Red Flag Warning; Dry Lightning Strikes Possible Tonight; Fire Resources at Critically Low Stages in Our Area

Flames from the River Fire erupt near a house off of Scott's Valley Road in Lake County California on Thursday.

Fires can spread quickly. Flames from the 2018 River Fire erupted near a house in Lake County. [Stock photo by Mark McKenna]

Under skies already smoky from lightning caused fires to the southeast of here, northwestern California sits in the target zone for a dry lightning storm tonight even as weather conditions caused the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag warning. On top of that, our Humboldt – Del Norte Cal Fire Unit has previously sent crews and equipment to fight fires in other areas leaving us with less firefighting power than usual.

“We don’t have the normal amount of equipment within the counties,” Cal Fire Battalion Chief Paul Savona explained to us. He said the fires this year have been extraordinary. “We’ve had almost 12,000 lightning strikes this year. [The fires in 2020 have] burned approximately 1.1 million acres….We have nearly 12,000 personnel committed, a 1000+ engines in service, with over 600 structures destroyed and we still have many fires uncontained throughout the state.”

He pointed out, “This was the most lightning strikes since 1987 statewide. In 1987, 640,000 acres burned. We’ve surpassed that already and we still have months of fire season.”

He added, “One of the fires burning in the state now–the LNU COMPLEX–is the second biggest fire in California history.” The third biggest wildfire in California history is currently burning also. The 18th biggest fire, the August Complex, is also currently burning. All of those three large fires are under 18% containment and all of them are burning under Red Flag warning conditions from late today into tomorrow.

The Humboldt – Del Norte Cal Fire Unit has had to send support to other areas, he explained. “We are at a draw down level right now…We’ve sent out a lot of equipment,” he told us. The unit has sent 12 engines, two bulldozers, eight handcrews, and the Cal Fire helicopter out of county. “They are assisting in various incidents throughout the state,” Savona said.

Scott Carroll, Meteorologist for the National Weather Service here in Eureka told us, “We’re expecting some isolated to low end scattered lightning strikes mostly tonight.”  He explained that the storm will develop this evening over Lake and Mendocino counties but “then continue to spread north across Humboldt, through Del Norte tonight.”

He added, “There is quite a bit of uncertainty about how many lightning strikes we are going to get…It’s going to be just spotty thunderstorms…most of them are going to be dry…Any time we get thunderstorms, we’re concerned about fire starts…Any thunderstorm could have local windstorms that could promote fire growth.”

The thunderstorms could last into Monday afternoon and, according to the National Weather Service Fire Message, “Another round of storms will be possible during Tuesday morning as a second upper disturbance ejects eastward across the region.”

A Red Flag Warning is in effect from 11 p.m. tonight to 11 p.m. Monday night. “A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly,” the National Weather Service site explains. “A combination of dry fuels, lightning strikes, and gusty thunderstorm winds can contribute to extreme fire behavior.”

stratus blankets the NW California coastal waters and adjacent land areas while smoke blankets portions of the interior (in red). Image thanks to GOES-17.

Stratus blankets the NW California coastal waters and adjacent land areas while smoke blankets portions of the interior (in red). Image thanks to GOES-17. [Image tweeted by NWS Eureka]

Cal Fire’s Paul Savona wants to remind everyone that, with equipment and crews fighting fires elsewhere, that Cal Fire in Humboldt and Del Norte only has two handcrews, six fire engines, and two bulldozers for both counties.

“We will be bringing in additional hired private equipment,” he told us. However, the situation is difficult. “We still have incoming lightning,” he explained.

Cal Fire’s Paul Savona requested people to be extra careful during the next few days. “We ask that people please be aware of their activities…Our fuels are dry and very receptive allowing for rapid fire spread. Just this morning, we had an escaped campfire in Del Norte County. We got called at three in the morning. It took a lot of resources to control this completely preventable fire.”

He pointed out, “Any fires will divert any needed equipment to these preventable fires…We ask that the public please be careful.” But he reassured the community, “Cal Fire and local government resources are still available and ready to respond to any emergency that arises.”

TO PREPARE: (Add your own suggestions in the comment section)

Emergency evacuation list: Don’t forget masks and hand sanitizer during the COVID Crisis.

UPDATE: So Far, Lightning Spares the Emerald Counties

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Is this thing working?
Guest
Is this thing working?
3 years ago

ok, so.. I signed up for the emergency alerts in the link above.. then when I hit the button for “send test notification” ..nothing happened.

signed out, signed back in again.. it recognized that an account had been created, but still no response to the test button.

Any ideas?

Guy A Deny
Guest
Guy A Deny
3 years ago

I still haven’t seen any information about evacutaion sites if it comes to that

Smoke gets in my eyes
Guest
Smoke gets in my eyes
3 years ago

Right ? Everyone is packing their ” go bags,” to go where? Not everyone has a back-up plan or is fortunate enough to have an alternative location to safely bail to. And realistically, if wind is a factor where is “safe” and how safely can we evacuate our rural neighborhoods if the need arises? I don’t like the feeling of impending doom or catastrophe, and the “be ready” alternative seems equally fraught with unknowns.

Dave Kahan
Guest
Dave Kahan
3 years ago

This is a very relevant question – the reality though, is that no one can advise where to go until the situation reveals itself. And even then, conditions may change rapidly. The only answer is to stay as informed on conditions as possible, up to the minute, and make decisions based on available conditions combined with sober, common sense.

