Wildfires
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Fire

More than 3,000 people forced to evacuate as wildfire rages in southwestern Spain


Independent.ie
Mon, 31 Aug 2020 20:28 UTC
wildfires spain august 2020
© A Perez, Europa Press via APWildfires in Almonaster la Real in Spain August 30, 2020
More than 3,100 people in Spain have been forced to evacuate as an out-of-control wildfire in the southern region of Andalusia continues to rage, according to the authorities.

The blaze broke out on Thursday in the mountains near the town of Almonaster la Real, 120km (75 miles) northwest of the city of Seville.

It has already scorched 100 square kilometres (38.5 square miles).
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Fire

Pine Gulch fire becomes largest in Colorado history as firefighters near full containment


The Colorado Sun
Thu, 27 Aug 2020 19:17 UTC
Firefighters at the Pine Gulch fire near Grand Junction
© HandoutFirefighters at the Pine Gulch fire near Grand Junction.
The Pine Gulch fire has become the largest blaze in Colorado history, having torched more than 139,000 acres.

Incident command provided an updated size for the fire near Grand Junction on Thursday night.

The blaze is now larger than the 2002 Hayman fire west of Colorado Springs, which burned roughly 138,000 acres and destroyed 133 homes. The Hayman fire, which was previously the state's largest wildland blaze, was also blamed for several deaths.

The Pine Gulch fire has not destroyed any homes or caused any injuries, but firefighters have been battling it for about a month. It started on July 31 and was ignited by lightning.

The fire was 77% contained as of Thursday evening.

Three other major fires are burning in Colorado. No homes have been destroyed or injuries reported from any of them.

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Fire

Raging wildfires burn out of control in central and northern Argentina


Buenos Aires Times
Wed, 26 Aug 2020 08:02 UTC
Argentina wildfires
© NA
Raging wildfires in forests and grasslands are spreading in northern and central Argentina, with outbreaks in at least a dozen provinces.

The Paraná Delta is experiencing its worst week since the beginning of the year, with fires stretching over hundreds of kilometres of grassland and wetland.

Fires have also been seen in the north and centre of the country, with officials in Córdoba Province on Monday reporting evacuations and an "extreme risk" of further outbreaks in the coming days thanks to dry and windy weather.

According to Reuters, at least 14,321 hectares (55 square miles) of grasslands and mountainous territory have so far been burned, mainly in the northern areas of Punilla and Ischilín.


Comment: 'Everything is burning': Argentina's delta fires rage out of control

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Fire

Canary Islands wildfire forces evacuation of 300 residents


Ruptly
Sun, 23 Aug 2020 14:01 UTC
Wildfire Burns On La Palma Island, Canary Islands, Spain
Wildfire burns on La Palma Island, Canary Islands, Spain
The fire that since Friday affects the municipality of Garafia in La Palma, has forced the evacuation of 300 residents of the area.

Footage released by the Military Emergencies Unit shows the work to extinguish the fire on Saturday night.

The operation on Sunday involved around 400 ground troops supported by 11 airborne resources, including helicopters and large tanker planes.

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Info

Ice Age Farmer Report: Food warfare - More states to test/close farms - Wildfires & weather warfare


Ice Age Farmer
Sun, 23 Aug 2020 21:01 UTC
food
Our food supply is under all out attack. WA and MI have followed CA in mandating COVID-19 testing for farmworkers, which--as we have seen in Ontario--presages their shutting down farms where workers test positive. Depriving farms of harvest labor is unthinkable. More California wildfires expected. Two hurricanes inbound to gulf, rice-producing areas. You must start growing your own food now.


Sources
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Fire

California wildfires: Lightning-sparked blazes explode in size to become some of the largest in state history

Imogen Braddick
Evening Standard
Sat, 22 Aug 2020 14:26 UTC
California wildfires 2020
© APFirefighters take refuge in their trucks in a cleared field as a wildfire also known as the Hennessey Fire jumped Knoxville Berryessa Road, west of Sacramento
Lightning-sparked wildfires in California have exploded in size to become some of the largest in state history, forcing thousands to flee and destroying hundreds of homes.

