NEWS
September 21st, 2020
Hunting Season Raises Wild Fire Concerns
California’s 2020 general deer season will open in Zone A on Saturday, Aug. 8, and in Zone B-4 on Saturday, Aug. 22.
Be aware of your surroundings before pulling that trigger!
September 20th, 2020
Ignoring fire evacuation orders is rampant in California
By Peter Fimrite
Shortly after 10 that night, he sent a drone above the trees next to his property and saw flames shooting as high as 300 feet on three sides. The convection was so strong that it sucked the drone into the flames. He rushed in and told his sister, “It’s time to go. Now.”
They packed their three dogs and tore out on the only passable road, barely escaping a towering wall of flames.
“I’ve never seen anything like that. I don’t feel like I had any more time,” Woolf said. “Literally an hour before we fled, I had convinced everybody there is nothing to worry about. For sure, I was overconfident.”
Read About Their Narrow Escape Here
September 17th, 2020
Daniel Berlant
Asst. Deputy Director
California Statewide Fire Summary
A Red Flag Warning is in effect over the eastern Sierra from Modoc County in the north down to Mono County in the south for gusty winds and low humidity, bringing critical fire weather conditions to the area. A low pressure system arrives today bringing cooler temperatures and increasing humidity through much of the state. However, warm and dry conditions are likely to return this weekend, bringing elevated fire danger.
As crews contain the wildfires, evacuations will be lifted and residents allowed to return home. Sounds simple, but did you know there are many hazards to watch out for when you get to your property? Crews still working in the area, hot spots and potential hidden fire damage are just a few of the things for you to be aware.
Read the Full Report Here
Includes information on the North Complex
September 14th, 2020
Understanding Fire Weather Forecasts
Fire Weather Outlooks are intended to delineate areas of the continental U.S. where pre-existing fuel conditions, combined with forecast weather conditions during the next 8 days, will result in a significant threat for the ignition and/or spread of wildfires.
The fire weather forecast for your Local Fire Zones can be difficult to understand if your not familiar with all the abbreviations and acronyms.
Click on the different links below for a description or definition of each in Todays Forcast.
(Use your back arrow to return to this page after reading the link information)
The More You Know
Northern Motherlode From 1000 to 3000 Ft. Includes portions of
Nevada-Yuba-Placer-Amador and Eldorado Units-
512 AM PDT Mon Sep 14 2020
TODAY…
* Sky/Weather…………Hazy and areas of smoke. (Forcast Terms)
* Max Temperature……..83-90.
* 24 Hour Trend……….Little change.
* Minimum Humidity………..21-28 percent.
* 24 Hour Trend……….9 percent up.
* 20-Foot Winds………. (wind at 20 feet above local area vegetation)
* Valleys/Lower Slopes…East winds up to 7 mph shifting to the
southwest 6 to 12 mph in the afternoon. (wind converter)
* Ridges/Upper Slopes….East winds up to 7 mph shifting to the
southwest 6 to 12 mph in the afternoon. (wind converter)
* LAL………………..1. (Chance of Local Area Lightning)
* CWR………………..0 percent. (Chance of Wetting Rain)
September 12th, 2020
Why is air quality important?
Local air quality affects how you live and breathe. Like the weather, it can change from day to day or even hour to hour. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and your local air quality agency have been working to make information about outdoor air quality as easy to find and understand as weather forecasts. A key tool in this effort is the Air Quality Index, or AQI. EPA and local officials use the AQI to provide simple information about your local air quality, how unhealthy air may affect you, and how you can protect your health.
What is the AQI?
The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or unhealthy your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern. The AQI focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing unhealthy air. The AQI is calculated for four major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground level ozone, particle pollution, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. For each of these pollutants, EPA has established national air quality standards to protect public health. EPA is currently reviewing the national air quality standard for nitrogen dioxide. If the standard is revised, the AQI will be revised as well.
Stay Informed
Click Here to Enter Your Zip Code for the Air Quality in Your Area
Daniel Berlant
Asst. Deputy Director
California Statewide Fire Summary
September 10, 2020
As critical fire weather conditions subsided yesterday, firefighters accomplished full containment on one of the many fires burning in the State. Today, approximately 14,000 firefighters remain on the line of 29 major wildfires burning across California. Although 37 new fires were sparked yesterday, crews contained most of them quickly though two have grown to large wildfires.
Since the beginning of the year, wildfires have now burned over 3.1 million acres in California. There have been 12 fatalities and over 3,900 structures destroyed. This year’s fire season has been a record-breaking year, in not only the total amount of acres burned, but 6 of the top 20 largest wildfires in California history have occurred in 2020.
Weather conditions improve across the state today, with most areas experiencing seasonal temperatures and dry conditions. All Red Flags Warnings have been listed with the exception of a small portion of upper Del Norte and Siskiyou Counties. This warning is in effect this afternoon and evening due to gusty winds and low humidity. Northern California should expect average temperatures through the weekend, with a possible cooling trend next week.
