 12:30 p.m.
The video below shows a hotshot crew conducting a burning operation on the fire.
The next video was shot by the FIRIS mapping aircraft at 11:17 a.m. Wednesday. When it switches from visual to infrared, the white areas represent heat. If you look carefully you may see some circular black areas along a ski run where sprinklers have been activated.
As the sun came up Wednesday morning cameras showed the Radford Fire near Big Bear Lake in Southern California was very active. A 12:20 a.m. mapping flight found that it had grown to about 980 acres and had spread 0.4 mile north of Skyline Drive/FR 2N10. At that time it was between the two ski areas, Snow Summit and Bear Mountain, but was still high on the slopes, about 0.8 mile from Switzerland Drive.
Radford Fire as seen from the Bear Mtn. camera looking northwest at 6:50 a.m. Sept. 7, 2022. Snow making infrastructure is being used to wet down the vegetation near the ski runs.
The ski areas are using the water systems for the snow making machines to wet down the vegetation on the ski runs.
Radford Fire as seen from the Lakeview Big Bear camera looking south at 6:51 a.m. Sept. 7, 2022.
Evacuations are in effect. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office has the current details.
#RadfordFire Evacuation Warnings⚠️:
The area of Club View east to Angles Camp Rd & Vine Ave south to Lassen Dr.
Summit Blvd east to McAllister Rd, east of Hwy 18 & Fox Farm Rd south to Evergreen Rd.
— San Bernardino County Sheriff (@sbcountysheriff) September 7, 2022
Updated 10:34 p.m. PDT September 6, 2022
Radford Fire Map 7:30 p.m. Sept. 6, 2022.
The Radford Fire south of Big Bear Lake has spread to and crossed over the NF-2N10 road above the Snow Summit ski area. The US Forest Service says the fire has grown to 917 acres.
About 25 percent of the states’ forestland burned in the last 10 years — more than triple the previous decade
BAe-146 drops on the Winding Fire in Northern California June 18, 2022. InciWeb.
By Jim Schmidt
Of the 32.1 million acres of forestland in California, approximately 2.1 million acres (6.6%) burned in wildfires in the 2002-2011 time period. In the following decade (2012-2021), that figure more than tripled to 7.9 million acres (24.7%).
National Forests in California were particularly hard hit. 10.1% of 12.7 million acres of forestland managed by the USDA Forest Service in California burned in 2002 – 2011 time period. In the 2012 – 2021 decade that figure increased to 38.8%. Excluding areas that re-burned in the last 10 years, 44.5% of the forestland in California National Forests has burned in the last 20 years. In contrast, only 22.6% of National Park forestland in the state has burned in the same time period. About 14 million acres of forestland in California are in private hands. 17.0 % of private forestland has burned since 2001.
Forestland acres burned by wildfires in California by owner class, 2002 – 2021. Jim Schmidt
The following maps display the forestland areas and the areas that have burned in California in the last two decades. Fires were concentrated in Southern California in the 2002-2011 time period and in Northern California in the last 10 years.
California forestland and wildfires, 2002 – 2011. Jim SchmidtCalifornia forestland and wildfires, 2012 – 2021. Jim Schmidt
The article was edited September 7 with revised figures to account for areas that reburned, which account for about 5% of the forestland burned on National Forests in the last 20 years.
Jim Schmidt retired from the Stanislaus National Forest where he worked as a GIS specialist.
