internal California Wednesday was very hot and dry, and forecasts indicated that there was a risk of dry lightning, as thousands of firefighters had been in a hurry and had been burning wildfires for weeks.
The National Weather Service’s high temperature warning extends to the Central Valley and inland Southern California, and the high temperature warning extends eastward through the desert into Nevada.
Due to the anticipated high demand for air conditioners, the National Energy Grid operator has called for voluntary electricity savings between 4pm and 9pm.
As the weather system is expected to bring about the possibility of thunderstorms, lightning and unstable wind gusts, most inland areas of Northern California have issued fire warnings from Thursday night to Friday night.
The forecaster wrote: “Possible dry lightning and the combination of strong winds and dry fuel may cause severe fire weather conditions.”
The California Forestry and Fire Department stated that nearly 15,000 firefighters have made progress in 14 major wildfires and several smaller new fires. This includes 3 of the 20 largest fires on record in the state.
In the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades, the second largest fire in California history has burned nearly 3,732 square kilometers. The Dixie fire was 59% under control, and evacuation warnings were lifted in some areas of Larsen and Pramas counties. More than 1,280 buildings were destroyed, including 688 detached houses.
In the southern Sierra Mountains near Lake Tahoe, the Kaldor fire, which is nearly 340 square miles away, is still 50% under control. Firefighters have had enough success in fighting the 15th largest fire in the state, and residents of South Lake Tahoe City were allowed to return to their homes last weekend. With 95% of the inspections completed, nearly 1,000 buildings were destroyed, including 776 single-family houses.
In the mountains of the far north coast, the state’s 18th fire has destroyed nearly 767 square kilometers of Shasta Trinity National Forest. The monument fire was controlled 41%, but still poses a threat to more than 10,500 buildings.
In recent years, as climate change has made the western United States warmer and drier in the past 30 years, California has experienced larger and more deadly wildfires. Scientists say that the weather will continue to become more extreme, and wildfires will become more frequent, more destructive and unpredictable.
© 2021 Canadian Press
