High fire potential prompts warnings for parts of Norcal, Oregon

The potential for high winds and thunderstorms have prompted a fire weather watch to be issued through today for the northeast corner of California and broad portions of Oregon.

The National Weather Service issued the warning Saturday morning for Modoc and Siskiyou counties based on forecast models indicating a potential for gusty winds, low humidity and lightning strikes in the northern edge of California’s Coast Range, the upper basins east of the Cascade Range and the Illiniois Valley of Oregon. These areas include the Klamath, Trinity and Modoc national forests.

“Continued hot temperatures will combine with colder air moving in the upper atmosphere to bring isolated to scattered thunderstorms to the region Sunday,” according to the warning issued by the service’s office in Medford, Oregon. “The greatest coverage of lightning strikes will be from the Mount Shasta area to the east and northeast, but with extremely dry fuels from the Cascades westward the probability of strikes causing quickly growing ignitions is very high.”

The weather service’s warning said thunderstorms are expected to develop in the late this morning, “with the strongest and most widespread development late afternoon into early evening.” Forecast models expect humidity levels to be in the teens.

Firefighters in the region are already battling several wildfires, notably the Klamathon Fire between Yreka and the Oregon state line that’s burned more 38,008 acres and is 99 percent contained as of Saturday morning, according to Calfire.

Farthern north there were seven large fires burning uncontrolled within Washington state, and multiple others in Oregon.

Crews in Oregon continue to battle the Substation Fire near The Dalles, which has grown to 109 square miles. The fire is about 44 percent contained and is blamed for the death of a farmer.

South of the capital region, a fire just west of Yosemite National Park expanded to nearly 36 square miles, prompting more evacuations. More than 2,700 firefighters aided by a fleet of helicopters were battling the Ferguson Fire, which was 27,129 acres but only 7 percent contained.

Several areas were under mandatory evacuation orders, but no homes had been damaged or destroyed.