“This is the most intense fire of season in Northern California, Craig Clements, professor of meteorology and climate science at San Jose State University, said in Interview. “These really extreme temperatures caused extensive drying of in dead fuel.”
because of “still dangerous fire weather”, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Thursday announced the state of emergency for counties affected by the Mosquito fire, and also state of emergency declared for Fairview fire that burns in Southern California.
About mosquito fire, Clements added what is “high risk for a lot of of in region like this fire progresses mainly because of dry fuel conditions.
He said the flames reminded him of Creek Fire that swept across the Southern Sierra Nevada in September 2020 and spawned two fire tornado.
Clements’ students were on- site exploring Mosquito Fire as part of of California Fire Dynamics Experiment run under the auspices of of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and they were sitting in the front row when fire exploded in size Thursday afternoon.
Kate Forrest, alumnus research an assistant at the San Jose State Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center described fire like the presence of strong, hot updrafts that penetrate the atmosphere and condense into huge clouds, also known as pyrocumulus clouds.
In this case, the plume of smoke reached such a height – about 40,000 feet – that it formed a pyrocumulonimbus cloud, or pyrocumulus cloud. sure sign of extreme fire behavior.
Forest, whose research focuses on factors that lead to fire-generated tornadoes, said the Mosquito Fire had a spinning column, which was confirmed visually and by radar.
” fact what he still put up pyrosb after sunset was an indicator of how a lot of heat this is fire put out,” she said. “I was shocked.”
cause of the fire, which started on Tuesday, is under investigation.
this week record- destructive heat must have been the catalyst for extreme burning conditions observed yesterday. Largest utility company Pacific Gas and Electric also reported that electrical activity on this is equipment “happened close in time to report of in fire”.
area was under “high risk” designation for forest fire all week for hot, dry and unstable weather and very flammable vegetation.
“This results in very long burn times and significant slope and fuel fires,” said Brent Wachter, fire meteorologist with Focal Point of Northern California Geographic Area, in email.
Data shows what fire danger in Northern Sierra skyrocketed in in past few weeks, with vegetation is approaching record lows for moisture content. Some areas, such as the Sacramento Valley and its foothills, already have hit this mark, according to Wachter.
Over-heat warning continues on Friday for in the region where the National Weather Service in Sacramento Awaits Temperatures of 100 to 114 degrees in valleys and foothills and up up to 105 degrees in the mountains. All-time high temperature record of 116 was set in downtown Sacramento on Tuesday.
because of changing conditions, meteorologists also keeping an eye on the rest of Kay, which was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm due to concerns that a surge of moisture in the tropics could lead to dry lightning and fires. new fires. Forecasts indicate that dry lightning possible in Northern Sierra this weekend.
There also there were fears that strong winds off Cay could push the Fairview fire further into populated areas before heavy rain. arrives in Southern California on Friday. A 27,319-acre fire claimed the lives of two people and destroyed dozen structures.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 71 major fires are burning, mostly in US west, including 28 in Idaho, 12 in Montana 11 in Oregon and eight in California. Red Flag Warnings for strong east winds were issued for western Washington and Oregon on Friday and Saturday increase risk of additional fast- spreading flame.
The smoke from the numerous forest fires in the west was incriminating air qualitative in California and the Intermountain West, and is expected to last until at least the weekend. Unhealthy and hazardous conditions prevail in Sierra Nevada, central Idaho and eastern Washington and could get worse for major cities on the west coast. National Weather Service in Medford, Oregon, said wildfire smoke is moving west. on east wind and warned that ” risk of impetuous fire the spread is significant today through Saturday.”
Studies have shown that climate change has contributed to an increase in Frequency of big fires and size of in area burned by western wildfires like fire the seasons are getting longer and more dangerous. Autumn in California also getting warmer and drier with increase risk of extreme fire weather. High tree mortality due to drought and high temperatures, as well as overly dense forests from long history of fire suppression also are important factors.
“The fires burn hotter and more stronger than we’ve ever seen,” Forrest said.
