California wildfires: Caldor Fire, Dixie Fire still active as other new fires erupt
Firefighters across California are contending with major existing wildfires and some new incidents that got off to rapid starts this week, as they also brace for strong winds and higher temperatures.
One new blaze, the Airola Fire, prompted evacuations in Calaveras County. Another smaller fire in Nevada County led to evacuations for some Grass Valley residents for a few hours before crews got a handle.
In Southern California, new fires started in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, each torching a few hundred acres within hours.
All the while, thousands of fire personnel remain assigned to the Caldor Fire in El Dorado County, which continues to displace nearly 25,000 residents; the Dixie Fire burning near Lassen and Plumas national forests, which is California’s second-largest wildfire ever recorded; the French Fire, which has evacuated thousands from Kern County; a pair of lightning-sparked blazes in Trinity County, the Monument and McFarland fires, that continue to threaten thousands of homes; and more.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning, due to critical wildfire weather for a stretch of the northern Sacramento Valley, in place Friday morning through Saturday morning.
The warning mainly covers Shasta, Tehama, Glenn and Colusa counties, where gusts could reach 35 mph. But gusty conditions are also likely in the rest of the valley and parts of the foothills, forecasts show.
The extremely active 2021 fire season comes as California’s historic drought has produced dangerous fuel loads in many parts of the state. Nine national forests that cover millions of acres are closed to the public due to wildfire impacts.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday evening that the Biden administration approved a presidential major disaster declaration specific to the Dixie, Antelope, McFarland, Monument and River fires that have burned in parts Lassen, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity counties.
The declaration will assist with support programs including housing assistance, food aid, medical and legal services and more for wildfire victims. It also offers funds to state, local and tribal governments.
A subsequent declaration for the Caldor Fire will likely be requested after officials are able to more fully assess the scope of destruction.
Here is the latest on major incidents currently burning in Northern California:
Caldor Fire
The Caldor Fire burning near Pollock Pines in El Dorado County is now 143,951 acres (225 square miles) with 12% containment, Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service said in a Friday morning update.
Fire activity prompted a new round of evacuation orders Thursday near the Twin Bridges and Echo Summit area, as the blaze inched closer toward the Lake Tahoe Basin. The fire is now threatening more than 18,000 structures, authorities say.
“Critical fuel conditions, steep and rugged terrain still present a challenge for fighters,” Cal Fire wrote in a Friday morning situation report.
The Caldor Fire ignited the evening of Aug. 14, then exploded to life early last week, spreading north into the town of Grizzly Flats and continuing upward to force evacuations for the Pollock Pines, Sly Park and Kyburz areas.
The fire has already destroyed at least 469 homes, 11 businesses and 170 minor structures, though damage assessment is still in progress.
It largely destroyed Grizzly Flats, and two civilians there had to be airlifted to hospitals with injuries described as serious.
Caltrans over the weekend closed a 46-mile stretch of Highway 50 in both directions between Pollock Pines and Meyers, which remains closed with no estimated time of reopening. The fire spotted across the highway near Kyburz on Saturday, but it is still burning primarily south of it.
Highway 50 remains closed with no estimated time of reopening. There is also no estimate on repopulation for evacuees, as nearly 2,900 firefighters are now battling to boost containment on the fire.
Caldor is currently the No. 1 priority for resources out of any fire in entire United States, Cal Fire Director Thom Porter said during a Monday news briefing at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services headquarters in Mather.
Dixie Fire
Cal Fire and the Forest Service on Friday reported the Dixie Fire at just over 750,000 acres, or about 1,173 square miles. Containment ticked up one percentage point from Thursday, now 46%.
The Dixie Fire “remained active well into the night” Wednesday, the two agencies wrote in a Thursday morning incident update. On Friday, crews were preparing for an increase in activity due to hot, dry weather.
The blaze has destroyed nearly 1,300 structures, almost 700 of them homes, since igniting July 13. Another 12,000 are considered threatened, Cal Fire and the Forest Service report.
Severe drought is contributing to extreme conditions at the Dixie Fire and other incidents across the state.
“Firefighters are experiencing conditions never seen before, such as increased spread rates, spotting and active nighttime burning,” Cal Fire officials wrote in a Monday update.
Some evacuation orders have been lifted or reduced to voluntary warnings, but emergency officials urge residents to remain vigilant, prepared and aware of smoke impacts.
A substantial number of evacuation orders remain in place across numerous communities and campgrounds in Plumas, Lassen and Tehama counties, along with evacuation warnings in Butte County. More details are available from Cal Fire as well as from those counties’ sheriff’s offices.
About 4,750 fire personnel are assigned to the blaze, down from about 6,000 earlier in the week.
The cause of the Dixie Fire remains under investigation by Cal Fire, but Pacific Gas and Electric Co. in a filing to the state’s utility regulator acknowledged that a troubleman inspecting blown fuses found a tree leaning up against one of the utility company’s power poles.
French Fire
The French Fire, burning northwest of Lake Isabella in Kern County, is now 22,916 acres with containment still at 19%.
Mandatory evacuations remain in place for communities including Keysville, Dutch Flat, Willow Flat and part of Wofford Heights, all north of Highway 178 and west of the reservoir.
An evacuation warning was expanded to the northeast Wednesday to include most of the town of Kernville.
Airola Fire
The Airola Fire started Wednesday afternoon near Vallecito in Calaveras County, and stood at 700 acres with 35% containment as of Friday morning, Cal Fire said.
The fire displayed “extreme” behavior Wednesday afternoon, with rapid runs up hills, according to Cal Fire. The agency called the fire “terrain driven,” but noted that locally gusty winds are possible Friday afternoon.
Evacuation orders issued Wednesday have since been downgraded to warnings.
Trinity County fires
A pair of lightning-sparked wildfires, the Monument and McFarland fires near Trinity County, have each surpassed 100,000 acres since igniting in late July.
Activity has slowed because of improving weather conditions and increased humidity earlier this week, according to the Forest Service, but there are still large amounts of extremely dry fuel that are receptive to burning.
The Monument Fire as of Friday morning had reached 160,148 acres, with containment at 22%. The blaze is threatening more than 8,000 south of Del Loma near the Trinity River, according to Cal Fire and the Forest Service. At least 32 structures have been destroyed.
Some evacuation orders for the Monument Fire were reduced to warnings Monday, including parts of Junction City, Big Flat, Big Bar and Del Loma. Orders remain in place for other communities including Hayfork, and a stretch of Highway 299 is closed between Sky Ranch and Ammon roads. Detailed evacuation information is available via the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office page on Facebook.
The McFarland Fire is 122,653 acres and 93% contained as of Friday, according to the Forest Service. Crews have made great progress: the blaze grew only a few dozen acres Thursday, as firefighters continue mop-up efforts to ensure no hot spots break containment lines during red-flag winds Friday and Saturday.
An evacuation order for the Shasta County community of Platina, where about 200 people live, was reduced Thursday to a warning.
This story was originally published August 24, 2021 at 8:25 AM with the headline "California wildfires: Caldor Fire, Dixie Fire still active as other new fires erupt."
