Dixie Fire map. The black line was the perimeter mapped by a fixed wing aircraft at 8:00 p.m. PDT August 22, 2021. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 3:51 a.m. PDT August 23, 2021. The dark red areas had extreme heat during the mapping flight.
The Dixie Fire was mapped Sunday evening at 725,821 acres after growing by about 4,000 acres in the previous 24 hours.
CAL FIRE has a list of changes in evacuation orders.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Dixie Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)
Below is an update from the Incident Management Team on Monday:
“The eastern edge of the fire line towards Janesville area remains secure with crews on the ground continuing the mop up hot spots around the structures in Milford. On the southern edge above Antelope Lake, resources continue to work the fire’s edge to tie it into the Lake.
“In Genesee Valley, resources continue to mop up around structures. Firefighters are engaging the fire that has made its way down to the road as they continue to catch any spots or slops to secure it at the road. There are two spot fires on the south end of Genesee Valley. One is below the Grizzly Spot and will burn into it, the other has been contained in the creek. Today crews will work to minimize any spread moving towards homes.”
2:40 p.m. PDT August 22, 2021
Dixie Fire vicinity map, August 22, 2021
The Dixie Fire in northern California near Susanville and Chester is still very active in five areas after having grown to 721,000 acres.
Working clockwise, starting on the east side:
West of Honey Lake and Highway 395. The spot fire that started five miles in front of the main fire and ran to the highway burning about 20,000 acres, is active on its southeast side not far from the highway and near Antelope Lake. Near Milford (see the map below) the fire crossed the line Saturday and winds quickly drove the fire toward structures. Crews, equipment, and engines were in place to protect the community and minimize impacts. Assessments are ongoing. On Sunday firefighters will continue to reinforce the lines and work to minimize any additional spread toward Milford. Other very active areas:
Wilcox Valley, and the area east of Taylorsville is very active and spreading.
Northeast of Mountain Meadows Reservoir near Hamilton Mountain Road south of Highway 36.
Northwest perimeter in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
West side near Mill Creek, Fire Mountain, and Highway 36.
On Sunday firefighters expect the fire to impact the west end of the Genesee Valley toward Taylorsville, threatening many structures along Genesee Valley road.
A much milder weather pattern is expected Sunday and into the middle of next week. A very weak area of low pressure will remain off the west coast through mid-week, keeping a light southwest flow over the incident with near normal temperatures and humidity values. Moderate overnight humidity recoveries may provide opportunities for line construction and firing operations.
In an August 20 article, the Redding Record Searchlight, a Northern California newspaper, reported that CAL FIRE said there have been 14 positive cases at the Dixie Fire’s West Zone fire camp.
The positive cases include five from one crew, two from the same dozer, two from the same water tender and five “random cases,” the agency said. “These personnel were immediately released from the incident.”
Two of the cases led to hospitalizations, with one individual now in San Diego, who Cal Fire said is “doing well.” A second person, now in Redding, is “showing improvements,” the agency said.
In October of last year while working on the August Complex of fires, 9 of the 14 members of an Area Command Team that were working out of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Redding tested positive. The first case was discovered after the team had been released and they were all in travel status followed by days off. That made it difficult to contact everyone. Some family members of individuals who tested positive also became infected. Given these unintended outcomes, a Facilitated Learning Analysis was initiated to develop lessons learned that could be shared with the wildland fire community.
The next four all occurred in California this year:
Four days after the crew began their season, one person tested positive. The crew Superintendent and Forest took immediate action to identify close contacts; 19 employees were identified. Of the 19, 7 were fully vaccinated (and returned to work immediately) and 12 were placed into quarantine (some at home and some in hotels).
On May 14th a fuels module member developed COVID-like symptoms; the person received a positive COVID test on May 16th. Contact tracing identified 10 close contacts (7 other fuels crew members and 3 additional employees who worked in the building). All of the close contacts were encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 and advised to quarantine (although 4 had been vaccinated, it was not used in the decision). One unvaccinated individual lived in barracks and moved to a hotel on the 16th. A second individual (the supervisor of the module) tested positive on May 17th.
Two additional cases were confirmed later that week (4 total in the cluster); none of the vaccinated employees tested positive or showed any symptoms. At the time of the review (June 2), one of the sick employees had returned to the office and others were teleworking. One of the four individuals was contacted by county public health, two were contacted by state public health, the fourth individual was never contacted by any public health department.
