News and opinion about wildland fire
Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories Uncategorized1 Comment on Destructive Northern California wildfires have entered the record books Four of the recent wildfires in Northern California are tentatively in the list of the top 20 fires in California, as ranked by structures destroyed. The exact numbers will probably change in the coming weeks as the post-fire surveys conclude.
“Structures” includes ALL structures — homes, commercial buildings, sheds, garages, and barns.
Above: Some of the firefighters that have been working on the Tubbs and Nuns Fires for the last week. Photo by Twitter user @WineMeAway.
(Originally published at 10:47 a.m. PDT October 18, 2017)
On Tuesday there was minimal activity on two of the four large fires in Napa and Sonoma Counties north of San Francisco, the Atlas and Tubbs Fires.
There has been major progress on the Nuns and Pocket Fires but there is still open line on those two blazes where firefighters are conducting fairly large burn out operations to remove fuel between the lines and the active edge of the fires.
Mandatory evacuations and road closures are still in effect in many areas.
The total size of the Nuns, Pocket, and Tubbs Fires in Sonoma and Napa Counties has risen to 103,285 acres. At least 5,017 structures have been destroyed. There have been 41 fatalities on the Northern California fires since the siege began October 8.
The resources assigned include 579 engines, 60 water tenders, 32 helicopters, 10 air tankers, 101 hand crews, and 95 dozers, for a total of 5,274 personnel.
Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories Uncategorized2 Comments on Water tender rollover kills firefighter in Napa County The accident occurred near the 51,512-acre Nuns Fire.
(UPDATE October 17, 2017: the driver that was killed in the water tender accident has been identified as 38-year-old Garrett Paiz, a volunteer firefighter from Missouri. The truck was owned by Red Bluff-based Tehama Transport.)
The wildfires in Northern California have taken another life, adding to the tally of 40 announced fatalities.
KCRA is reporting that a contract firefighter was killed October 16 when a water tender rolled over in Napa County at 6:50 a.m. near the Nuns Fire north of San Francisco.
CAL FIRE confirmed that the operator was assigned to the 51,512-acre Nuns Fire.
The accident occurred on a steep downhill section of Oakville Grade about two miles west of Highway 29.
Fatal rollovers of fire trucks, especially water tenders, is far too common. We have documented more than three dozen similar accidents (tag: rollover).
Our sincere condolences go out to the family, friends, and coworkers of the firefighter whose name has not yet been announced.
This morning, a private water tender driver assigned to the #NunsFire tragically died in a vehicle rollover on Oakville Grade in Napa Co. pic.twitter.com/GBy5g8KzOH
— CAL FIRE PIO (@CALFIRE_PIO) October 16, 2017
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to David.
Typos or errors, report them HERE.
Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories Uncategorized1 Comment on Map showing growth on northern end of Nuns Fire The Nuns Fire between Santa Rosa and Napa, California was more active Sunday and Sunday night than the other three large wildfires north of San Francisco.
The map above shows the northern end of the fire east of Santa Rosa. The red line was the perimeter at 10 p.m. October 15, 2017. The pink/white line was the perimeter about 24 hours before.
At the time the fire was mapped Sunday night the fire had burned 51,512 acres, an increase of 2,885 acres in the previous 24 hours.
Articles on Wildfire Today tagged “Nuns Fire”, with more maps and information.
At least 40 people have been confirmed dead in Northern California fires.
Above: Map showing the perimeters of the Pocket, Tubbs, Nuns, and Atlas Fires in northern California. CAL FIRE October 15, 2017.
(Published October 16, 2016)
Firefighters in Northern California are having some success on portions of the four largest wildfires near Geyserville, Santa Rosa, and Napa. However winds out of the southwest on Sunday caused the fires to spread on the northeast sides on all of the fires except the Atlas Fire which has been much quieter than the other three for the last two days.
Officials say 102,000 residents were either evacuated or had no homes to return to Saturday and Sunday in Sonoma County. Some evacuations were lifted late Sunday. Less than 2,000 stayed in evacuation centers.
The fires in Sonoma and Napa counties have destroyed 3,947 structures. Approximately 4,230 personnel are fighting the blazes.
Officials report that 40 people have been confirmed dead in Northern California fires over the last week including fires in Mendocino County and near Yuba City.
The National Weather Service predicts hot and dry conditions for the Santa Rosa area Monday with a high of 88 degrees, relative humidity in the mid-teens, and west or southwest winds of 2 to 9 mph.
Tuesday should bring better conditions for firefighters; 81 degrees, 28 percent RH, and southwest winds at 3 to 11 mph.
More evacuations were ordered by Santa Rosa officials.
Above: The red lines on the map were the perimeters of the Nuns and Atlas Fires Friday in northern California at around 10 p.m. PDT. The white lines were the perimeters about 24 hours earlier. The yellow and red dots represent heat detected by a satellite on Friday night and Saturday, as late as 12:57 p.m. PDT.
(Originally published at 6:07 p.m. PDT October 14, 2017)
Additional evacuations were ordered Saturday in northern California by Santa Rosa officials for areas endangered by the 46,104-acre Nuns Fire. The new mandatory area is north and south of Hwy 12 between Calistoga Road and Adobe Canyon Road.
Evacuation orders are still in effect for many other areas. Santa Rosa has an interactive map showing which areas are affected.
Friday night and Saturday morning the most active areas on the Nuns Fire were on the northeast side of the huge fire. Overnight winds pushed the fire toward the Oakmont community in Santa Rosa and kept the fire spreading east of Sonoma.
On Friday the Nuns Fire grew by over 4,000 acres.
The Atlas Fire is east of the Nuns Fire, Highway 29, Yountville, and Napa. It was much less active than the Nuns Fire, growing by about 211 acres on Friday to bring the total up to 50,872 acres. Satellites detected much less heat than was seen on the Nuns Fire.
This appears to be #TableFire 17 miles SW of S. Lake Tahoe. Large amt of smoke, some of it’s from firing operation. And, sat photo of N Cal pic.twitter.com/HvthpuL8k9
— Wildfire Today (@wildfiretoday) October 15, 2017
