Fires around the world

Two wildfires in Ireland at this time, one in the Mourne Mountains in the north and the other in Killarney National Park in the southwest:


 
Shasta fire in WEED, Calif. (aka the #LavaFire) explodes over night due to high winds, record temps, and extra dry fuel loads (with so no sign of letting up). The lightning-sparked fire broke out Friday in steep terrain approximately 3.5 miles northeast of Weed.
Evacuations underway as Lava Fire explodes in size in Siskiyou County





Else where in the Golden State:

#StoweFire [UPDATE] The fire is now 105 acres.
 
Shasta fire in WEED, Calif. (aka the #LavaFire) explodes over night due to high winds, record temps, and extra dry fuel loads (with so no sign of letting up). The lightning-sparked fire broke out Friday in steep terrain approximately 3.5 miles northeast of Weed.
Evacuations underway as Lava Fire explodes in size in Siskiyou County





Else where in the Golden State:

#StoweFire [UPDATE] The fire is now 105 acres.
And now the Tennant Fire a few miles to the NorthEast. Temps in the 100's (F) and high winds.

Rivers and lakes as low as we've ever seen them. Likely to be an interesting season.
 
Had a quick look at fires in BC. Three major fires thus far, equaling < 10,000 ha. With the heat maintaining temps into the 40's c range - extended another few days.

Here is an interactive map.


There is also the current (and long term monitoring) of the Canadian Lightning Danger Map - Canada (this also includes some of the U.S., Alaska and the Yukon).
 

The small village of Lytton BC was almost totally destroyed by a wildfire.

Edit: I remember talking to a woman in Kamloops back in my hitch-hiking days. She said they couldn't get wildfire insurance because the companies considered it an 'act of god'. In the first video, a farmer talks about his decision to stay and protect his farm with irrigation because he couldn't get insurance, either.

My heart goes out to the people of Lytton - it could be that many of them have lost everything. It seems that there is still an ongoing search for people who are unaccounted for.

I've been watering every day, all day, the perimeter around my house to try to keep ambient moisture in the soil in this heat. It takes a long time of watering for the moisture to fully soak through the 'duff', which is a tinder-dry layer of debris on the forest floor.

We had some thunder yesterday, but luckily no lightning strikes in the area. This all has given me a good reason to get an evacuation bag ready just in case.
 
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@iamthatis I am somewhat familiar with the area you are living, by my recollection it is heavily forested. Stay safe, the evacuation bag is sound planning.

Where I live yesterday in the evening there was also thunder, I didn't notice any lightning strikes, we did have some rainfall, but not enough, more like a drop in the ocean.

The situation in Lytton is tragic, with reports of missing or uncounted, with relatives contacting the emergency services to locate family members.

This is one of the most tragic I have read. Demonstrating the dangers of wildfires, living in a community, surrounded by forests.


Jeff Chapman told Postmedia News that the couple in their 60s took cover in a hole in the ground as their house between the railway tracks and the downtown core began to burn.
Chapman said he ran toward the tracks. Moments later, he saw a power pole explode and fall on top of the hole containing his parents.
“It’s their grave now,” he said on Thursday, waiting outside a motel in Boston Bar.

Also this posted on SOTT this morning.


This struck me from the article:

Earlier in the week, local authorities revealed that they would artificially induce rain to fight against the wildfires. Around 69,000 hectares of wild land were reported to be ablaze. Are they talking about weather modification?
 
Rekindle reignites #BeckwourthComplexFire in California. With a current heatwave (hammering the west) it may ramp up the condition's for more firers. Thus stretching resource's to the limit, (as well as man power). It's like the Paradise fire rebooted.
Size: 3,035 Acres
Contained: 34%
Date of Origin Saturday July 03rd, 2021 approx. 10:30 AM Location 3 miles northeast of Beckwourth, CA
Cause Lightning




Current wildland fires Interactive Map
And Listings in the USA

Snip:
Following record-breaking heat and drought in northeastern Russia, hundreds of intense wildfires are now burning through taiga forests in Siberia.

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on Suomi NPP acquired this natural-color image of large clouds of smoke enveloping the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) on July 5, 2021. Satellite data indicates that several small fires burned intermittently in the area for weeks, but several exploded in size during the last week of June.

According to Sakha’s emergencies ministry, more than 250 fires were burning across roughly 5720 square kilometers (2,210 square miles) of land on July 5—an area about twice the size of Luxembourg. While regional authorities report extinguishing dozens of fires per day, they call the situation “difficult” and will likely be battling large fires for weeks. Thick smoke has occasionally enveloped Yakutsk, the largest city (population 312,000) in Sakha, and other settlements in the region.
 
Interactive map within:
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - The Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon has burned an area larger than Portland, Eugene and Salem combined in less than a week.

The fire is threatening nearly 2,000 homes and remains 0% contained. There are no reports of fatalities; crews are assessing the extent of the damage to homes and infrastructure.

That's an area larger than Oregon's three most-populated cities combined.

Over 1,000 firefighters are assigned to the blaze, including firefighters from Lane County who traveled south to help protect homes.

