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Tamarack Fire spreads east, crosses state line into Nevada

Bill GabbertJuly 21, 2021August 3, 2021WildfireCalifornia, managed fire, Nevada, Tamarack Fire70 Comments

Burns 8 structures and over 50,000 acres

12:42 p.m. PDT July 22, 2021

Tamarack Fire map. The white line was the perimeter at 8 p.m. PDT July 21, 2021. The green line was the perimeter about 24 hours before.

From the Incident Management Team, Thursday morning, July 22:

There was active fire behavior [Wednesday] afternoon with crowning, short crown runs and prolific spotting as the winds built up. Fuels remain extremely dry. The fire grew about 10,000 acres [Wednesday] to approximately 50,129 acres. It pushed to Hwy 395 and burned north and south along the highway but did not cross the highway. Active fire also pushed towards, but didn’t cross, Hwy 88 as firefighters were able to keep the fire south of the highway. Hwy 88 & 89 remain closed in the fire area to all traffic except incident personnel. A portion of Hwy 395 closed [Wednesday] for firefighter and public safety.

Over 800 people have been evacuated and over 500 structures are threatened. There are over 1,200 personnel working on the fire and more resources are on order. Firefighting operations continued throughout the night. Night operations include structure protection and firing operations when conditions are right.

The objective for managing the fire is full suppression, and all efforts will be directed towards meeting that objective with public and firefighter safety as the highest priority. Uncontrolled fire with extreme fire behavior continues to be a threat to surrounding communities, public, and firefighters.

Wednesday afternoon the fire was pushed by 15 to 25 mph winds gusting out of the west and southwest up to 33 mph while the relative humidity was in the low teens. The forecast for the east side of the fire Thursday afternoon calls for 82 degrees, 15 percent RH, and 15 mph winds gusting out of the southwest at 24 mph. This could put more pressure on the Highway 395 corridor.

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

On Friday, conditions will be similar but with winds maxing out at 7 mph from variable directions.

The National Situation Report for Thursday reduced the number of reported structures destroyed from 10 to 8.

Resources assigned to the fire Wednesday evening included 27 crews, 96 engines, and 9 helicopters for a total of 1,213 personnel.

7:33 a.m. PDT July 21, 2021

Map of the Tamarack Fire. The white line was the perimeter at 6 p.m. PDT July 20. The Green line was the estimated perimeter about 24 hours before. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 3:18 a.m. PDT July 21, 2021.

The Tamarack Fire spread further east on Tuesday, crossing the state line from California into Nevada (see map above). The fire started July 4 southwest of Markleeville, California and from that point has now spread 15 miles northeast and 10 miles to the north.

After it passed the state line near Leviathan Mine Road it continued east. During a satellite overflight at 3:18 a.m. PDT Wednesday July 21 it was about two miles west of US Highway 395 and 5 miles northwest of the junction of 395 and Highway 208.

Satellite Photo, Dixie and Tamarack Fires at 6:26 p.m. PDT July 20, 2021.

The Incident Management Team reports that 10 structures have been destroyed.

Tuesday night voluntary evacuations were issued “for all residents in Leviathan Mine Rd. and Holbrook Junction areas.” More information is at InciWeb.

A mapping flight at 6 p.m. PDT Tuesday determined that the fire had burned about 41,800 acres, but it continued burning later into the evening.

Resources assigned to the fire Tuesday evening included 27 hand crews, 99 engines, and 9 helicopters for a total of 1,219 personnel.

Dixie Fire grows to nearly 60,000 acres in Northern California

Bill GabbertJuly 20, 2021July 22, 2021WildfireCalifornia, Dixie Fire15 Comments

25 miles north of Oroville

Updated at 7:17 p.m. PDT July 20, 2021

Map of the Dixie Fire. The white line was the perimeter July 19. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 3 p.m. PDT July 20, 2021.

The Dixie Fire 13 air miles northeast of Paradise, California was very active again Tuesday afternoon. The convection column of smoke did not reach the towering heights seen in previous days, probably because the 15 to 20 mph winds recorded at Flea Mountain gusting between 20 and 28 mph mitigated massive vertical development, blowing the smoke rapidly off to the northeast.

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

A satellite overflight at 3 p.m. (see the map above) showed large amounts of heat on the north and northeast sides — north and south of Highway 70. At that time the fire was moving closer to the communities of Twain, Caribou, and Paxton.

Dixie Fire as seen from Bald Mountain, looking NE at 1:23 p.m. PDT July 20, 2021. AlertWildfire.

2:23 p.m. PDT July 20, 2021

Firefighters on the Dixie Fire. Strike Team 9163G looking at a very impressive pyrocumulus cloud, July, 2021. CAL FIRE photo.