If its easier...
Guest
3 years ago

Call it a “I dont want this to burn, and I want to have it with me where ever I end up-bag”

Ex EMT
Guest
Ex EMT
3 years ago

In the 2015 lightning series over 70 fires started due to lightning in one day in HUU. Communication was broken up
Into north and south divisions due to the overwhelming amount of calls. The trouble was the VFDs we’re not notified in advance of this change in communications.
It was a mess trying to report a witnessed strike with ignition as radio calls from southern Humboldt to Fortuna we’re being ignored.
Land line calls were mishandled as well.
This after only 17 of the eventually 70 or more strikes.
Here we are again, and again no communication information as to who to call in the event of a divisional separation in communications.

Should firefighters call 911 if their radios aren’t being answered?
And what about the public if they witness a strike with ignition.

Last time I called in to report a strike with ignition (smoke column) tothe ECC,I was instucted to call back when I saw flames.????
WTF
Is that the current protocol?
I should hope not.

Maybe CalFire should notify the VFDs in advance of the red flag warning event of the possibility of changing the reporting procedure to separate branches in time to notify their members.

My Suggestion is to simply include what is glaringly missing.
Contact information for the relevant agencies, Cal Fire, BLM Fire, Forest Service, Volunteer Fire Departments,in order to report lightning strike or other fire threats.
911 is not even referenced in this information.
Time is of the essence and depending on the fires jurisdiction, being prepared with contact information is vital to a timely report.
When I asked a CalFire official for his direct number I was refused.

What will be the procedure for radio communications in the event a repeat of 2015, in the case of a branch division in communications due to ECC being possibly overwhelmed with strike reports, and how can we assure that all firefighters are notified of that procedure in advance?

thetallone
Guest
thetallone
3 years ago
Reply to  Ex EMT

Call 911 to report a fire is what I’ve heard from several VFD folks. Even if you have the number of your local volunteer fire department, call 911 first.

Dave Kahan
Guest
Dave Kahan
3 years ago
Reply to  Ex EMT

I had the privilege of witnessing about an hour and a half of the Garberville CALFIRE command center in action on the second day of the 2015 lightning fires. i was suitably impressed with the competence (to say the least) of the management of a totally chaotic situation. The focus, concentration, level-headedness, and wisdom of the management team literally gave me goose bumps. Marty Hobbs and Dave Brockman coordinated the response in a manner that cemented and elevated considerably my already considerable respect for them. The shit was hitting the fan in a big way but they stayed cool and focused, and handled the situation in a more than commendable manner. I’m the last one to claim that the system is perfect, but I recommend that any critics at the very least inform themselves to the utmost available, and to try to appreciate the challenges posed in a situation of that nature.

In part due to the groundwork laid by the two mentioned above, the Humboldt-Del Norte Unit of CALFIRE succeeded in managing that series of lightning fires without having to resort to importing a CALFIRE Incident Management Team from out of the local area. That saved the taxpayers boucoups $ without negatively impacting the response effort. They deserve our respect and mucho kudos for that performance.

Samantra
Guest
Samantra
3 years ago

Thank you Kym for your time and interviews…our community sincerely appreciates your dedication to getting the word out there!

Ex EMT
Guest
Ex EMT
3 years ago

That’s funny, where were they when you needed a lift?
Doesn’t sound like you have as much respect for the volunteer firefighters who were gettin’ er done for nothing. How much $ do you think we saved the taxpayers?
How many homes? Maybe all of Rancho, my home, my neighbors, and maybe even your home Dave, if you lived up here then. Yeah, Dave, I might have keep your house from burning, too, even if you maybe didn’t live there yet.
You tell me.
Your enamored by by what you saw, two well payed blue uniforms sticking pins in a map.

When I got to that fire by myself, with no com link, I was scared probably alot more than you three in your comfy confines.
It was all downhill to the fire through dry grass.
The ones who impressed me we’re my neighbors that showed up because now
I wasn’t trying to fight it alone anymore.
Did any of you have three quick crackles of lightning but no thunder where you were, and then smell the ozone generated like we did?
No, because you weren’t at ground zero like we were.
You see only if you were at ground zero when the lightning is striking and the smell of ozone is filling your lungs and all you hear is CRAAACKLE,… CRAAACKLE,… CRAAACKLE….
And NO THUNDER like we were could you possibly understand and appreciate what we did.

And I would not have traded places with any of you for all the tea in China.

Unlike you, I will never forget it.

Remember, CalFire had nothing left to give, and we put it out.
They wouldn’t even answer my radio calls.
And how did they thank me?
I don’t care to relive that.
But trust me,you wouldn’t have wanted to trade places with me for those eleven days.
I’ve un figure eighted more than one flat hose for their men facing fire with a dry nozzle. Out of the blue. Those were the real men,
the finest firefighters you could ever meet, and also the finest men you could ever meet. I am honored to have had the opportunity to assist them, and each time, they put it out, snap, just like that.

And you call me a critic.
Call it an after action review.

I’m just trying to make helpful suggestions, what I am not doing, is trying to butter my own bread.

Let’s just say I’m gluten intolerant.

Calfire chief
Guest
Calfire chief
3 years ago

Hey chief how about calling all the resources back to where they belong how about protecting our county fuck everyone else