California burnin’

Although California has benefited from a surprisingly wet May and June, July and August have nevertheless seen the start of wildfire season. Currently about 20 fires are burning across the State.

According to Inyo National Forest Public Affairs Officer Deb Schweizer, the hazy conditions and light smoke on the southern part of the Forest and Owens Valley are due primarily to the Cabin Fire. The Cabin Fire in the Golden Trout Wilderness and Sequoia National Park started on July 19 from a lightning strike. The fire reached 4,294 acres as of August 4, and is 0 percent contained, although 448 personnel are assigned to fight it. A portion of the Golden Trout Wilderness is currently closed.

Meanwhile the human-caused Willow Fire burning northeast of North Fork in the Sierra National Forest reached 5,702 acres but is 90 percent contained as of August 6. 864 personnel responded.

Further north, the Big Creek Fire off Hwy 120 and Sprague Road near Groveland, which began because of escaped debris fire, was 100 percent contained as of August 4. The fire burned 204 acres, with 114 personnel responding.

Lowell Fire, which began on July 25 in the Steep Hollow drainage west of Alta, flooded the Antelope Valley with smoke several weeks ago. The fire burned 2,304 acres, but is 95 percent contained as of August 6. 272 firefighting personnel responded. Six personnel were injured, two structures destroyed, and one structure damaged. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The largest and most troubling fire, although it will not affect Mono or Inyo Counties, is the Rocky Fire burning about 110 miles north of San Francisco in Lake, Yolo, and Colusa Counties. The fire began on July 29 and has since spread to 69,600 acres. 3,635 firefighting personnel are responding, but as of August 6 the fire still remains only 40 percent contained. The fire has forced the evacuation of about 13,000 residents, and has destroyed 43 residences and 53 outbuildings, and damaged eight structures.

The Rocky Fire is still much smaller than the 2013 Rim Fire, which burned over 250,000 acres. But according to the Cal Fire, California is already trending ahead of the number of fires and acres burned last year: 4,201 fires this year compared to 2,945 fires last year from January through August, and 100,000 acres burned this year as compared to 87,676 last year in the same time period.

And, unfortunately, there are still months of fire season ahead.