Dixie Fire Roars Back To Life, Heading North Into Lassen County; Hat Creek SETI Telescope Threatened
California's nearly 2-month-old Dixie Fire, burning 250 miles northeast of San Francisco, roared back to life Thursday amid erratic winds, triggering new evacuations and threatening the communities of Hat Creek and Old Station, as well as a collection of radio telescopes designed to look for alien broadcasts.
The 928,741-acre monster blaze that ignited July 13 in the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade Range was 59% contained as of Thursday evening, and firefighters had the upper-hand across much of the blaze, Cal Fire said. But Thursday, in the northwest corner that spreads across Lassen and Shasta counties, flames raced north as a cold front from the Pacific Northwest dropped into California, delivering erratic winds. Both winds and dry lightning are in the forecast overnight and more aggressive fire behavior is expected with extremely dry, flammable vegetation on the ground.
The Dixie Fire is the second-largest California wildfire on record. Only last year’s August Complex was larger at 1,032,648 acres.
The fire activity triggered new evacuations including mandatory evacuations in Old Station: Find the latest details on all new evacuations from the Lassen County Sheriff's Department and the Shasta County Sheriff's Department. Old Station is a community of about four dozen people located 13 miles north of Lassen Volcanic National Park. With a gas station and a few general stores and a cafe, it mostly serves as a stop for travelers exploring the region's outdoor recreation attractions. It's home to Subway Cave, one of the largest and most easily accessible lava caves in the world.
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https://www.sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/Dixie-Fire-Allen-Telescope-Array-Hat-Creek-16447924.php