Wildfires
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Bizarro Earth

Lightning strike sparks wildfire near San Francisco, California

Saddle fire, northern california wildfire
© Jennifer LanceSaddle Fire Trinity County
An out-of-control wildfire raging through a Northern California forest as the state battles a devastating drought has forced authorities to warn about 250 people to evacuate or prepare to leave their homes in a remote town, officials said on Friday.

The fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest follows an outbreak of lightning-sparked blazes in neighboring Oregon that prompted authorities to warn residents that drought and low mountain snowpack could lead to a destructive fire season.

California's so-called Saddle Fire has charred at least 880 acres (360 hectares) since a lightning strike sparked it on Tuesday, officials said.

The flames are tearing through forest land, much of it in areas scorched by a 2004 blaze that has left dead and downed trees on the ground which could provide ample fuel for the latest wildfire, said Shasta-Trinity National Forest spokeswoman Andrea Capps.

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Canadian wildfire smoke covers 17 states and causes red sun

A smoky sunset over the District, June 9, 2015 (Richard Barnhill via Flickr)
© Richard BarnhillA smoky sunset over the District, June 9, 2015 (Richard Barnhill via Flickr)
A thick haze of smoke drifted over the D.C. region late Tuesday afternoon, driven south from Canada's burgeoning wildfires by the high-level winds of the jet stream.

There are six large wildfires burning in Alberta and British Columbia, according to the Remote Sensing Applications Center in Salt Lake City. These fires are pumping copious amounts of smoke high into the atmosphere, which is then hitching a ride on the global jet stream to paint our skies pink and orange.

Comment: See also: Hundreds evacuated from northeastern Alberta as wildfires rage through crude-producing region


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Hundreds evacuated from northeastern Alberta as wildfires rage through crude-producing region

slave lake, alberta wildfire
© REUTERS/Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Smoke rises from a wildfire east of Slave Lake, Alberta May 25, 2015
Statoil ASA, MEG Energy Corp and Cenovus Energy Inc evacuated hundreds of workers from three oil sands projects in northeastern Alberta on Tuesday as wildfires raged through the key crude-producing region.

The latest evacuations are in addition to project shutdowns by Cenovus and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd over the weekend, as companies rushed to remove staff from potential danger.

At least 233,000 barrels per day of oil sands production, 9 percent of Alberta's total oil sands output, have been suspended because of the fire risk, though none of the projects have been damaged.

The Alberta government said there are 70 forest fires now burning in the province, with 20 considered out of control. Lightning storms are forecast for Tuesday evening, increasing the risk of more fires, a government spokesman said.

Cenovus evacuated all 90 staff from its Narrows Lake oil sands project on Tuesday, which is not yet producing crude after construction was deferred last year.

The company also shut down its Birch Mountain natural gas plant northwest of Fort McMurray.

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Lightning sparks new wildfires in British Columbia as massive blaze continues

wildfire in Canada
© BCFS photoEfforts are underway to battle the wildfires in B.C., which has claimed roughly 17,000 hectares, west of Prince George.

Crews are responding to five new wildfires in British Columbia's Central Interior, as a massive blaze continues to burn about 70 kilometres southwest of Prince George.

B.C.'s Wildfire Management Branch says all of the new fires were sparked by Friday's lightning activity in the Cariboo region.

The largest fire is raging four hectares west of Anahim Lake, where a three-person attack crew, airtankers and a helicopter are on site with 16 additional firefighters on the way.

The branch says crews are also working on three small fires in the Big Bar area and one small fire southwest of Quesnel.

Meanwhile, the aggressive Little Bobtail Lake blaze has destroyed about 17,000 hectares since it was first discovered last Saturday.

Some 240 firefighters, 11 helicopters, eight air tankers and 23 pieces of heavy machinery have been brought in and 20 per cent of the fire has been contained.

Jill Kelsh with the Prince George Fire Centre says crews have been working around the clock since last Sunday.

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Little Bobtail Lake wildfire in British Columbia has burned over 32,000 acres, shows no sign of extinguishing

little bobtail lake fire, British columbia
© MODIS Rapid Response TeamThe MODIS instrument on the Aqua satellite captured this image of the Little Bobtail Lake fire in British Columbia, Canada.
The MODIS instrument on the Aqua satellite captured this image of the Little Bobtail Lake fire in British Columbia, Canada. It is unclear how the fire started and was first spotted on Saturday, May 9. Since then the fire has grown significantly and has burned over 13,000 hectares (32,123 acres) and is zero percent con[tained]. The wildfire is located about 70 km southwest of Prince George. Eighty people have already been evacuated and close to 700 homes are in danger of being consumed should the fire spread.

