California wildfire updates: Hot weather, humidity allows interior Caldor Fire to smolder
Firefighters on Wednesday continued their work on corralling 14 major wildfires burning in California, including the Caldor Fire in El Dorado County, as they battled very hot and dry conditions.
There was minimal growth overnight along the northeast and southern edges of the Caldor Fire, but flames continued to be active throughout the night, Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service announced in a Wednesday morning update. The warm conditions allowed interior islands to burn and smolder.
The Caldor Fire had burned 217,569 acres (339 square miles), and firefighters had 50% of the fire contained on Wednesday. The flames have destroyed 776 homes, 18 commercial properties and 202 minor structures. Authorities said damage inspections continued with about 95% of structures assessed.
“Firefighters worked diligently to mitigate spot fires throughout the evening,” officials said in the Wednesday morning update. “Today, crews will continue to work along Highway 50 to clear hazard trees to support safe repopulation in the coming days.”
Also ahead: A fire weather watch will be in place between Thursday evening and Friday evening in much of Northern California due to a weather system that is expected to bring a chance of thunderstorms with lightning and erratic winds.
That includes the Tahoe Basin, where afternoon winds could gusts to between 35 and 40 mph on Friday, forecasters warned.
“The combination of possible dry lightning as well as strong winds with the dry fuels could lead to critical fire weather conditions,” National Weather Service forecasters wrote.
Nearly 15,000 firefighters were making progress on the major California wildfires and three extended attack wildfires burning throughout the state. Cal Fire said firefighters on Tuesday responded to 32 new wildfires in California that were quickly contained.
Dixie Fire
Flames from the Dixie fire have burned 919,300 acres (1,436 square miles) in Butte, Plumas, Lassen, and Tehama counties, according to Cal Fire. Firefighters had 59% containment on the fire burning above the Cresta Dam and Feather River Canyon.
More evacuation warnings were lifted in Plumas County on Wednesday afternoon. Nearly 6,000 structures remained threatened, and 1,282 have been destroyed by the Dixie Fire. The Dixie Fire is the second largest and 14th most destructive wildfire in California history, according to Cal Fire.
Bridge Fire
In Placer County, the Bridge Fire had burned 411 acres northeast of Auburn, as of Wednesday. Firefighters had 50% of the fire contained. The fire started underneath the Foresthill Bridge on Sunday afternoon, prompting evacuations from the Auburn State Recreation Area.
All evacuation warnings and orders have since been lifted for the Bridge Fire, but there are still some road closures. Cal Fire said the Bridge Fire was exhibiting minimal activity, only inside the current fire perimeter, as of Tuesday evening.
McCash Fire
Firefighters in Siskiyou County had 15% containment of the McCash Fire as of Wednesday. A daytime infrared flight mapped the fire at 59,049 acres, but containment held despite the fire’s growth, the U.S. Forest Service said.
“Firefighters will continue to engage the fire where it is safe to do so and reinforce contingency lines,” officials said in the Wednesday update.
Meteorologists expect temperatures to cool and humidity to increase, moderating fire activity and helping firefighting efforts, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The Six Rivers National Forest is closed.
This story was originally published September 8, 2021 at 2:58 PM with the headline "California wildfire updates: Hot weather, humidity allows interior Caldor Fire to smolder."
