Strong weekend winds set to hamper bid to fight California’s largest wildfire
Strong winds and rain expected over the weekend could hamper the efforts of California firefighters to battle a week-old wildfire that has become the largest in the state so far this year.
The weather system is forecasted to bring colder temperatures and precipitation – from a quarter of an inch (0.63cm) to more than 1in (2.54cm) of rainfall over several days – to the Mosquito fire, which is raging about 110 miles (177km) north-east of San Francisco.
But stronger winds are also expected to arrive in the area beginning Saturday and the winds could throw burning embers and create spot fires despite the rain.
“That’s a bit of a mixed blessing here,” fire behavior analyst Jonathan Pangburn said on Thursday.
The blaze had burned across close to 70,000 acres in two counties by Friday morning, destroying at least 70 buildings and damaging 10 others. Damage assessment crews are still combing through areas as the fire, which is 20% contained, moves through.
The forecast came as firefighters again prevented flames from entering a mountain town and reported major progress on Thursday. Crews on the ground built up containment lines while water-dropping helicopters knocked down hotspots.
As conditions shift, and strong winds carry increased risks, crews are preparing to “relentlessly patrol the fire’s perimeter for heat, smoke and any potential issues that could cause the fire to jump containment lines”, officials said, noting the dangerous and erratic behavior exhibited by the fire just days before. “Firefighters and the public saw firsthand how quickly a spot fire could jump control lines and threaten the communities again with little to no time to escape.”
Evacuation orders remained in place for some 11,000 residents because of the unpredictable nature of the winds, McLean said, which typically blow in the direction of several canyons and could rapidly spread flames if gusts pick up.
Fire is a natural part of the California climate but as the west grows warmer and drier, spurred by the climate crisis, blazes have grown more extreme and destructive. So far this year, the state has been largely spared the types of conflagrations seen in recent years but risks typically mount in the fall. Vegetation that has grown devastatingly dry under the hot summer sun, is now primed to burn.
Following an explosive heatwave at the start of September, fires erupted across the state, as officials and residents brace for new blazes that could ignite in the months ahead.
But the forecasted rain will bring some welcome relief, tamping down threats in northern California, at least temporarily. The unusually timed storm will soak many of the areas flagged by forecasters as high-risk for fire this fall.
While the wetting will help reduce fire threats and offer a reprieve from extremely hot and dry conditions that have plagued the region in recent weeks, scientists say it won’t spell the
end of fire season, which now stretches into the winter.
“It would take multiple consecutive events like the upcoming one to truly end fire season,” said climate scientist Daniel Swain in an analysis post about the incoming storm. “And that’s not likely to be in the cards – in fact, much warmer and drier/windier conditions are expected to immediately follow the upcoming rain event.”
Meanwhile in southern California, dogs aided the hunt for a person missing in a heavily damaged area of the San Bernardino Mountains where thunderstorms unleashed rocks, trees and earth that washed away cars, buried homes and affected 3,000 residents in two remote communities. Nearly 2in (5cm) of rain fell Monday at Yucaipa
Ridge between Oak Glen, home to apple orchards that are a fall tourist destination, and Forest Falls, once a summer getaway for cabin owners that has become a bedroom community.
“This entire area is blanketed with up to 6ft (1.83 meters) of mud, debris, large boulders” said Jim Topelski, a San Bernardino county fire chief.
The mudslide damage in Oak Glen and Forest Falls served as a powerful warning to residents of the lingering damage wildfires can cause months or even years after flames are extinguished and the smoke clears.
An intense amount of rain even over a short period of time can have catastrophic effects on hillsides where fire has stripped vegetation that once held the ground intact.
In addition to the Mosquito fire, two other large fires are burning in the state.
The Fairview fire was burning about 75 miles south-east of Los Angeles. The 44-sq-mile blaze was 84% contained on Thursday. Two people died fleeing the fire, which destroyed at least 35 homes and other structures in Riverside county.