The Dixie Fire grew by tens of thousands of acres Monday, reaching 59,984 acres by the end of the day. It now stretches for about 15 miles along the Feather River Canyon and Highway 70, an area known for its steep, barely accessible terrain.

The fire is burning on both sides of the canyon, an area where firefighters have in the past had problems with radio communication caused by the steep slopes.

It is moving to the north and northeast during the day. After sunset Monday, down-canyon winds brought smoke to lower elevations south and southwest of the fire.

Satellite Photo, Dixie Fire — Satellite Photo showing smoke from the Dixie Fire 12:31 p.m. PDT July 20, 2021. NOAA GOES 17.

Evacuation orders are in effect for some areas in Plumas and Butte Counties. A map is available, and CAL FIRE has other evacuation information.

Resources assigned Tuesday morning included 63 hand crews, 23 helicopters, 141 engines, 49 dozers, and 29 water tenders for a total of 2,409 personnel.

The fire has burned very close to communities in Feather River Canyon, including Dixie, Tobin , Belden, Storrie, Rock Creek, and Rodgers Flat. There are reports that at least two structures have been destroyed, but CAL FIRE has not released any information on the topic since the fire started on July 14. Other towns north and northeast of the fire are Caribou, Twain, Paxton, Crescent Mills, and Greenville. Monday night Lake Almanor was about 9 miles northeast of the head of the fire.

The image below shows a sample of the aircraft that were working on the fire at 1:13 p.m. PDT July 20, 2021. The fire is at upper-right, and the Chico Airport, where some air tankers are reloading, is at lower-left. Others not seen were flying south to reload at Sacramento McClellan Airport. Observed at this point in time were several helicopters, an MD87, a BAe-146, two S-2Ts, air attack aircraft, and two military C-130s equipped with Modular Airborne FireFighting Systems.

Some of the aircraft on the Dixie Fire at 1:13 p.m. PDT July 20, 2021. Flight Radar 24.

PG&E says their equipment may have started the Dixie Fire

Bill GabbertJuly 19, 2021July 22, 2021WildfireCalifornia, Dixie Fire, PG&E5 Comments

The fire has burned more than 30,000 acres 25 miles north of Oroville, California

4:08 p.m. PDT July 19, 2021

In a report to the California Public Utilities Commission, Pacific Gas and Electric explains that on July 13 the company’s equipment may have ignited the Dixie Fire which has burned more than 30,000 acres along Highway 70. The fire is 25 miles north of Oroville. It has burned over or around the communities of Dixie, Merlin, Rock Creek, Storrie, Tobin, and Belden. Remarkably, CAL FIRE has not reported any burned structures, but says 810 are threatened.

PG&E said that at 7 a.m. on July 13 their system detected a loss of power in Feather River Canyon. From a distance their troubleman could see what looked like a blown fuse on a 12 kV power line. Because of challenging terrain and a closed bridge, the report said, another 9 hours and 40 minutes elapsed before he could access the site. He found that two fuses were blown and a live tree was leaning onto the power line. There was a fire on the ground near the base of the tree.

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

At that time the company called 911 to report the fire. The operator said they were aware of the fire and units were responding.

The Dixie Fire has burned 14 miles northeast through Feather River Canyon and stretches 5 miles northwest from the river.

The fire was very active Saturday and Sunday moving to the east and north, becoming well established on the southeast side of the Feather River, mirroring what was happening on the other side of the canyon.

Firefighters are constructing direct fire lines to stop the spread and are building indirect contingency lines to protect the communities at risk. Much of the fire is in steep terrain.

Evacuation orders are in effect for some areas in Plumas and Butte Counties. A map is available, and CAL FIRE has other evacuation information.

Resources assigned to the Dixie Fire Monday morning included 54 hand crews, 17 helicopters, 110 engines, 29 dozers, and 19 water tenders for a total of 1,918 personnel.

Below is very impressive video of pyrocumulus (the white cloud) forming over the intensely burning Dixie Fire Sunday afternoon.

The ongoing #DixieFire continues to burn in Plumas County. This video is from around 5:20 pm today, July 18th. Video courtesy of https://t.co/hOGbr85yvx and @PGE4Me #CAwx pic.twitter.com/lsftLNN8O5

— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) July 19, 2021

Tamarack Fire prompts more evacuations

Bill GabbertJuly 18, 2021August 3, 2021WildfireCalifornia, managed fire, Tamarack Fire19 Comments

The fire has burned about 23,000 acres near Woodfords and Markleeville in Northern California

Updated 10:38 a.m. PDT July 19, 2021

The Incident Management Team said Monday morning the approximate size of the Tamarack Fire near Markleeville, California is 23,078 acres.

The weather over the fire was not extreme Sunday and Sunday night, but the fire remained active into the night in spite of the relative humidity rising into the 40s after 5 p.m. Clouds in the afternoon and during the night prevented a mapping flight after sunset. The aircraft uses infrared technology that can “see” through smoke, but not clouds.

