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Delta Fire north of Redding grows to 22,000 acres

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 4 Comments on Delta Fire north of Redding grows to 22,000 acres

The fire has closed Interstate 5 and is causing evacuations 24 miles north of Redding, California.

Delta Fire, September 5, 2018
Delta Fire, September 5, 2018. InciWeb photo. Click to enlarge.

(UPDATED at 7:15 p.m. PDT September 6, 2018)

The Delta Fire 24 miles north of Redding, California has grown to approximately 22,000 acres according to the latest estimate from fire officials.

(To see the all of the articles on Wildfire Today about the Delta Fire including the most recent, click here: https://wildfiretoday.com/tag/delta-fire/)

Crews have worked to anchor the south end of the fire along Dog Creek. To stop the fire’s northern spread and protect structures firefighters have started a backfiring operation east of Interstate 5 from Pollard Flats to the western side of the Hirz Fire near Salt Creek Road. Many of the contingency firelines on the eastern side of the Hirz Fire may be used in the efforts to control the Delta Fire.

Evacuations are being managed by the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.

The maps below show the perimeter of the Delta Fire. The red lines were the edge of the fire at 10 p.m. PDT on September 5 as mapped by a fixed wing aircraft. The white lines represent the APPROXIMATE location of additional growth between then and 2:04 p.m. PDT on September 6, based on heat detected by a satellite.

map Delta Fire I-5 California
The red lines were the edge of the fire at 10 p.m. PDT on September 5 as mapped by a fixed wing aircraft. The white lines represent the APPROXIMATE location of additional growth between then and 2:04 p.m. PDT on September 6, based on heat detected by a satellite.
map Delta Fire I-5 California
3-D map. The red lines were the edge of the fire at 10 p.m. PDT on September 5 as mapped by a fixed wing aircraft. The white lines represent the APPROXIMATE location of additional growth between then and 2:04 p.m. PDT on September 6, based on heat detected by a satellite.

(Originally published at 6:17 a.m. PDT September 6, 2018)

The Delta Fire has closed Interstate 5 and is causing evacuations 24 miles north of Redding, California. Nine hours after it was reported at 12:51 p.m. PDT on September 5 a mapping flight found that it had burned 15,294 acres. A heat-detecting satellite four hours later saw an additional 4,000 acres on the northwest and northeast sides of the fire.

map Delta Fire California
The red lines on the map were the perimeters of the Delta Fire and the Hirz Fire at 10 p.m. PDT September 5, 2018. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 2:42 a.m. PDT September 6. The red shaded area was intense heat. Click to enlarge.

Interstate 5, the primary north/south highway in Northern California, is closed from 10 miles north of Redding at Fawndale Road to 3 miles south of Mount Shasta at Mott Road. The fire is burning on both sides of the Interstate along a five-mile stretch.

The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office conducted evacuations on both sides of I-5 north of Lakehead to the Shasta/Siskiyou county line. An evacuation center is at the Mt. Shasta Community Center, 629 Alder St. in Mt. Shasta.

map Delta Fire California
Vicinity map showing the location of the Delta, Hirz, and Carr fires. The red lines were the perimeters at 10 p.m. PDT September 5, 2018. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 2:42 a.m. PDT September 6.

California Interagency Incident Management Team 5 (CIIMT5) is now managing the Delta Fire in addition to the nearby Hirz Fire which was winding down. On Wednesday 466 personnel were demobilized from the 46,000-acre Hirz Fire 2 miles east of the Delta Fire, leaving about 1,400 on the Hirz Fire. The heat detected by a satellite at 2:42 a.m. PDT on Thursday indicates that the two fires may have already merged.

Delta Fire
Delta Fire, September 5, 2018. Photo by Mark Thibideau.

Initially reported as three fires, they merged into one, exhibiting extreme fire behavior with rapid rates of spread up to one mile per hour. Wednesday evening the fire front was more than three miles wide on the northern side with 300-foot flame lengths.

Mendocino Complex of Fires spreads closer to Lakeport

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , , ,

There are media reports that homes were destroyed Tuesday afternoon northwest of Lakeport

ABOVE: Map showing the perimeter, in red, of the east side of the River Fire (part of the Mendocino Complex of Fires) at 11:46 p.m. PDT July 31, 2018. The white line was the perimeter about 24 hours before.

