Tag: California

7:49 a.m. PDT August 10, 2021

The Dixie Fire was burning so vigorously at 9:45 Monday night that the smoke plume which had risen to 22,000 feet made it impossible for the small fixed wing mapping plane to obtain good imagery on the northern section of the fire.

North of Highway 36, firefighters are attempting to prevent the north end of the fire from moving east across the A21/A25 Mooney Road. Dozer lines have been constructed to reinforce the road but spot fires have still occurred east of the lines. That is the section of the fire that could not be mapped Monday night.

To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Dixie Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.

CAL FIRE reported at 7 p.m. Monday that it had burned at least 482,000 acres. However, later fixed wing and satellite imagery indicates it was still growing into the night.

For the last two days the Dixie Fire has been working its way around the southwest tip of the 2020 Sheep Fire, 10 miles southwest of Susanville. On the south side of the Sheep Fire is the scar from the 2007 Moonlight Fire, where the diminished fuels have slowed the spread, but the north side has no recent fire history, resulting in greater fire activity on that side. Our map in an article from August 6 shows the footprint of the Moonlight Fire. The map at the top of this article shows a lighter color of vegetation where that fire burned 14 years ago.

The latest data from crews evaluating damage to infrastructure have found 873 destroyed structures. Maps are available showing the status of structures.

Smoke Monday morning was slow to dissipate, hampering the use of aircraft. In the afternoon wind from the southwest gusting to 20 mph thinned it out, and also increased the fire behavior.

The GOES 17 satellite image, below, shows that the fire was very active at 6:46 p.m. Monday. At that time it was just beginning to form pyrocumulus clouds which later grew, forming a line of condensation that reached to Nevada.

6:53 p.m. PDT August 8, 2021

The wind across the Dixie Fire Sunday afternoon was stronger than it has been in several days. A weather station near Susanville recorded sustained 13 to 16 mph winds out of the southwest and west gusting at 19 to 24 mph. Combined with 12 percent relative humidity and very dry fuels the fire cranked up a head of steam and at 2:55 p.m. was mapped after spreading up to a mile east or northeast in the northeast section of the fire at the edge of the 2020 Sheep Fire.

There was little if any movement into the Sheep Fire footprint, but the Dixie Fire was active going around the corners. Presumably after the 2:55 p.m. flight, the limited spread around the edges of the Sheep Fire continued.

To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Dixie Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.

At that time it was about 12 miles southwest of Susanville.

Sunday afternoon there was also additional fire spread northeast of Canyondam and northeast of Greenville. There was very limited fire movement in the northwest section of the fire seven miles northeast of Chester.

Maps are available showing the status of structures, and evacuations.

The weather forecast indicates conditions favorable for additional fire growth through this week, with warmer temperatures and southwesterly winds.

Continue reading “Somewhat slowed by smoke, Dixie Fire still spreads further east”

9:41 a.m. PDT Aug. 7, 2021

Environmental conditions on Friday and Friday night resulted in the Dixie Fire, 13 miles northeast of Paradise, California, being much more subdued than we had seen in the previous two days. Smoke from this fire and others in Northern California was trapped by an inversion and provided partial shade. It did not rise, disperse, or be transported into other states. Smoke was thick enough to keep temperatures cooler and humidities higher than earlier this week. It persisted into Friday night causing better humidity recovery, rising to 35 to 65 percent.

To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Dixie Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.

The forecast for Saturday calls for similar weather conditions. The fire will still be partially shaded by smoke remaining in the area and the winds are expected to be light.

The northernmost portion of the Dixie Fire has entered Lassen National Park and is expected to continue burning north through the park. The northeastern section has burned into the 2007 Moonlight Fire and Friday night was very close to the 2020 Sheep Fire and may have burned into it by Saturday morning.

The number of documented destroyed structures has increased to 184, plus another 84 described as minor structures. The Incident Management Teams are still reporting no injuries or fatalities to firefighters or civilians, however some people that were in burned over communities are unaccounted for.

Mapping Friday night determined the fire had burned approximately 446,000 acres, an increase of about 16,000 acres in 24 hours, much less than the growth of 110,000 acres Thursday.

Two Type 1 Incident Management Teams, CAL FIRE Team 1 and California Team 4, are assigned to the fire which has been divided into two zones, East and West.

Resources assigned to the fire Friday evening included 384 fire engines, 124 water tenders, 27 helicopters, 87 hand crews, and 107 dozers for a total of 5,118 personnel. The estimated cost of suppressing the fire so far is $171,000,000.

Continue reading “Dixie Fire spreads east, grows by 110,000 acres”