Fire managers reported extreme fire behavior on Sunday "resulted in approximately 4 miles of fire growth both to the east and north. The fire moved through Sycan Estates, crossed the East-West road, and burned about 8 additional miles along the high voltage powerline corridor (for a total of 12 miles). Damage to structures and infrastructure is being assessed; some structures have been lost. There have been no reported fatalities."

The fire is also threatening roads, bridges, utilities and infrastructure in the area and FEMA says it has authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs.

Evacuation orders are in effect. Oregon uses a three-tier system: Level 1 Be Ready, Level 2 Be Set and Level 3 GO!





Forest fires: European Commission is stepping up its preparations for the forest fire season 2021
Press release 21 June 2021 Brussels Snip:

The season's risk for forest fires is forecasted to be above average, with temperatures expected to be higher-than-average from June to September in the Mediterranean region. The season might also see less rainfall, especially in central Europe and many areas of the Mediterranean. This can increase the risk of wildfires in both fire-prone areas and new regions of Europe.
rescEU firefighting capacities
  • The 2021 rescEU firefighting fleet foresees airplanes and helicopters from six EU Member States, ready to be deployed to other countries in times of need.
  • The rescEU firefighting fleet will consist of: 2 firefighting airplanes from Croatia, 2 firefighting airplanes from Greece, 2 firefighting airplanes from Italy, 2 firefighting airplanes from Spain, 6 firefighting helicopters from Sweden.
  • This comes in addition to 1 firefighting airplane from France and 2 firefighting airplanes from Sweden which are part of the rescEU fleet on a long term basis.
Major wildfires in the eastern part of California continue to burn in hot, dry conditions, covering over 100,000 acres and forcing evacuations of thousands of residents.
July 13, 2021 Detailed Analytical Analysis / Snip:
Nearly 918,000 acres have burned in 67 large fires across the United States. New large fires were reported in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. Type 1 and Type 2 Incident Management Teams are assigned to 24 large fires or complexes. And, more than 14,200 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents.

As record temperatures continue across many states, it's important to remember that we all play a valuable role in wildfire prevention. The national average of human-caused wildfires comprises 87% of all wildfire occurrences every year. Most of these fires can be prevented. Please Recreate Responsibly while enjoying your public lands.

Weather

The high aloft over southern Nevada will weaken today, but above normal temperatures will continue over most of the Intermountain West with low afternoon RH. A weak upper trough will move through the Northern Rockies and bring isolated dry thunderstorms across northern Idaho into western Montana this morning. The thunderstorms will progress through Montana and into Wyoming during the day gradually becoming wetter with some storms approaching severe limits. Elevated to locally critical fire weather conditions are forecast across the Northern Great Basin into Wyoming and northwest Colorado with westerly winds coinciding with low RH. Moisture from the monsoon will continue across southeastern California, southern Great Basin, Wyoming, Colorado, and the Southwest with scattered thunderstorms, most of which will have wetting rain. Alaska will remain warm and dry today over the Interior with some breezy west winds. Strong to severe thunderstorms are forecast for the eastern Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic.

States currently reporting large fires:
 
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Dozens of fires currently burning on the West Coast affecting New Jersey.


Doctors are warning some groups prone to air pollution to stay inside as smoke from dozens of fires on the West Coast can be seen more than 2,500 miles away in New Jersey.

There are hazy skies over the entire state, all thanks to smoke from the wildfires still burning.

Prolonged record-breaking heat and dry conditions are a recipe for fires. The Bootleg Fire, as it's known in Oregon, now encompasses more than 500 square miles, which is roughly the size of Monmouth County.

You won't smell any smoke because it's too high up in the sky and the atmosphere, but sensitive groups such as the elderly and young children, asthmatics, and lung patients may notice some difficulty breathing after strenuous activity.

“Younger children, people with seasonal allergies, pollen allergies, and elderly people with chronic lung disease such as COPD, we definitely see incidences asthma exacerbation when these air quality issues arise or the air pollution going up,” says Chirag Patel, allergist and immunologist with Ocean Allergy. “Same with COPD. We see more hospitalizations with those patients involved.”

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has issued an air quality action day for Camden, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Northwestern, Burlington, Somerset, Southeastern, Burlington, Sussex and Warren counties. The air quality alert is in effect until 12 a.m. Wednesday.


I've lived on the East Coast of the USA for 16 years and I think this is the first time that West Coast smoke reaches this far east, it certainly a strange day and the sun was there but as a tiny red dot in the sky.
 
Bill Gabbert Posted on July 21, 2021 Categories Wildfire Tags California, Nevada, Tamarack Fire
The Tamarack Fire spread further east on Tuesday, crossing the state line from California into Nevada (see map above). The fire started July 4 southwest of Markleeville, California and from that point has now spread 15 miles northeast and 10 miles to the north.

After it passed the state line near Leviathan Mine Road it continued east. During a satellite overflight at 3:18 a.m. PDT Wednesday July 21 it was about two miles west of US Highway 395 and 5 miles northwest of the junction of 395 and Highway 208.