(Originally published at 10 a.m. PDT August 1, 2018)

Tuesday afternoon winds pushed the two blazes that comprise the Mendocino Complex of Fires farther east, both spreading for at least a mile. The Ranch Fire moved into sparsely populated areas, but the River Fire ran through an area with scattered ranches northwest of Lakeport, California. Media personnel on scene said the fire was especially intense near Dessie Drive and Hendricks Road. CAL FIRE said Wednesday morning that a total of 10 residences have been destroyed in the two fires, but it is not clear if that number includes what could be additional losses late in the day on Tuesday.

To see all of the articles on Wildfire Today about the Mendocino Complex of Fires, including the most recent, click HERE.

Firefighters were extremely busy Tuesday in that wildland-urban interface as the fire raced through the populated areas. They were protecting structures, then getting chased out by flames, and reestablishing a defense at another structure.

Mendocino Complex fires map
Map showing the perimeter, in red, of the Mendocino Complex of Fires at 11:46 p.m. PDT July 31, 2018. The white line was the perimeter about 24 hours before.

Both fires started in Mendocino County but burned into Lake County. The Ranch Fire is now also well established in the Mendocino National Forest.

According to the numbers CAL FIRE released Wednesday morning, the two fires have burned 90,912 acres; 59,019 on the Ranch Fire, and 31,898 on the River Fire.

As usual, Kent Porter got some fabulous shots of the River Fire Tuesday:

Below, a CAL FIRE Battalion Chief explains how they fight fires when you don’t have enough resources. Basically, you protect lives and private property first, then as time and resources permit, deal with the part of the fire that is burning in remote areas.

Cranston Fire causes evacuations east of Hemet, California

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 1 Comment on Cranston Fire causes evacuations east of Hemet, California

The fire is threatening the community of Idyllwild

Above: 3-D map view of the Cranston Fire. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 2:10 p.m. PDT July 25, 2018.

(Originally published at 7 p.m. PDT July 25, 2018)

Within of about two hours of the Cranston Fire starting at noon today 8 miles east of Hemet, California, it had already burned two thousand acres and had developed a huge smoke column topped by a pyrocumulus cloud.

The fire is burning close to the mountain community of Idyllwild, which has been ordered to evacuate along with Pine Grove, Fern Valley, and portions of Mountain Center.

Highway 74 is closed from the city of Hemet to Lake Hemet.

At 6:30 PDT fire officials estimated it had burned approximately 3,000 acres, but getting a good estimate is difficult with the rapid spread of the fire and the enormous amount of smoke being generated.

map Cranston Fire
Map of the Cranston Fire. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 2:10 p.m. PDT July 25, 2018.

There are reports that multiple fires were set today in this general area. One arson suspect was apprehended in Hemet.

map Cranston Fire satellite
Satellite photo of Southern California, showing the Cranston Fire, July 25, 2018.

Ferguson Fire forces evacuations in Jerseydale area

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 2 Comments on Ferguson Fire forces evacuations in Jerseydale area

The fire has burned over 9,000 acres west of Yosemite National Park in California

(UPDATED at 7:50 a.m. PDT July 16, 2018)

3-D map Ferguson Fire
3-D map of the Ferguson Fire at 8:53 p.m. PDT July 15, 2018. Click to enlarge.

After 3 p.m. Sunday the intensity of the Ferguson Fire increased dramatically as it spread 1.5 to 2 miles to the south and southeast, coming closer to the structures in the Jerseydale area.

Mandatory evacuation orders are still in effect. Sunday morning a fire advisement was issued for the Yosemite West area, which is on Wawona Road southeast of El Portal. It is an advisement of a potential Evacuation Order should conditions change.

CLICK HERE to see all of the articles on Wildfire Today about the Ferguson Fire, including the most recent.

Based on an 8:53 p.m. mapping flight Sunday night the Incident Management Team reported that the fire at that time had burned 9,266 acres.

map ferguson fire
Map of the Ferguson Fire at 8:53 p.m. PDT July 15, 2018. The yellow line was the approximate perimeter at 2 p.m. July 15. Click to enlarge.

The weather at the Ferguson Fire is expected to remain hot and dry for the next seven days, with isolated thunderstorms possible.

The 20-second video below is a time-lapse of still images of the fire captured between 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. July 15. Toward the end you will see a smoke column break through the inversion as the fire intensity increases. Sierra Fire Watch posted it, saying it was shot from a point near Mt. Raymond.

