Wildfires
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Fire

Third wildfire blazes around Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

Keith Hamm
Santa Barbara Independent
Fri, 23 Sep 2016 22:29 UTC
Vandenberg Air Force Base wildfire
© Mike Eliason / Santa Barbara County Fire
Vandenberg Air Force Base now has three fires burning, with a new start Friday afternoon.
Aircraft, engine crews, and bulldozers are responding to a third wildfire on Vandenberg Air Force Base property, this time in Oak Canyon, north of the Federal Correctional Institution, Lompoc (FCI Lompoc). Reported at 1:20 p.m., the fire is approximately 30 acres and spreading southward, according to base officials. Crews with the base's fire department are working in conjunction with Lompoc and Santa Barbara County fire departments.

Base officials reported this morning that the 215-acre Washington Fire, burning vegetation on North Base, experienced "minimal activity overnight [and] is under control," according to a statement. The Washington Fire started on Thursday afternoon, reportedly by a power line downed by strong seasonal gusts out of the northwest, forcing the evacuation of several buildings. There have been no reports of damaged structures.

At the same time, about 10 miles away, firefighting crews were closing in on the Canyon Fire, a wildland blaze on South Base that started on September 17. This morning, base officials reported that the 12,500-acre wildfire was 90-percent contained. Its cause has not been released and remains under investigation.

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Fire

California tree die-offs causing wildfires and habitat destruction


Sputnik
Wed, 07 Sep 2016 16:53 UTC
california fires
© thedianerehmshow.org
The Sierra Nevada and North Coast forests of California are suffering as millions of dead and dying trees have rapidly become a massive fire risk.

Since 2010 and the beginning of the California drought, the number of dead trees in the central and southern Sierra Nevada has reached a conservative 66 million by some estimates. According to scientists, there are several factors at play causing the devastation of the forests and contributing to an increasingly dire fire hazard.

The intense ongoing drought in California is contributing to the Sierra Nevada forest deadfall. Also, global warming has led to warmer winters that no longer balance a growing bark beetle population devastating conifers in the mountains. Finishing the job, fungi and a foreign-borne plant pathogen brought to California through global trade are affecting moist areas where oaks and other deciduous trees grow. The human factor worsens the situation as a lack of forest management, especially in the clearing of combustible dead wood, has exacerbated an already gloomy forecast.
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Fire

Wildfires rage on Spain's Costa Blanca; 1,400 evacuated


Yahoo News
Tue, 06 Sep 2016 07:09 UTC
Costa Blanca wildfires
© AFP/Getty ImagesEmergency crews ordered a mass evacuation after a wildfire fuelled by intense heat roared through brush surrounding Javea, a popular tourist resort on Spain's Costa Blanca
Some 1,400 people were evacuated after a wildfire fuelled by intense heat roared through brush surrounding a popular tourist resort on Spain's Costa Blanca, officials said Monday.

The blaze which broke out on Sunday near the Mediterranean resort of Javea, up the coast from the popular holiday spot of Benidorm, destroyed 320 hectares (790 acres) of land and several buildings, local emergency services said.

Authorities said they believe the fire was started deliberately since it appeared to have broken out in several places at once.

"This is environmental terrorism, it goes beyond putting at risk our natural heritage, it directly attacks people," the head of the regional government of Valencia, Ximo Puig, told reporters.


Comment: Not necessarily. Fires can erupt simultaneously and non-locally.


"1,400 evacuated," tweeted Juan Carlos Moragues, who represents the Spanish government in the eastern region of Valencia.

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Fire

Central Idaho wildfire increases by 45 square miles; now up to 220 square miles


The Spokesman-Review
Tue, 30 Aug 2016 15:20 UTC
Firefighters
A central Idaho wildfire fanned by strong winds expanded 45 square miles Tuesday, burning through timber in remote and mountainous terrain.

Officials say the active part of the fire that's now up to 220 square miles is burning far from critical infrastructure, but some low-level evacuations remain for some areas of the sparsely populated region.

Officials say they expect the fire to continue moving north and northeast and into burn scars from previous fires that could slow its advance.

About 1,200 firefighters are at the blaze that started July 18 for unknown reason.

Officials have said a rain or snow event will be needed to put the fire out, and the estimated containment date of the fire is mid-October.


Source: Associated Press
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Fire

Calaveras County, CA: DUI driver charged with starting wildfire

Dana Griffin
KCRA 3
Mon, 29 Aug 2016 15:45 UTC
burnt car
A woman who was arrested for driving under the influence also faces additional charges in connection with sparking a wildfire in Calaveras County that prompted evacuations Sunday.

The fire was reported just after 1 p.m. east of San Andreas after California Highway Patrol officers were investigating a report of a woman driving up Mountain Ranch Road as her car was emitting sparks, officials said.

Officers arrested Renee Hogan for driving under the influence, CHP said.

Investigators said they determined Hogan was driving her 2002 Kia Rio on a right rear rim that was creating sparks. Her vehicle later burned as the flames spread.
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Fire

35 large wildfires blazing across western United States


The Weather Channel
Thu, 25 Aug 2016 12:30 UTC
plane drops a load of fire retardant
© Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review via APA plane drops a load of fire retardant on the north side of Beacon Hill, Sunday, Aug 21, 2016, in Spokane, Washington.
Nearly three dozen large wildfires are burning across the West, stretching fire crews thin as they work around-the-clock to contain the infernos.