The perimeters on the eastern side of the fire on these maps is an estimate.

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

During a satellite overflight Monday at 3:06 a.m. a hole in the clouds permitted it to sense a great deal of heat on the northeast section of the fire in a surprising location, but some other areas on the fire may have been blocked by clouds. This satellite data should be considered unverified until it can be ground truthed or confirmed with a mapping flight. The wind direction overnight was quite variable, perhaps affected by passing thunderstorms, and could be the explanation for spread directions not previously seen.

It appears, from the incomplete information about the fire’s perimeter, that a portion of the northeast side of the Tamarack Fire has bumped into the East Fork Fire which burned just a couple of weeks ago. (see the map above)

The Incident Meteorologist assigned to the fire reported rain reaching the ground late in the afternoon Sunday, and the Hawkins Peak camera showed raindrops on the lens. We checked several weather stations around the fire and could not find any that recorded precipitation. A very small amount of rain in isolated locations will not have any significant long term effect.

The map above shows completed fire line around much of Markleeville — the black line in the center of the fire. It was constructed by dozers and hand crews who later burned out from the lines, robbing the fire of fuel as it approached. It is likely that these efforts by firefighters prevented some structures from being consumed.

In spite of their efforts, the National Situation Report indicates that 10 structures have been destroyed. A damage assessment team has been ordered and will determine exactly how many structures have been destroyed or damaged.

Firefighters are working to limit fire spread north towards Highway 88 and Carson Canyon. Monday, as resources become available, they will begin line construction at Highway 89 moving to the southwest.

Residents can sign up for evacuation notifications by clicking on a link at https://alpinecountyca.gov/204/Sheriff. However, we checked it again at 8:25 a.m. Monday and the site was still down.

The Incident Management Team reported Monday morning the following areas “are under evacuation:” Markleeville, Grover Hot Springs and campground area, Shay Creek, Marklee Village, Alpine Village, Woodfords, East Fork Resort, and the community of Hung A Lel Ti.

There is a 60 percent chance of wetting rain Monday in the fire area, with a possibility of flooding in drainages, and debris flows on steep terrain.

Resources assigned to the fire Sunday evening included 18 hand crews, 62 engines, and 6 helicopters for a total of 796 personnel.

A Type 1 Incident Management Team, Rocky Mountain Team 1 (Incident Commander – Dallas), will be in-briefed Monday and will assume command from Great Basin Team 3 (IC-Bollier) Tuesday.

9:26 a.m. PDT July, 18, 2021

map Tamarack Fire — Map of the Tamarack Fire. The yellow line was the approximate perimeter at 3:42 a.m. PDT July 17, 2021. The white line was the perimeter at 6:30 p.m. PDT July 17. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 3:24 a.m. PDT July 18.

The Tamarack Fire in Northern California crossed Highway 89 Saturday, burning past Markleeville prompting additional evacuations of Woodfords and Alpine Village. The fire crossed the East Fork of the Carson River near the East Fork Resort and moved into lighter fuels which aided in the growth to the north and northeast during the afternoon hours, spreading approximately three to five miles in 24 hours.

Saturday at 5 p.m. the Incident Management Team reported that the fire had burned an estimated 21,000 acres, and that mandatory evacuations were in place for the following areas: Grover Hot Springs, Shay Creek, Marklee Village, Markleeville, Carson River Resort, Poor Boy Road area, Wolf Creek Campground, Silver Creek Campground, Sierra Pines, Upper and Lower Manzanita, Crystal Springs, Alpine Village, Diamond Valley Road and Hung-a-lel-ti.

Residents can sign up for evacuation notifications by clicking on a link at https://alpinecountyca.gov/204/Sheriff. However, we checked it at 8:50 a.m. Sunday and the site was down.

The number of reported structures destroyed remains at two. The fire continues to impact Markleeville and the surrounding areas. Firefighters are actively suppressing the fire where they can safely do so utilizing a variety of tactics and natural barriers.

In the photo below taken at 9:15 a.m. Sunday, the Tamarack Fire appears to already be creating pyrocumulus clouds. This is not common a few hours after sunrise.

Continue reading “Tamarack Fire prompts more evacuations”

Tamarack Fire spreads five miles after being monitored for 13 days

Bill GabbertJuly 17, 2021August 3, 2021WildfireCalifornia, managed fire, Tamarack Fire63 Comments

Evacuations are in effect and structures have burned south of Woodfords, California

Updated at 5:03 p.m. PDT July 17, 2021

We have a new map for the Tamarack Fire showing data from a satellite overflight at 2:12 p.m. PDT July 17.