The four vaccinated employees did not get sick while four of the seven unvaccinated employees ultimately tested positive
An Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC) finished a 14-day assignment with 18 crewmembers and arrived home June 22, 2021 (the IHC had 2 additional crewmembers who returned early and were not exposed); no employees were aware of exposure or had symptoms. The IHC was off duty on June 23-24, 2021 for mandatory rest.
On June 24th a crewmember developed a fever and took the initiative to get a COVID test immediately; the test returned a positive result the same day. Contact tracing found that the 17 other crewmembers were close contacts within 48-hours prior to the onset of symptoms. All of the close contacts were other IHC crewmembers (during travel home) and no other personnel were identified.
Of the 18 crewmembers who returned from assignment on June 22nd, 3 were fully vaccinated and returned to work on June 25th. The remaining employees (15) have not returned to work; the sick employee was put into isolation and the remaining close contacts on the crew were told to self-quarantine for 14-days by unit leaders. The 2 crewmembers who returned early (1 vaccinated) were not impacted.
None of the vaccinated employees got sick while 6 of the unvaccinated employees have tested positive.
On July 6, 2021, the local county public health contacted the Forest Service regarding an employee who had been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19. The employee had no symptoms and received negative test results (rapid test and PCR test). Public health advised the employee to quarantine for 10 days.
No other FS employees were involved in this exposure since they were considered a secondary contact because the employee was exposed outside of work.
The employee in quarantine impacted the availability of a fire engine during high fire danger, therefore an employee from a different station began working on the engine on July 6, 2021.
On July 7, 2021, the employee covering for the engine (from the other station) developed COVID-like symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19 on the same day.
This cluster involves 12 employees, with only 1 vaccinated and one who was in quarantine and not exposed. By July 12, 6 of the unvaccinated employees tested positive for COVID -19. All unvaccinated employees (10) were placed into quarantine. One employee chose to stay in a hotel and all others remained at their residences.
The vaccinated employee did not get sick while 6 of 11 unvaccinated employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
Lessons to be learned?
While the Delta variant, which began spreading widely in the United States in July, changed how easily it is to become infected even among those who are vaccinated, it is still true that a vaccination greatly reduces a person’s chance of severe infection, hospitalization, and death.
Here are the final paragraphs from an excellent, detailed article published August 18, 2021 at Healthline:
Vaccines are highly effective even if they’re not perfect
The COVID-19 vaccines were developed to stop developing severe forms of the disease that can lead to hospitalization and death. In that aspect, they have been extremely successful even if the vaccines are not 100 percent effective.
While it is true that some partially and fully vaccinated people have developed COVID-19, breakthrough infections should not be a concern for most of the population. Doctors, however, do still recommend people exercise caution in areas with low vaccination rates and high transmission.
Vaccines also greatly reduce the likelihood of mild and symptomatic infections as well as prevent death and hospitalization.
Kullar noted that the Delta variant is both more contagious and transmissible, and those who are harboring the Delta variant can carry as much as a 1,200 times higher viral load than the original strain.
“Given all of this information, it is important for everyone not only to get fully vaccinated but also follow infection prevention measures, such as wearing a face mask in the public, physically distancing from others, and avoiding large crowds until we round the turn of this surge.”
At 7 p.m. local time CAL FIRE released an update on the Dixie Fire. The acreage figure was about 22,000 higher than the number from 12 hours earlier, and now stands at 699,666 acres.
At least 659 residences have been documented as destroyed and 137 commercial buildings.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Dixie Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)
The fire is being managed by two Incident Management Teams, one on the west side and the other on the east side. In CAL FIRE’s twice daily updates the “Current Situation” section is broken down into the West and East Zones. After closely reading them for a week, it became obvious that they are written by two different people with different views on what information should be included. Below are their updates from today at 7 p.m. These are typical:
“Dixie Fire West Zone: Firefighters continue to build and bolster containment lines on the Dixie Fire. Fire remained active under northeast winds, with spotting and torching contributing to fire growth. Smoke from other fires nearby did limit activity in some places, but not enough to prevent additional growth. Fuel moistures are historically low which is contributing to the critical fire behavior. There are many considerations before allowing an area to be repopulated. A methodical, multi-pronged process of inspection and evaluation must be conducted to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all the residents affected. This process includes guaranteeing roads are safe for travel and basic utilities to infrastructure is secured. Damage assessment is ongoing, and the number of damaged and destroyed structures may change as teams are able to access the fire area safely. Please see below for information affecting your area.”