Additionally, firefighters made initial attacks on 112 new blazes to prevent them from spreading. The situation forced the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, to raise the National Preparedness Level to 4 last week, one shy of the highest level.

Still, the wildfires have persisted this week. In Wyoming, a large wildfire has forced the closure of the main connecting road between Yellowstone National Park's southern end and Grand Teton National Park's northern border, according to Reuters.

This closure has been blamed on the Maple fire, which has burned more than 27,000 acres of land and is now less than four miles from the town of West Yellowstone, Montana, Reuters also said. The Maple fire and two other fires, burning in remote areas of Yellowstone National Park, were started by lightning, the report added.

Comment: 2016 is already a year of extreme weather disasters for the United States

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Fire

Greece's fire services fight six large blazes


ekathimerini.com
Fri, 19 Aug 2016 11:37 UTC
Firefighters
Greece's fire service was battling at least six large blazes in different parts of the country on Friday, their efforts hampered by strong winds which fueled the flames.

One was in the area of Aiges in the prefecture of Achaia in the Peloponnese. A team of 25 firefighters, manning 11 engines, were involved in that effort.

Another team of 13 firemen, with five fire engines, were dispatched to tackle a blaze in the area of Ambeliko near Karditsa in central Greece.

Twenty firemen with nine fire engines were sent to deal with a blaze in the area of Koutsoheri, Aitoloacarnania.

Meanwhile, firefighters battling a blaze close to Mega Spilaio, near Kalavryta, had managed to bring the fire under partial control by late evening.

The fire service was still struggling to put out two fires on Friday evening - one in the area of Metaxada in Messinia prefecture, and the other near the village of Kyparissos in Laconia.
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USA

2016 is already a year of extreme weather disasters for the United States

Jamie A
Nature World News
Thu, 18 Aug 2016 06:51 UTC
Louisiana floods
© Joe Raedle/Getty Images Travis Guedry and his dog Ziggy glide through floodwaters keeping an eye out for people in need on August 17, 2016 in Sorrento, Louisiana. Tremendous downpours have resulted in disastrous flooding, responsible for at least seven deaths and thousands of homes being damaged.
The United States has already seen some of the most extreme weather disasters this year, and 2016 is only half over.

Just this week, the Blue Cut wildfire raged in Southern California, destroying dozens of houses and forcing over 80,000 residents to evacuate.

Also recently, at least 11 people were reported to have died from the catastrophic flooding in south Louisiana. About 30,000 people have been rescued since Friday, when heavy rains started to submerge communities. The flood, which is said to be one of the worst in Louisiana history, had damaged at least 40,000 homes.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently released a report saying that as of July 2016, weather disasters have already caused $8-billion worth of losses across the U.S. NOAA has listed eight weather and climate disasters (2 flooding events and 6 severe storm events), with losses exceeding $1 billion each, including deaths and significant economic impact among affected areas. These weather events are all notable effects of climate change.

The Blue Cut wildfire and the Louisiana flooding are only two of the most catastrophic weather disasters that plagued the country. Here are the other deadly climate catastrophes that hit the U.S. so far in 2016.

Comment: For more coverage on the extreme weather affecting the planet, check out the monthly SOTT Earth Changes Summaries. Last month:

SOTT Earth Changes Summary - July 2016: Extreme Weather, Planetary Upheaval, Meteor Fireballs

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Fire

Raging wildfires in eastern Washington destroy homes, force evacuations

Ryan Yamamoto
KOMO News
Mon, 22 Aug 2016 14:47 UTC
Spokane wildfire
© Spokane Co. Fire District 8Wildfires Spread in Washington State, Forcing Hundreds to Flee
Firefighters battled fast-moving wildfires in eastern Washington that have destroyed homes and forced hundreds of residents to flee the flames.

Three blazes in the Spokane region erupted Sunday afternoon, sending families rushing to pile pets and keepsakes into vehicles and hit the road.

The Spokesman-Review reported that homes burned in the Beacon Hill area of Spokane, in wheat country near Spangle and north of Davenport in nearby Lincoln County.

But the extent of the losses and number of evacuees was unclear as firefighters prepared to work through the night and into Monday morning. No injuries have been reported.

Together the three blazes scorched nearly seven square miles of terrain and sent plumes of smoke billowing high over the region.

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Fire

Rare force of nature: What is a firenado?

Charlie Northcott
BBC News
Sun, 21 Aug 2016 01:25 UTC
California firenado
© Getty Images
Amidst the devastation of a huge wildfire in the US state of California, photos have emerged of a rare force of nature.

Firenadoes, torrents of wind and flame that burn at extreme temperatures, have been spotted in the hills near San Bernardino, 60 miles (96km) east of Los Angeles.

The whirlwinds form when a fire heats air above it and pulls in cool air at its base, creating a self-sustaining vortex. When large enough, these swirling columns are capable of ripping trees from the ground and pulling roofs off houses.

California's inferno currently spans 58 sq mi (150 sq km) in a dry, drought-ridden region of hills. More than 82,000 people have evacuated their homes. Only 22% of the fire has been contained.

Firefighters tend to avoid firenadoes due to their extreme heat and volatility. They instead focus on tackling more stable areas, where the movement of a fire can be safely predicted.


Comment: Some other rare firenadoes observed over the last couple of months include:

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