(UPDATED at 7:41 p.m. PDT July 15, 2018)

Ferguson Fire
Ferguson Fire. Photo uploaded to InciWeb Sunday afternoon.

Continue reading “Ferguson Fire forces evacuations in Jerseydale area”

Martin Fire grows to almost 400,000 acres

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 4 Comments on Martin Fire grows to almost 400,000 acres

Above: screenshot from the video of the Martin Fire.

(UPDATED at 8:58 a.m. MDT July 9, 2018)

A new map of the rapidly growing Martin Fire in Northern Nevada reveals that it has exploded to 399,429 acres, according to the Incident Management Team. During an overnight fixed wing mapping flight some areas of light vegetation burned and then cooled, again making it difficult to fill in some of the holes where no heat was detected by the sensors.

The Martin Fire is 57 miles long, west to east.

map martin fire nevada
Map showing heat detected on the Martin Fire. The most current data was collected at 1 a.m. MDT July 9, 2018.
DC-10 drop retardant Martin Fire
A DC-10 makes a retardant drop on the Martin Fire. Photo uploaded to InciWeb June 6, 2018.

(UPDATED at 6:30 a.m. MDT July 9, 2018)

The incident management team has posted an updated map of the Martin Fire on InciWeb.

(UPDATED  at 6:50 p.m. MDT July 8, 2018)

According to satellite data acquired at 1:54 p.m. MDT Sunday the Martin Fire in Northern Nevada was extremely active at that time. It may have progressed over 20 miles during the previous 24 hours, reaching a total length of approximately 54 miles, west to east. At 1:54 p.m. it was 13 miles west of highway 11/226. Our very, very unofficial guestimate of the size at that time was about 380,000 acres. This is difficult to determine, because much of the vegetation that is burning is light, and can burn and then cool before the next infrared-sensing satellite overflight, occurring about every 12 hours. Our guess involved assuming some of the “unburned” holes had actually burned, but were undetectable by the satellite.

The map below shows approximately the same area as the one farther down dated July 7.

Martin Fire, July 7, 2018
Martin Fire, July 7, 2018.

(UPDATED at 2:21 MDT July 8, 2018)

InciWeb is saying the Martin Fire has burned 164,000 acres but this map puts it at over 239,000 acres.

(Originally published at 1:45 p.m MDT July 8, 2018)

The robotic cameras operated by the Nevada Seismological Lab  have scored again, capturing some great time-lapse video of the Martin Fire in Northern Nevada as pyrocumulus clouds are being created. The video was shot from 6 to 7 p.m. on July 7, 2018.

The Martin Fire has burned 164,000 acres according to InciWeb, and on Saturday it spread from Humboldt County into Elko County.

Martin Fire map Fire perimeter produced by the Incident Management Team. Text notations by Wildfire Today.

Extreme weather expected on Trail Mountain Fire Thursday

Author Bill GabbertPosted on Categories UncategorizedTags , , 10 Comments on Extreme weather expected on Trail Mountain Fire Thursday

It began as a prescribed fire that escaped on June 6 in central Utah

Above: A pyrocumulus cloud forms over the Trail Mountain Fire, as seen from Joes Valley Reservoir June 13, 2018. Inciweb photo.

At 9:31 a.m. on Thursday the relative humidity at the Mill Fork Canyon weather station near the Trail Mountain Fire in Utah had already dropped to 12 percent and will likely get even lower with the predicted Red Flag Warning conditions. During the night it never got above 30 percent. A mapping flight Wednesday evening showed that the fire had burned 9,554 acres.

The forecast for Thursday calls for sustained 23 mph winds out of the southwest and west with gusts up to 38 mph. The Haines Index will max out at 6, an indication of atmospheric instability which can be conducive to rapid fire growth.  On Friday the wind should increase with 22 to 29 mph southwest winds gusting above 40 mph under cloudy skies but there will be a 33 percent chance of showers.

In an update Thursday morning the incident management team said, “It is likely the fire will continue to spread north along Highway 31, where timber is denser.”

map Trail Mountain Fire
Map of the Trail Mountain Fire at 11:36 p.m. MDT June 13, 2018.

Highway 31 is closed as firefighters work to keep the fire from crossing the road. An evacuation order is in effect.

The origin of the Trail Mountain Fire was a prescribed fire that escaped control on the Manti-La Sal National Forest northwest of Huntington, Utah on June 6.

Trail Mountain Fire
Trail Mountain Fire. Photo by Bonneville Hotshots.