“Dixie Fire East Zone: West Zone and East Zone crews, equipment, and aircraft have maintained aggressive engagement on the portion of the fire near Janesville. Along Honey Lake, the northern edge near fruit grower’s road has remained in its current footprint due to the continued northeasterly winds. Fire line was constructed on the south end from Highway 395 to the Walker fire scar. In an additional priority area, rotary aircraft supported crews in the Genesee Valley this morning when they were able to fly. After aerial retardant application, the spot fire remains at approximately the same footprint of 30 to 40 acres and firefighters are constructing and reinforcing contingency lines to the south. The fire on the north side of Beckwourth Genesee Road is currently backing down the middle slopes and crews continue to construct lines to mitigate impacts to structures in the Genesee Valley.”
Below is the map showing the boundary between the two zones, revised August 16.
Next, is the satellite photo showing smoke from fires in Washington, Oregon, and California.
Satellite photo, Western Fires at 6:26 p.m. PDT Aug 19, 2021.
10:46 a.m. PDT August 19, 2021
Dixie Fire map, northwest area. The red areas represent heat detected by a satellite at 3:26 a.m. PDT August 19, 2021. The white line was the perimeter at 8:55 p.m. August 18, 2021. The brown areas had extreme heat when the fire was mapped Wednesday evening.
The spot fire that started five miles east of the Dixie Fire near Highway 395 has grown to about 20,000 acres. It crossed the highway in at least two places but firefighters were able to limit the spread east of the roadway. Approximately five miles of the eastern side of the fire is now alongside Highway 395 west of Honey Lake between Janesville and Milford.
The blaze is still very active in Wilcox Valley and on the west side of the 2019 Walker Fire.
Thursday morning the Incident Management Team reported that the fire had burned 678,000 acres.
Dixie Fire map, northeast area. The red areas represent heat detected by a satellite at 3:26 a.m. PDT August 19, 2021. The white line was the perimeter at 8:55 p.m. August 18, 2021. The brown areas had extreme heat when the fire was mapped Wednesday evening.
Westwood has still been spared. Seven miles east of the community the fire has approached Highway 36 but has not grown east past the 2016 Willard Fire. It is six miles west of Susanville.
The northwest area remains very active and continues to march through Lassen Volcanic National Park. I estimate that about 40 percent of the 106,452-acre park has has burned.
The slopover south of Highway 36 east of Mill Creek was very active Wednesday and has burned approximately 2,000 acres. This is 13 air miles west of Chester.
The weather forecast predicts dry, breezy conditions for the next several days. Friday afternoon through Sunday should bring strong winds out of the southwest.
Dixie Fire map, northeast area. The red areas represent heat detected by a satellite at 3:45 a.m. PDT August 18, 2021. The white line was the perimeter on the morning of August 17, 2021.
A wind event hit the Dixie Fire Tuesday, and from a direction we have rarely seen since the fire started from a PG&E power line on July 13.
Predominantly from the northwest Tuesday, the winds pushed the fire from Lassen Volcanic National Park three to four miles south. It mostly remained east of Highway 36, but satellite data shows that it likely crossed the road five miles east of Mineral. This growth south of the park alone burned about 13,000 acres.
The Incident Management Team reported Wednesday morning that the total size was 635,000 acres, an increase of 31,000 over the previous update, but it is not clear if that included all of the massive growth over the previous 24 hours.
Their report helpfully included the information that, “California historically experiences some of the most devastating wildfires.”
There has been no recent fixed wing perimeter mapping flight, but the satellite data suggests that the fire did not grow much closer to Susanville Tuesday. While much of the north edge backed into the wind and grew closer to Hwy. 36 east of Westwood, the fire has not spread very far into the five-year-old Willard Fire scar.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Dixie Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)
On the east side, south of last year’s Sheep Fire, it was very active in Wilcox Valley. South of the valley more of the perimeter spread into the two-year old Walker Fire.