The Incident Management Team reports that 10 structures have been destroyed.

To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Tamarack Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.

Tuesday night voluntary evacuations were issued “for all residents in Leviathan Mine Rd. and Holbrook Junction areas.” More information is at InciWeb.

A mapping flight at 6 p.m. PDT Tuesday determined that the fire had burned about 41,800 acres, but it continued burning later into the evening.

Resources assigned to the fire Tuesday evening included 27 hand crews, 99 engines, and 9 helicopters for a total of 1,219 personnel.

Tamarack Fire crosses Nevada state line, scorches more than 50,000 acres
Snip:
Updated as of 10 a.m. on July 22:
MARKLEEVILLE, Calif. (News 4 & Fox 11) — The Tamarack Fire has burned more than 50,000 acres and is 4% contained as of Thursday morning.

US 395 is shut down from SR-4 to SR-88 in Alpine County.

Topaz Ranch Estates and Topaz Lake residents have been asked to evacuated due to erratic fire behavior on Wednesday night.

An evacuation center is setup at the Douglas County Community and Senior Center at 1329 Waterloo Lane in Gardnerville.

Update as of 6:20 a.m. on July 22:

Caltrans reports SR 89 is closed at the junction of US 395 to the Mono/Alpine Co. line.

Highway 395 is closed in both directions from the NV/CA Stateline to Bridgeport, California.


4198f1ac-fddb-4f83-9ef9-146b48e9844d-medium16x9_Highway395closedtoBridgeportCA.PNG

Highway 395 closed to Bridgeport, CA.PNG

N-DOT announced the road closure for US 395 S around 5:15 a.m. and has since added northbound traffic.



Photo of Amy Graff Amy Graff , SFGATE July 20, 2021 Updated: July 22, 2021 9:08 a.m.
Snip:
LATEST July 22, 9 a.m. California's Dixie Fire straddling Plumas and Butte counties was 103,910 acres Thursday morning, becoming the state's second of 2021 to pass the milestone, Cal Fire said.

The Beckwourth Complex Fire 50 miles north of Tahoe that's now 96% contained also passed the 100,000 acre mark.

Megafires are becoming more and more common, especially in California, which has been hit repeatedly by extreme weather events, including heat waves, drought and dry lightning. These humongous fires were rare in California before 2003 — but 17 of the 20 largest fires in the state’s history have occurred since then, according to state data.

Cal Fire gave an update Thursday morning on the fire that started near Cresta Dam: "The Dixie Fire remained active overnight with active surface fire, and single tree torching with short range spotting and rollout. Firefighters fought the fire aggressively. Firefighters continued construction on control lines and engaged in structure defense overnight."

July 21, 8 a.m. California's Dixie Fire straddling Plumas and Butte counties remained active overnight with uphill runs, tree torching and long-range spotting. The U.S. Forest Service and Cal Fire said Wednesday morning that flames have torn through 85,479 acres.

The fire has grown rapidly and was 40,500 acres on Monday night.

Flames are pushing toward the northeast and officials said in the Wednesday morning update that it will likely grown by two to three miles in that direction.

Firefighters battled flames to save homes overnight and put down containment lines when possible.

The blaze that started on July 13 in the Feather River Canyon near Crest Dam is 15% contained.

The fire is well established in the Chips Fire burn scar that chewed up forestland in the Feather River Canyon in 2012, the Cal Fire and Forest Service said.

Officials said two structures have been destroyed along Highway 70 in Twain and the Beckwourth area but damage assessments are not complete.
Benjamin Bell watches as the Dixie Fire burns along Highway 70 in Plumas National Forest, Calif., on Friday, July 16, 2021.
Benjamin Bell watches as the Dixie Fire burns along Highway 70 in Plumas National Forest, Calif., on Friday, July 16, 2021.Noah Berger/AP

Unpredictable winds, fire clouds that spawn lightning, and flames that leap over firebreaks are confounding efforts to fight the blaze, which is sweeping through southern Oregon.
A firefighting aircraft returning to base on Thursday with the Bootleg Fire’s pyrocumulonimbus cloud in the background.Credit...Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Reuters
 
23 Jul, 2021 20:43 Tweets
Enormous plumes of black smoke have been billowing into the skies of northern France after a huge blaze broke out in a large warehouse in Bondues, not far from Lille.

The fire broke out at an industrial zone in the small town of Bondues, located near the French border with Belgium. The blaze was so massive that the cascading plumes of smoke rising over the site have been seen as far away as the city of Lille, some 10 kilometers to the south.


Photos and videos shared on social media showed not just smoke, but huge tongues of flame rising above one of the warehouses in the Bondues industrial zone. Dozens of firefighters have been sent to contain the blaze, according to local media reports.

The 500-square-meter storage facility belongs to the Vandenbulcke company – a food wholesaler specializing in bakery products, French media said. No injuries have been reported, according to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.

The sight of the blaze drew onlookers to such an extent that it led to several traffic jams in the area, as motorists were slowing down out of “curiosity,” according to local reports. The cause of the fire is still unclear.
 
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