Read the Full Report Here
September 4th, 2020
Power Conservation Notice
The Governor has declared a state of emergency in connection with the extreme heat
and impacts on electricity. The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) issued
a statewide Flex Alert calling for voluntary electricity conservation from 3 PM to 9 PM
Saturday, September 5 through Monday, September 7 to help reduce power demands
within California while prioritizing public health and safety. Without conservation, the
state will likely experience additional rolling system outages.
September 3rd, 2020
How NASA Changed Fire Fighting
Teen Kids News:
In the late 1990s, the Houston Fire Department took a trip down to the local NASA office to see what they could do to help them develop a better helmet, which hadn’t changed much since the 1800s. The discussion began, and soon a partnership developed that had them rethinking the entire suit. In 2000, NASA unveiled this new firefighter suit, developed with the Houston Fire Department, the Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin [source: Petty]. Its features are pretty amazing, but the changes made so much sense that it makes you wonder why they didn’t do this earlier. The Houston Fire Department laid out the objectives for the suit, and NASA and its partners made it a reality.
Learn More About NASA Fire Technologies Here
Please Consider a Donation to Help us Continue Community and Wildland Fire Safety
August 30th, 2020
Are you ready for PGE Power Outages?
Save The Link: Check your address and see an outage map here when outages occur.
https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/updates/?cid=em_PSPS_20200830-PSPS-Notifications-GenPop-DNO_20200830_pspsupdated-btn_email_na_na
Device charging, Wi-Fi and community support centers
PG&E opens daytime Community Resource Centers in areas affected by a shutoff. These centers offer ADA-accessible restrooms and hand-washing stations, medical equipment charging, device charging, Wi-Fi, bottled water and snacks. Indoor centers also offer air-conditioning or heating, seating and ice.
Find a Community Resource Center Here
If you are a PG&E account holder, you do not need to sign up for a “PSPS alerts” or a “wildfire alert.” Account holders impacted by a PSPS receive notifications by phone and email, when possible, in advance of the outage. We also send regular updates regarding power restoration. If you’ve provided multiple phone numbers, we’ll send notifications to each number.
To receive these alerts, it is important that PG&E has your current contact information so you can be notified when an event could impact your home or business. Visit My Wildfire Alerts or call 1-866-743-6589 to update your contact information.
August 28th, 2020
www.Alertwildfire.org
The Alertwildfire camera system is a public access real time high definition camera network with over 600 cameras.
Click Here to Check it Out
You’ve spotted a fire on the ALERTWildfire website—now what?
Most fires on the website have already been reported and an attack is already underway. But not always… here are some tips to see if you’ve spotted an unreported fire. (1) Most fires that are centered in the field of view and zoomed into are already confirmed. (2) A fire start that is not zoomed into and/or centered in the frame has a good chance of being a new start. (3) Time lapse the main camera pane, if you see the camera move to and zoom toward the fire, you know fire authorities are on it! (4) After assessing the tips given, and you think it’s a fire. Call 9-1-1. In the shoulder seasons, ALERTWildfire is also used to monitor prescribed burns and the rules outlined above still are a good guide in understanding what’s an Rx burn or possibly a late or early season wildfire.
www.Alertwildfire.org
August 26th, 2020
The California Conservation Corps’ Forestry Corps began operation in July 2019. The Forestry Corps uses specially trained crews of Corps members to remove overgrown and dead vegetation posing a fire risk. The Forestry Corps is made up of three CCC crews based at the Inland Empire, Solano, and Tahoe Centers. The Forestry Corps was created by Assembly Bill 2126 (2018) to develop and implement forest health projects in state responsibility areas or high hazard fire zones. The Forestry Corps partners with CAL FIRE, U.S. Forest Service, county agencies, fire safe councils, and others on project work. The Forestry Corps is funded at $4.45 million dollars for FY 2019-20.
YOUR FUTURE IS WAITING
August 25th, 2020
Ancient Redwoods Survive Wildfires
Every old growth redwood in Big Basin has fire scars on them.
They’ve been through multiple fires possibly worse than this.
August 22nd, 2020
Where Can I find Information about Wild Fire Smoke and Covid-19?
The overlap of the COVID-19 pandemic with wildfire
season in the United States complicates public health response to wildfire smoke.
People who are either susceptible to or affected by COVID-19 may have health conditions that also make them vulnerable to wildfire smoke exposure.