Dixie Fire map, northwest area. The red areas represent heat detected by a satellite at 3:45 a.m. PDT August 18, 2021. The white line was the perimeter on the morning of August 17, 2021.
The most extreme growth Tuesday and Tuesday night was south of Janesville west of Honey Lake where it ran for six miles. Satellite information showed it to be very close to Highway 395 and may have crossed it again.
Witnessing more intense fire behavior. Flames launching across 395 again. We’re about 5 miles north of Milford. Winds picked up and this happened.#DixieFire
(Don’t mind my editor calling me in the middle of it all) pic.twitter.com/hfzlt7Kwur
The specifics about the wind Tuesday are variable due to the broad and complex land area we’re looking at, but on the east side of the fire at the Pierce weather station north of Antelope Lake the wind speed began increasing at 10 a.m. — 10 mph with 17 mph gusts. Between noon and 6 p.m. the sustained winds were 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 31 mph. The direction was not very consistent, but was generally from the northwest. The wind slowed during the night but picked up again at 4:00 Wednesday morning, 14 mph gusting to 34, this time out of the northeast.
The relative humidity Tuesday and through the night stayed in the twenties, finally rising to 52 percent at 6 a.m. If it had been in the teens Tuesday afternoon the fire would have been even more dynamic.
The east side of Dixie Fire is under a Red Flag Warning Wednesday. The National Weather Service reports that northeasterly winds are expected to persist Wednesday with gusts around 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. While pushing the blaze to the southwest, it will also help bring improving air quality to many areas, lasting into Thursday and possibly much of Friday. Light westerly winds may bring smoke back into the region Friday afternoon but confidence in that is fairly low right now, the NWS said..
The numbers of confirmed destroyed structures has risen to 653 residences, 134 commercial buildings, and 413 minor structures.
Resources assigned include 533 fire engines, 184 water tenders, 20 helicopters, 84 hand crews, and 199 dozers, for a total of 6,041 personnel.
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.
Dixie Fire map, northeast area. The white line was the perimeter on the morning of August 17, 2021. The green line was the perimeter at 11:30 p.m. August 15, 2021. The yellow areas represent intense heat.
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.
Dixie Fire map, northwest area. The white line was the perimeter on the morning of August 17, 2021. The green line was the perimeter at 11:30 p.m. August 15, 2021. The yellow areas represent intense heat.
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.
The fire has burned 569,000 acres in Northern California
2:07 p.m. PDT August 16, 2021
Map of the Dixie Fire. The white line was the perimeter at 11:30 p.m. PDT August 15, 2021. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 3:34 a.m. PDT Aug 16, 2021.
The heavy smoke layer that we have seen for days continued Sunday night to dampen fire activity on the Dixie Fire between Chester and Susanville, California. But on Monday Red Flag Warnings are in effect for critical fire weather conditions — 22 mph west-southwest winds gusting to 30 mph along with temperatures in the triple digits with relative humidity in the low teens. This could increase fire activity, pushing it to the east-northeast.
The Hot-Dry-Windy Index for the area on Monday is far above the 95th percentile. By Wednesday it will drop to around the 50th percentile before rising to around the 90th on Friday. The Hot-Dry-Windy Index is a prediction of potential fire spread. It is described as being very simple and only considers the atmospheric factors of heat, atmospheric moisture, and wind. To be more precise, it is a multiplication of the maximum wind speed and maximum vapor pressure deficit in the lowest 50 or so millibars in the atmosphere. It does not consider fuel moisture.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Dixie Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)
Hot-Dry-Windy Index for the area of the Dixie Fire Monday, August 16, 2021.
On Sunday the most active portions of the fire were:
Northwest side as it continues to spread through Lassen Volcanic National Park.
North-central, northeast of Chester and northwest of Westwood.
Mountain Meadows Reservoir, to the west and northeast.
West of Antelope Lake, where the fire has moved into the 2019 Walker Fire.
Damage assessments are ongoing on the Dixie Fire. To date the teams have documented as destroyed, 633 residences and 134 commercial structures. Maps are available showing the status of structures.
The fire has burned 569,000 acres.
Resources assigned to the incident include 569 fire engines, 194 water tenders, 89 hand crews, and 198 dozers for a total of 6,579 personnel.
