Dire forecast:
State braces for more disastrous fires.
Gov. Jerry Brown painted a grim picture Wednesday of California’s future as thousands of firefighters have flown in from across the country to battle the 16 wildfires raging through the state.
Five of the 10 most destructive wildfires in California history have occurred in just the past five years, and the Carr Fire, currently burning in and around Redding, stands as the sixth most destructive wildfire in state history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
By the time it’s contained, the inferno could crack the top five of California’s worst fire disasters.
“We are in uncharted territories,” Brown said at a news conference. “We are in for a really rough ride. It’s going to get expensive, it’s going to get dangerous.”
Three of the state’s 10 most destructive wildfires occurred in 2017 alone: the Tubbs Fire and Nuns Fire, both of which were in Sonoma County, and the Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
The Tubbs Fire — the most destructive blaze in California history — broke out in October and burned 36,807 acres, destroyed 5,636 structures and killed 24 people.
More than 320,000 acres across the state have burned since early July and 32,000 residents remain evacuated due to blazes up and down the state, said Ken Pimlott, the director of Cal Fire.
As a shortage of personnel plagues California, several thousand firefighters from 17 states, including as far as Maine and Florida, have been called in to assist in saving lives and property.
The total number of firefighters battling the blazes is 13,000, Pimlott said.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a press conference Wednesday that President Trump is monitoring the wildfires.
“On Saturday, the President declared that an emergency exists for the California wildfires. As a result, FEMA has placed resources from eight different federal departments and agencies to support the efforts of local firefighters and relief organizations,” she said. “The President will continue to monitor this ongoing emergency and make sure the people of California receive the assistance they need to keep them safe and recover.”
In the Carr Fire, the number of homes destroyed rose by 134 overnight, bringing the total to 1,018. Twelve commercial structures and 435 outbuildings have been destroyed.
Brown said that fire crews were being met with intensifying fire conditions, some of which have never been seen before — like the fire tornado in the Carr Fire.
“Obviously, there are going to be more fires,” he said. “It’s drier. The soil is drying, the vegetation is drying — that makes for perfect kindling. These wind events — tornado-type behavior is occurring. Some of this is unprecedented and we are learning as we go. We are in a new normal.”
On Wednesday, the western edge of the Carr Fire continued to challenge crews with steep terrain, erratic winds and unburned fuels, officials said. The blaze, which has killed six people, had grown to 115,538 acres and 2,546 buildings remained under threat.
Officials said the inferno is 35 percent contained.
Elsewhere, crews were able to establish slightly stronger containment lines for the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park, the longestlasting wildfire this summer.
Now in its 20th day, the Ferguson Fire is burning in steep, rugged terrain with little to no access roads, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The blaze grew to 63,798 acres and was 39 percent contained by Wednesday night.
The inferno has killed two firefighters and injured nine people. One structure has been destroyed.
Cal Fire officials announced a new mandatory evacuation order late Wednesday for the community of Wawona, located within the park. Officials called for residents to use Highway 41 to exit the area, as Wawona Road to Highway 140 remained closed Wednesday night.
Yosemite Valley will open Sunday instead of Friday as had been previously announced, officials said.
Although the Mendocino Complex, which includes the Ranch and River fires that began Friday, grew to a total of 94,912 acres, crews were able to double the level of containment from 12 percent Tuesday night to 24 percent Wednesday night, according to Cal Fire.
Fourteen homes and 24 other buildings were destroyed in the blazes and eight other homes were damaged. They continued to threaten 12,200 structures, and more than 15,000 people were evacuated in parts of Mendocino and Lake counties. Cal Fire expected full containment of the Mendocino Complex by Monday.
No injuries or fatalities have been reported in those fires. Their causes are under investigation.
Farther north in Mendocino County, the Eel Fire popped up just east of Covelo on Tuesday afternoon and doubled in size in less than 24 hours to 1,000 acres. There was no immediate information on containment.
On Wednesday, a new fire prompted an evacuation warning for residents living near Highway 101 between Cloverdale and Hopland, according to the Mendocino County Sheriff ’s Office.
The new blaze, dubbed the Western Fire, consumed 45 acres by Wednesday evening and was 50 percent contained. It may have been started by a motorcycle crash near Commisky Station Road between Cloverdale and Hopland.