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

Updated at 3:48 p.m. PDT July 17, 2021

The Tamarack Fire, like many of the other recent wildfires in California and Oregon is cranking Saturday afternoon. Photographer Craig Philpott has video of it moving east at a rapid rate of spread across Highway 89 north of Markleeville, south of Airport Road .

An update from Alpine County at 3:13 p.m. Saturday said 7,000 acres have burned and 2 structures were destroyed. Aerial firefighting is limited by dense smoke. Also:

Mandatory evacuations are in place for the following areas: Grover Hot Springs, Shay Creek, MarkleeVillage, Markleeville, Carson River Resort, & Poor Boy Road area, Wolf Creek Campground, Silver Creek Campground, ADDITIONALLY Sierra Pines, Upper and Lower Manzanita, Crystal Springs, Alpine Village, Diamond Valley Road and Hung-a-lel-ti are now under mandatory evacuations. “The Mesa” is under a voluntary evacuation but conditions are changing fast. Please stay out of these areas to allow emergency personnel to do their jobs.

It is my understanding that this time of year in this part of California fires are often pushed to the northeast. Out ahead of the Tamarack Fire in that direction there is not much recent history of fires. Under the present conditions of dry fuels, high temperatures, and low humidity, those 30+ year old fire footprints from the 1980s are not likely to provide much of a barrier.

The image below shows the track of an Air Attack aircraft which supervises other aerial firefighting aircraft and provides real time situational awareness about the fire to personnel on the ground. Presumably the fire, or at least the most dense smoke, is inside the U-shaped flight path.

Air Attack aircraft over the Tamarack Fire — An at 3:18 p.m. PDT July 17, 2021. FlightRadar24

9:07 a.m. PDT July 17, 2021

The Tamarack Fire spread for about five miles Friday after it had been in a monitoring status for 13 days while it was very small. It moved northeast and according to heat sensing data from satellites very early Saturday morning appeared to have come very close to the community of Markleeville and Highway 89.

The Alpine County Sheriff’s Office reported at about 8 a.m. Saturday that the fire was 6,600 acres, three structures had burned, and, “This is a serious situation. Please get out when advised to.” They also advised to not rely on Facebook for evacuation notifications.

The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest updated InciWeb at 8 a.m. Saturday:

Highway 89, 88 and 4 are closed in the fire area. Evacuations are in place for Markleeville, Grover’s Hot Springs Park and Campground, Shay Creek, Markleeville Village and East Fork Resort. Residents can sign up for evacuation notifications at https://alpinecountyca.gov/204/Sheriff. Evacuees can report to Alpine County School in Paynesville.

According to satellite data at 3:42 a.m. PDT July 17, 2021, the fire was very close to Markleeville, 5 miles south of Woodfords, and 18 miles south of South Lake Tahoe.

Below is a still image of a Forest Service Facebook post with a video of the fire when it was a quarter acre on July 10, six days after it started. “Fire poses no threat to the public, infrastructure, or resource values,” they wrote.

The satellite photo below taken at 6:41 p.m. PDT July 16 shows a large smoke plume created by the Tamarack Fire.

Dixie Fire very active Friday near Tobin, California

Bill GabbertJuly 16, 2021July 22, 2021WildfireCalifornia, Dixie Fire1 Comment

Updated at 7:08 a.m. PDT July 17, 2021

The updated map of the Dixie Fire west of the Feather River in Northern California shows that it spread northeast for two to three miles Friday and Friday night. At 9:35 p.m. Friday CAL FIRE reported that it had burned 8,754 acres, but it may have grown for another 1,000 acres or so.

The weather forecast for the fire area Saturday afternoon calls for sunny skies and 92 degrees, 10 to 13 mph southwest winds, and relative humidity in the mid-teens. Sunday will look about the same but with partly cloudy skies in the afternoon and a chance of thundershowers in the evening.

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

The Dixie Fire is west of Highway 70 in Feather River Canyon, 13 air miles northeast of Paradise and 24 miles north-northeast of Oroville.

6:42 p.m. PDT July 16, 2021

Since the Dixie Fire started at 5:12 p.m. on July 13 near the community of Merlin west of the Feather River in Northern California, it has burned 7,947 acres. As you can see in the satellite photo below it has been very active Friday afternoon, sending a large plume of smoke northwest which may be heavily affecting Chester, Caribou, Westwood, and possibly Susanville.

CAL FIRE reported Friday morning that terrain and winds pushed the fire further north into Tobin Ridge, but the west and south sides of the fire were at that time holding within containment lines.

Satellite Photo, wildfires in Oregon and California, 5:17 p.m. PDT July 16, 2021.

The Dixie Fire is west of Highway 70 in Feather River Canyon, 13 air miles northeast of Paradise and 24 miles north-northeast of Oroville.

Resources assigned to the fire Friday morning included 39 hand crews, 10 helicopters, 86 engines, 18 dozers, and 9 water tenders for a total of 1,018 personnel.