Learn more about Wild Fire Smoke and Covid-19
Daniel Berlant Asst. Deputy Director August 21, 2020
California Statewide Fire Summary August 21, 2020 Nearly 12,000 firefighters are battling nearly two dozen major fires and complexes across California. Overnight firefighters continued to make progress despite extreme weather conditions. Since the lightning siege started on Saturday, August 15, 2020 there have been nearly 12,000 lightning strikes. During this time-period, there have been more than 560 new wildfires, most of which have been contained due to aggressive firefighting. Those fires have burned over 771,00 acres in total. As we move into the weekend, fire danger remains elevated with a few holdover lightning ignitions still possible. A warming trend is likely. Gusty winds are expected in the Eastern Sierra today, elevating the fire danger. Fire officials are monitoring the weather closely as lightning is expected to return Sunday night through Tuesday across Northern California. Since January 1, 2020, CAL FIRE has responded to over 5,600 wildfires. The recent spike in wildfire activity is an important reminder for residents to take steps to prevent sparking a wildfire. Having an evacuation plan, a supply kit, and important paperwork will make it easier when it is time to GO. Remember one less spark, means One Less Wildfire. Learn more at ReadyForWildFire Fires of Interest: **CAL FIRE Incidents** Salt Fire, Calaveras County Northeast of Copperopolis *1,789 acres, 75% contained Carmel Fire, Monterey County South of Carmel *4232 acres, 0% contained *Evacuations in place *CAL FIRE IMT 1 Team in command Hills Fire, Fresno County South of Coalinga *1,900 acres 45% contained River Fire, Monterey County East of Salinas *39, 464 acres, 9% contained *Approximately 3,000 structures threatened *Approximately 9,000 people have been evacuated *CAL FIRE IMT Team 1 in command 3-4 Fire, Tehama County Southwest of Red Bank *7,000 acres, 0% contained Creek Fire, Mendocino County Northeast of Covelo *820 acres, 90% contained *Two structures destroyed 3-19 Fire, Mendocino County Southeast of Potter Valley *62 acres, 100% contained *One structure destroyed BTU/TGU Lightning Complex Fire, Butte and Glenn Counties Butte, Tehama and Glenn Counties *30,042 acres, 10% contained *Elkhorn 18,000 acres, 0% *Ivory 4,500 acres, 0% *5-4 Potters 1012 acres, 70% *2-24 330 acres, 70% *5-5 200 acres, 50% *1-8 150 acres, 50% *1-7 100 acres, 30% *CAL FIRE IMT- 4 in command LNU Lightning Complex Fire, Napa County Napa County State DPA, SRA, Napa County *219,067 acres, 7% contained *Hennessey (merged fires) 105,000 acres, 0% contained *Wallbridge 14,500 acres, 0% contained *Meyers 3,000 acres, 0% contained *Round 4,000 acres, 0% contained *Aetna 4,500 acres, 0% contained *Estimated 480 structures destroyed *Evacuations in place *CAL FIRE IMT-2 in command Jones Fire, Nevada County Northwest of Nevada City *705 acres, 25% contained *Evacuation in place *5 residential structures destroyed CZU August Lightning Fire, San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties *50,000 acres, 0% contained *Waddell fire, 600 acres 0% contained *Evacuations in place *20 residential structures destroyed *CAL FIRE IMT #3 is in command SCU Lightning Complex Fire, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara and Stanislaus Counties Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara and Stanislaus Counties * 229,968 acres, 10% contained *20 fires in the complex *Marsh 3,000 acres, 99% contained *Canyon 174,866 acres, 0% contained *Reservoir 51,619 acres, 10% contained *Deer 3,294 acres, 70% contained *Arroyo 190 acres, 90% contained *Evacuations and road closures in place *CA IMT-6 in command **Unified Command Fires** Warnella Fire, Santa Cruz County East of Davenport *290 acres, 5% contained *Unified Command CAL FIRE and BLM – Central California District Lake Fire, Los Angeles County Southwest of Lake Hughes * 28,912 acres, 52% contained *Continued structure threat *Road closures in the area *Unified Command USFS and Los Angeles County Fire *CA IMT Team 5 is in command **Federal Incidents** Dolan Fire, Monterey County Ventana Wilderness – Los Padres National Forest * 8,500 acres, 0% contained Ranch 2 Fire, Los Angeles County San Gabriel Canyon *4,237 acres, 39% contained *Road closures in place *Federal Type 2, in command Apple Fire, Riverside County Cherry Valley *33,424 acres, 95% contained North Complex Fire, Plumas County Southwest of Susanville – Plumas National Forest * 16,244 acres, 5% contained *Evacuations in place *Road and trail closures in effect *CA IMT Team 1 is in command Loyalton, Vegetation Fire, Sierra County East of Loyalton – Tahoe National Forest * 46,872 acres, 60% contained Red Salmon Complex – Shasta-Trinity National Forest Northeast of Willow Creek, CA *16,485 acres, 39% contained **Local Government** Holser, Vegetation Fire, Ventura County/Los Angeles County South of Lake Piru *3,000 acres, 80% contained
July 7th, 2020
Smartsville Fire District in Need of Volunteers
Take a look at some of our other Volunteer Opportunities June 20th, 2020
