good morning. Monday, September 9Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
Fire weather hits Southern California with smoke, thunderstorms and prolonged heat
Southern California’s brutal storm is bad enough on its own, but residents across a wide swath of the South now face a compound threat: a massive storm that’s burning so hot it’s generating its own thunderstorms.
Local officials are warning of dangerous smoke, lightning, hail, high winds and possible flash flooding, posing even greater dangers for communities around the San Bernardino Mountains.
“Los Angeles County and the surrounding area are under a red flag warning as temperatures are expected to exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas,” my colleagues Teresa Watanabe and Colleen Shalby say. “The combination of high temperatures and humidity could result in thunderstorms in the Los Angeles mountains, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, the Antelope Valley and the San Gabriel Valley.”
Here’s the basic info as of this morning:
- More than 20,500 acres burned
- The fire is 3% contained.
- More than 36,000 homes and other buildings are at risk.
- 1,855 personnel are currently battling the fire.
- Three firefighters injured
Warnings were issued for Running Springs and Arrowbear Lake, and evacuation warnings were issued Sunday for Lake Arrowhead, Cedar Glen, Crestline and the Valley of Enchantment.
Fire officials said Sunday that unsettled winds, smoky air and limited resources were making efforts to fight the blaze difficult.
Another big problem for firefighters and everyone else is fire cumulonimbus clouds. Storm clouds caused by fires can produce lightning, ground firefighting aircraft and spark further fires. And these fire clouds are forming more frequently.
“Hot, dry weather coupled with thunderstorms are expected to severely test firefighters over the next few days,” they wrote.
The weather bureau said more than 3,700 lightning strikes in the clouds and over 280 strikes to the ground were recorded on Saturday alone.
“When it comes to firefighting, pyrocumulus clouds can pose additional challenges by generating gusts of wind, sudden wind shifts, large amounts of lightning and even rain,” the agency said.
As a result, the NWS issued flood warnings for several areas, including parts of Riverside, San Bernardino, Fontana and Rialto.
The Rhine Fire reportedly broke out in the area where a housing complex in Highland City meets the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains.
Such areas, known as “wildfire hotspots,” are prone to wildfires. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but its location was recalled by Seth Mitchell, deputy forest fire manager for the U.S. Forest Service.
Mitchell pointed out that contrary to popular belief, “the majority of wildfires start on private land and spread into forested areas,” not the other way around.
A new wildfire broke out nearby on Sunday.
Firefighters also battled another wildfire Sunday in Angeles National Forest north of Glendora in Los Angeles County.
The fire, named the , has burned over 800 acres and was 0% contained as of Sunday evening.
Forest visitors were evacuated from the area and several roads were closed, including East Fork Road, State Route 39, Glendora Mountain Road and Glendora Ridge Road.
Forest officials said firefighters were conducting an “aggressive attack using air and ground resources.”
California faces explosive fire season after milder fire seasons in recent years
Fire season is reaching its peak in the West, and this year has been especially busy compared to the past two seasons, which were mitigated by consecutive wet winters.
About 838,575 acres have burned so far this season, more than in 2010 and 2011 combined, according to Cal Fire incident data.
Fire is a natural part of forest ecosystems, but nearly a century of forest fires has greatly increased the risk of large fires like those that have become more frequent in recent years.
For the latest information on the Line Fire, Bridge Fire and other fire weather hazards on Monday, follow us on Twitter. You can also check for updates from the National Weather Service in Seattle, Washington, and officials in Seattle and Washington.
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