UPDATE: Another bad air day for North State residents; NorCal fires to blame
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Containment creeps up on Elkhorn Fire
2:15 p.m. Friday UPDATE
The Elkhorn Fire that continues to burn in western Tehama County saw its containment slightly increase but so did its size.
The lightning-caused blaze was up to 33% containment Friday, compared to 30% on Thursday. The acreage increased to 36,600 acres Friday, a little bigger than 36,500 acres on Thursday.
The Elkhorn Fire is one of 11 active fires from the original 37 fires in the Butte/Tehama/Glenn Lightning Complex, the U.S. Forest Service said.
In other updates, the Ivory/Doe Fire was at 172,327 acres, up from 160,436 acres Thursday, with containment remaining at 31%. The Ivory/Doe blaze is part of the August Complex mostly in western Glenn County and 35 miles northwest of Willows.
The Tatham Fire increased to 9,050 acres Friday compared to 8,958 acres Thursday and stayed at 11% containment west of Paskenta in Tehama County.
The fires in Tehama and Glenn counties have destroyed two buildings and damaged one, as they continue to threaten some 250 structures, the Forest Service said. One first responder has been injured.
Meanwhile, the air quality index was in the moderate range for Redding on Friday and unsafe for sensitive groups in Anderson. Both cities should have moderate quality air Saturday, according to Interagency Wildland Fire officials.
As predicted, fire activity has increased as the smoke begins to clear.
"Poorer air quality will be experienced nearest Oroville and the foothills west of Corning and Red Bluff," according to the interagency's Air Quality Response Program.
Meanwhile, the Glade Fire west of Paskenta was at 20,001 acres Friday, up from 19,803 acres Thursday, and still 0% contained, Forest Service officials said. They say they expect the Ivory/Doe Fire to join with the Glade and Hull (6,020 acres, 5% contained) blazes sometime in the coming days.
Less hazy skies predicted as Northern California fires keep burning
1:55 p.m. Thursday UPDATE
Some of the smoke from Northern California wildfires was expected to clear Thursday and Friday in the Redding area, but those clearing skies may increase fire activity.
The smoke outlook from the Interagency Wildland Fire’s Air Quality Response Program predicts periods of better air quality for Redding – moving from unhealthy for sensitive groups to moderate – especially later in the day.
Ironically, clearer skies will accelerate fire activity due to warmer and drier conditions, the agency said.
“An increase in fire activity may increase overall smoke production, however air movement and dispersal will improve,” according to a statement Thursday.
Meanwhile the lightning-caused Elkhorn, Ivory/Doe, Tatham and August Complex fires continue to burn in dense vegetation and rugged terrain.
- The 36,500-acre Elkhorn Fire in western Tehama County was 30% contained Thursday.
- The Elkhorn blaze is one of 11 active fires from the original 37 fires in the Butte/Tehama/Glenn Lightning Complex, the U.S. Forest Service said.
- The Ivory/Doe Fire was at 160,436 acres with 31% containment. The August Complex, which includes the Ivory/Doe Fire mostly in western Glenn County, is 35 miles northwest of Willows.
- The Glade Fire west of Paskenta was at 19,803 acres and 0% contained.
- The Tatham Fire was 8,958 and 11% contained west of Paskenta in Tehama County.
Crews are continuing to build direct and indirect control lines, and keep buildings safe from flames where needed, fire officials said.
ORIGINAL STORY
North State residents woke up Wednesday to another day of smoky skies and harmful air.
The hazy air was in the unhealthy range Wednesday morning in the Redding and Anderson areas due to smoke continuing to blow in from wildfires in Northern California.
The particulate readings for Redding at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday was 165. For Anderson, it was 160, according to Shasta County's air quality map. The air quality index says air is considered unhealthy to breathe for readings between 151 and 200.
In Red Bluff, west of the Elkhorn Fire, the 10 a.m. reading was slightly better at 156.
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"There's so many fires going around we're getting hit with a little bit of everything," said Joseph Tona, Tehama County's air pollution control officer. "The bulk (of smoke) is coming from the August complex."
Wind currents also show smoke being lofted into the northern Sacramento Valley from extensive fires in the Bay Area, according to a Wildfire Viewer by Enplan, a Redding environmental and geospatial firm.
People should take outdoor precautions when the air is this bad.
"When conditions are unhealthy, people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion," according to Butte County air pollution officials.
The August Complex started Aug. 17 with 37 separate fires caused by lightning strikes west and southwest of Paskenta on the Mendocino National Forest.
Flames have destroyed a total of 10 habitable structures.
The U.S. Forest Service says many of those fires have since merged to form larger blazes that are listed here with Wednesday morning's figures:
- Doe Fire, 160,436 acres, 31% contained
- Glade Fire, 18,307 acres, 0% contained
- Tatham Fire, 8,958 acres, 11% contained
- Entire August Complex, 197,148 acres, 17% contained
"Structure protection is continuing (on the Doe Fire) when it is safe to do so," Forest Service officials said.
Firefighters are watching the weather due to the potential for thunderstorms that forecasters say "could produce downdrafts and erratic, extreme fire behavior."
Residents of Platina in southwest Shasta County can relax a little as an evacuation warning has been lifted for the Glenn Zone.
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Platina was threatened by the Elkhorn Fire, which on Wednesday was up to 25% containment and 35,000 acres in western Tehama County.
However, the lightning-caused blaze was still threatening communities to the northeast, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Some 250 buildings are threatened in the Tehama/Glenn fire zone, down from 1,500 earlier in the week. Two structures have been destroyed one structure was damaged.
Multiple fires are burning in both the Tehama and Glenn zones on both state and federal land.
Weary crews receive help
Firefighters on the Elkhorn Fire are getting help from two out-of-state crews who drove nearly four days from Pennsylvania and New Jersey to get to Tehama County.
The two fire engines arrived Tuesday from their cross-country trip. Cal Fire posted their stories on its Tehama-Glenn Unit Facebook page.
"We left last Friday, in the afternoon, and traveled for about three-and-a-half days to get out here to help out," said Matt Reed, an engine boss trainee for Engine 601 from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Reed said Pennsylvania usually sends five to 10 crews to the Western states every year when his state receives requests for fire-fighting assistance.
"We answered the call like we usually do," Reed said.
Eric Weber from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said his crew also is asssigned to the Elkhorn Fire. Three other New Jersey crews have arrived to battle wilfires elsewhere in the state.
Mike Chapman is a reporter and photographer for the Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif. His newspaper career spans Yreka and Eureka in Northern California and Bellingham, Wash. Follow him on Twitter @mikechapman_RS. Subscribe today!