Experts haven’t seen anything like ‘insane’ Rocky Fire

[yuiyoshida]

CLEARLAKE, Lake County — The ravenous blaze racing through this area may not be a living organism, but fire behavior specialists say the vast oval of flame has been acting like a demon, bolting in all directions, shooting out superheated tentacles and even creating its own weather.

More than 3,400 firefighters from across California battled the 67,000-acre Rocky Fire on Tuesday, and they were helped by cooler temperatures and higher humidity — including a smattering of rain — that helped slow the fickle inferno, which tripled in size in recent days despite the all-out assault.

It was a welcome break after a desperate weeklong struggle, about 110 miles north of San Francisco, against a fire that experts say has broken all the rules.

The blaze on Monday jumped containment lines on Highway 20, north of the city of Clearlake, and by Tuesday evening it had eaten up an additional 7,000 acres, bolstering its status as the biggest and most dangerous of about two dozen major wildfires in the state. According to the White House, President Obama was keeping an eye on it.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Rocky-Fire-grows-to-65-000-acres-still-12-6423753.php#photo-8409126

[NV Whino]

1. It's listed as 20% contained this morning

Anticipated containment is August 10.