Creek Fire Oct. 26 update: PG&E gives all-clear on outages; firefighters work on cleanup
Due to strong wind conditions, a red flag warning has been issued in the central and southern Sierra Nevada foothills until Tuesday, says the National Weather Service.
Those conditions could result in a rapid fire spread. Strong easterly winds and low humidity forced officials to issue the warning Sunday, lasting until 5 p.m. Tuesday.
A red flag warning means critical fire weather conditions are caused by a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures. That can contribute to “extreme fire behavior.”
Wind gusts up to 50 mph are possible, with northeast to east winds from 20 to 30 mph. Wind speeds on ridges and peaks will be between 30 and 40 mph. Humidity is expected at 5% to 10%.
PG&E power outages
PG&E announced on Monday afternoon that portions of all local counties and tribal areas affected by the Public Safety Power Shutoffs have received all clear orders.
Due to weather conditions, PG&E shut off power for 355,000 customers in parts of 34 counties and 17 tribal communities. In the central San Joaquin Valley, including Madera, Fresno and Mariposa counties. The tribal communities of Big Sandy Rancheria and Cold Spring Rancheria of Mono Indians were also affected. Due to improved weather conditions, Kern and San Joaquin counties were removed from the list of affected areas.
PG&E said the power outages would begin at 10 a.m. Sunday, starting with customers in the northern Sierra, and would continue into late Tuesday evening. Power restorations have begun in some areas and will continue when safe to do so, according to PG&E officials.
PG&E in a news release Mondays said crews will patrol 17,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines to ensure that no damage or hazards exist before those power lines are re-energized and service is restored. PG&E will deploy 1,800 ground patrol units, one airplane and 65 helicopters to fully restore power.
In many areas, including Sonoma, Contra Costa, Alameda, Napa, Placer and Lake counties, high winds and gusts are expected to reach nearly 90 mph. Critical fire weather will continue through Tuesday morning, which means power restoration cannot occur in those areas if weather conditions do not improve and fire danger remains high. Power restoration could be delayed for some customers if crews need to repair damage to power lines, which PG&E officials said could be caused by wind-blown branches and other debris.
Customers can look up their address online at pge.com/pspsupdates to see if their location might lose electricity. More resources for customers are available at pgecurrents.com.
Firefighters begin cleanup efforts
The Creek Fire, which has torched 369,362 acres, remained 63% contained as of Monday, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Helicopters were used to contain the fire Sunday, due to a decrease in smoke and clearer air. The fire has remained the most active above the 7,000 feet elevation, primarily in the Thomas Edison Reservoir area, where it continues to push east along the north shore.
Firefighter crews Monday will be scouting line locations to keep the fire burning around the lake and prevent it from moving south. Several roads were blocked by trees blown over by the wind overnight. Firefighters on Monday will clear the debris and clear up the roads. Due to steep, hazardous terrain on the north and northeastern sides of the fire, firefighters will use suppression tactics such as natural barriers to stop the spread.
On the northwestern edge of the fire, firefighters Monday will continue to strengthen the fireline by mopping up, clearing debris and removing hazard trees. On the western side, firefighters will continue to patrol, mop up and backhaul any unneeded equipment. The southern portion of the fire is unstaffed from the San Joaquin River to Shaver Lake. On the eastern side, crews will work on strengthening control lines and mopping up. Firefighters are continuing to work on protecting structures around the Vermilion Resort area.
Creek fire officials on Saturday said the Federal Emergency Management Agency will begin working in the coming week in Fresno County to clean up destruction related to the fire.
California is expected to receive hundreds of millions of dollars to help recover from the state’s worst fire season in history. The fire has destroyed more than 850 structures and damaged about 72. The Environmental Protection Agency will also be scouting the area for hazardous waste such as oil, pesticides and paint.
Dust, smoke to continue through Monday
Local air pollution officials have issued a health warning due to gusty winds that are blowing dust and worsening air quality conditions.
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District issued the warning Sunday that will remain in effect until Monday for San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, and Fresno counties.
Residents can use the district’s real time air quality tracker at any Valley location by visiting myRAAN.com. Valley residents can also check the district’s wildfire website for information about current and recently past wildfires affecting the region.
The air district said smoke from California wildfires, including the Creek Fire and SQF Complex in Tulare County, will continue until the fires are extinguished.
This story was originally published October 26, 2020 at 10:54 AM.