More than 12,000 firefighters assisted by helicopters and air tankers continue to battle wildfires throughout northern California.

Three groups of fires, called complexes, are burning north, east and south of San Francisco and have together scorched 991 square miles, destroyed more than 500 structures and killed five people.

At least 100,000 people are under evacuation orders.

The number of firefighters assigned to the sprawling LNU Complex - a cluster of blazes burning in the heart of wine country north of San Francisco - doubled to more than 1,000 firefighters Friday, Cal Fire Division Chief Ben Nicholls said.


Comment: See also:

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Fire

Pine Gulch Fire burning near Grand Junction is now 2nd largest fire in Colorado history

Ben Warwick
Denver.cbslocal.com
Wed, 19 Aug 2020 12:43 UTC
fire
© Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team
The Pine Gulch Fire continues to burn on the western slope, north of Grand Junction, and is steadily approaching state history. A Wednesday update on acres burned now puts it second only behind the Hayman Fire on the list of largest in Colorado history.

Currently, the fire has burned 125,108 acres, according to the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center. For reference, the Hayman Fire burned 137,760 acres in 2002. The Spring Creek Fire, which was second on the list, burned 108,045 acres in southern Colorado in 2018.

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Fire

Pilot killed as California wildfires rage after 11,000 lightning strikes in 72 hours

David Mercer
Sky News
Thu, 20 Aug 2020 05:13 UTC
California wildfires
© GETTY IMAGESVacaville, halfway between Sacramento and San Francisco, has been worst hit so far
A pilot has been killed and thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes in California after lightning strikes sparked hundreds of fires across the US state.

Nearly 11,000 lightning strikes have been recorded in California over 72 hours, in the heaviest spate of thunderstorms to hit the state in more than a decade.

A total of 367 individual fires were ignited, with more two dozen growing into major blazes, authorities said.

A helicopter pilot was killed after the aircraft crashed while on a water-dropping mission in Fresno County, about 160 miles south of San Francisco, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) said.

Multiple fires raced through northern California's wine country, shutting down the major Interstate 80 motorway at Fairfield, about 35 miles southwest of Sacramento.

Flames leapt across the motorway, trapping motorists caught in a hectic evacuation.


Comment: First ever firenado warning in California as wildfires rage into third day

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Fire

Pine Gulch Fire grows to 87,209 acres - almost third-largest wildfire in Colorado history

Stephanie Butzer
The Denver Channel
Sat, 15 Aug 2020 18:00 UTC
fires
The Pine Gulch Fire has grown to more than 87,000 acres, fire officials announced Tuesday morning.

As of 7:45 a.m., the fire was estimated at 87,209 acres and remains 7% contained, according to the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team.

It is the fourth-largest wildfire in Colorado history.

Click here for an interactive map of the fire.

Denver7 is expecting to learn more about Monday's efforts and Tuesday's firefighting plan this morning.

The Pine Gulch Fire was first reported on July 31 about 18 miles north of Grand Junction. It was caused by lightning.

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Cloud Lightning

Lightning sparks fresh wildfires across California


Yahoo! News
Sun, 16 Aug 2020 17:02 UTC
wilfires california lightning
© AP Photo/Noah BergerSmoke from a wildfire, one of several that comprise the Deer Zone fires, billows over unincorporated Contra Costa County, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020
A rare summer thunderstorm brought lightning that sparked several small blazes in Northern California on Sunday and stoked a huge wildfire that has forced hundreds of people from their homes north of Los Angeles.

More than 4,500 buildings remained threatened by the fire burning toward thick, dry brush in the Angeles National Forest. Firefighters already battling the blaze in steep, rugged terrain with scorching heat faced more hurdles when hundreds of lightning strikes and winds up to 15 mph (24 kph) pushed the flames uphill.

"We set up a containment line at the top of the hills so the fire doesn't spill over to the other side and cause it to spread, but it was obviously difficult given the erratic wind and some other conditions," said fire spokesman Jake Miller.

Comment: More spectacular clips from the crazy weather/fires in California:







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