Approaching storm complicates California wildfire fight (UPDATED)

[Omaha Steve]

Last edited Fri Sep 9, 2022, 02:45 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: AP

By JULIE WATSON and JOHN ANTCZAK

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Firefighters struggling to control raging California wildfires faced a new threat Friday as a tropical storm approached from the south with gusty winds and a surge of moisture that forecasters warned could unleash heavy rains and flash floods.

East winds were rising at the deadly Fairview Fire in Southern California and firefighters worried that gusts would push the fire west, casting embers far ahead and igniting new blazes.

The fire covered about 43 square miles (111 square kilometers) of Riverside County and was just 5% contained. Two people died while fleeing on Monday and at least 12 structures have been destroyed. More than 18,000 homes were threatened.

To the north in the Sierra Nevada, the Mosquito Fire burned out of control, scorching at least 22 square miles (57 square kilometers) and threatening 3,600 homes in Placer and El Dorado counties, while blanketing the region in smoke.



A dog rides through the Foresthill community in Placer County, Calif., as the Mosquito Fire burns on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-fires-california-nevada-los-angeles-ff2c04b15c35842eb6e6ae00ef9af581

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Original post: By JOHN ANTCZAK

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Firefighters on Friday struggled to control raging California wildfires that have grown explosively during extreme heat and forced thousands of residents to flee mountain communities at both ends of the state.

The Fairview Fire in Southern California covered about 37 square miles (95 square kilometers) of Riverside County and was just 5% contained. Two people died while fleeing flames on Monday and at least 11 structures have been destroyed. More than 18,000 homes were threatened by the fire fed by shifting winds, officials said Thursday evening.

To the north in the Sierra Nevada, the Mosquito Fire burned out of control, scorching at least 20 square miles (52 square kilometers) and threatening 3,600 homes in Placer and El Dorado counties, while blanketing the region in smoke.

Flames jumped the American River, burning structures in the mountain hamlet of Volcanoville and moving closer to the towns of Foresthill, home to about 1,500 people, and Georgetown, population 3,000. Fire spokesperson Chris Vestal called the fast-moving blaze an “extreme and critical fire threat.”



Firefighters battle the Mosquito Fire along Mosquito Ridge Rd. near the Foresthill community in Placer County, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

[FirstLight]

1. Still very smoky here in Tahoe this morning

The only good thing is that it make the sun/heat less intense.

Bless those firefighters! They do amazing work under hellacious conditions!

[Unwind Your Mind]

2. My Aunt and Uncle are evacuated from Georgetown

She said the winds were blowing back to the east overnight, sending it right to you

[BigmanPigman]

3. The rain has been slow and steady

in San Diego all day so no floods and no runoff. The water will actually do good as it is absorbed by the baked surface, helping to keep the fires from spreading and more from starting as we continue through this hot season. In San Diego, CA some of the worst fires have occurred in late Oct.

[pfitz59]

4. One of the first fires I remember as a kid was the Kelsey Fire

Near Georgetown. We watched it from across the river.