Multiple wildfires hit California over the past four days. Here’s where they’re burning
Five wildland fires that started since Friday were burning from one end of California to the other Monday, plus a prescribed burn to reduce forest fire dangers in Sequoia National Park in the mountains east of Visalia and Fresno.
The largest of the current wildfires in the state is the Sheep Fire, which started Sunday morning near the community of Wrightwood in San Bernardino County. As of Monday morning, Cal Fire officials estimated the acreage involved at 939 acres. Firefighting crews had built containment lines around only 5% of the fire’s perimeter.
In the Sierra Nevada on the east side of the San Joaquin Valley, the Tharps-Hazelwood fire was intentionally ignited by National Park Service crews on Thursday in and around the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park in Tulare County. The goal of the fire is to reduce the dry underbrush and other fuels that could feed an uncontrolled wildfire in what is anticipated to be a severe fire season in the Sierra Nevada.
Additional ignitions are planned over the next few days, eventually increasing the planned acreage to be treated to 752 acres.
Other current fires that started since June 9 in California include:
- The Plant Fire, which started early Saturday morning near Interstate 5 and Grapevine Road in Kern County. As of Monday, it was estimated at 517 acres and 99% contained.
- The Graham Fire, which started Friday morning in the Ishi Wilderness in the Lassen National Forest in Tehama County. It was estimated at 177 acres and 15% contained as of Sunday evening.
- The Brandie Fire, which started Saturday afternoon near Brandie Drive and Loma Rica Road northeast of Marysville in Yuba County. It was estimated at 72 acres and 60% contained as of Monday morning.
- The Barrett Fire, which started Sunday evening near Highway 94 and Barrett Road, near Barrett in San Diego County. It was estimated at 65 acres and 25% containment as of Monday morning.
“California continues to experience longer wildfire seasons as a direct result of climate change.,” according to a 2022 fire season outlook prepared by Cal Fire, the state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “Extended dryness originating from January is expected to continue into the spring with little (precipitation) leaving most of the state in moderate to extreme drought conditions prior to summer.”
“These continued dry conditions with above normal temperatures through Spring will leave fuel moisture levels lower than normal increasing the potential for wildland fire activity,” the outlook stated.
So far in the 2022 fire season, Cal Fire reports that there have been 2,504 incidents in the state, burning an estimated 11,484 acres. No lives have been lost in those fires.
This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 3:40 PM.