Phoenix

Eighty people forced to evacuate homes due to wildfire near Prince George, BC

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© John Tymofichuk
Homes are being evacuated in small lakeside communities near Prince George as firefighters battle a wildfire.

The evacuation order covers about 80 people living on Norman Lake, Little Bobtail Lake and Naltesby Lake, while residents to the north and west are under an evacuation alert.

The wildfire is burning 50 km southwest of Prince George and was last estimated to cover 2,500 hectares. As of Sunday night, 26 firefighters were trying to bring it under control with the help of two helicopters, and five pieces of heavy equipment, but more than 100 additional staff have been called in to assist.

Smoke from the fire can be seen from Highway 16 and nearby communities.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Jillian Kelsh of the B.C. Wildfire Management Branch said the evacuations are from a number of permanent and seasonal homes. She added that the fire was about 20 hectares in size when it was first spotted Saturday but quickly spread.

The forecast for the Prince George area this week calls for sunny skies and temperatures as high as 24 degrees through to Sunday. Winds are expected to gust at up to 20 km/h on Monday and Tuesday.

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Update: Wildfire burns 2,400 acres in Catskill Mountains, New York

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A fast-moving wildfire at the southern edge of the Catskill Mountains has affected more than 2,400 acres of state forest.
A fire in Shawangunk Ridge State Forest in the Catskill Mountains of New York has burned over 2,000 acres of land.

The fire has been burning for four days and has been contained in areas of Sullivan and Ulser counties, according to local media. It could take more than three more days to extinguish the fire that has burned more than 2,400 acres, which is more than four square miles.

The fire has caused evacuations, and officials believe the fire started when a homeowner burned debris outside, violating a state-wide burn ban. The burn ban is in effect until May 15.


Comment: See also: Wildfires in New York's Hudson Valley continue to burn


Info

Wildfires in New York's Hudson Valley continue to burn

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© Jim Sabastian / Times Herald-Record via APIn this aerial photo, smoke rise from a brush fire along the Shawangunk Ridge northeast of Ellenville, N.Y., Tuesday, May 5, 2015. Officials suspect the blaze, which started Sunday, was caused by a homeowner burning rubbish outdoors in violation of a statewide burn ban.
A fast-moving wildfire at the southern edge of the Catskill Mountains has forced some homeowners to evacuate.

The fire, which started just before noon on Sunday in the Town of Mamakating, has affected more than 1,700 acres of the Shawangunk Ridge State Forest.

The Ulster County Sheriff's Department asked some residents in the Cragsmoor area to play it safe and leave their homes.

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Siberian fires cause red sunsets in the Pacific Northwest

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© Tim DurkanA reddish sun warms the seattle skyline
A fiery sunset greeted people in Washington Sunday.

The deep reddish color caught Seattle native Tim Durkan's eye. He photographed a handful of aerial shots of the sunset warming the city's skyline and shared them on CNN iReport.

The stunning sunsets were the result of raging wildfires in parts of Siberia.

"The dramatic sunsets began showing up over the weekend and had Seattle locals wondering where the amber-colored haze was originating from," Durken said.

The fires were started in southeastern Siberia, by farmers burning grass in their fields. But on April 14, it is believed that the flames quickly grew out of control because of strong winds and spread throughout the region, according to CNN affiliate KOMO-TV.

As a result, the fires have destroyed dozens of villages in the region. Rescue crews were able to put out the flames. However, the lingering smoke from the widespread fires were pick by atmospheric winds.

The winds carried the smoke from Siberia across the Pacific Ocean and brought it to the Pacific Northwest. Parts of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia are seeing the results of the smoke, wind and solar light combination.

Phoenix

Haunting video: Ash rains down on cars fleeing wildfire inferno in Russia

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A haunting video emerged online of a wildfire trapping residents in eastern Siberia as they try to flee in their cars. The blaze surrounds the vehicles and what looks like volcanic ash rains down on them.


The grassland fire in Zabaykalskiy region, Russia, bordering Mongolia, has been raging since March 19, displacing people from over 1,200 dwellings in 20 separate towns and villages. Fifteen people have been killed and over 480 people injured.

A total of 22 districts in the Zabaykalskiy region have been affected, with some 93 fires there alone affecting natural reserves, according to local authorities.

All emergency situation procedures are still in place.

Comment:
Russian President Vladimir Putin had personally coordinated emergency services operations in Khakassia: