Powerful Lightning Storm Leaves Multiple Fires for Firefighters to Combat in Northwestern California
One column of smoke as seen from Bald Jesse rising east of Fortuna and south of Eureka. [Image from ALERTCalifornia]
UPDATED INFORMATION HERE:
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A series of wildfires sprang up across northwestern California in the aftermath of a powerful lightning storm that swept through the region last night. The lightning storm, accompanied by strong winds and dry conditions, ignited the fires, leading to emergency responses from firefighting agencies. A Red Flag warning was issued last night and then cancelled early this morning
The National Weather Service in Eureka warned this morning of the potential for thunderstorms to linger over Del Norte County and the far northern coastal waters. The agency also predicted the development of additional thunderstorms in the interior regions later in the day. In addition to the lightning risk, the statement indicated that August’s scorching temperatures would persist, reaching blistering highs of 100 to 108 degrees Fahrenheit in the interior areas, while coastal regions would experience temperatures ranging from 69 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit.
A cloud of smoke seen from Red Mountain in Del Norte County. [Image from ALERTCalifornia]
An air attack and tankers responding from Redding as of 8:32 a.m. as seen on FlightRadar.
Jeremy Ward, Cal Fire Battalion Chief in the Humboldt-Del Norte unit, stated about 7:45 this morning, “We have resources responding to reports of fires now, but it does not sound like anything is at the scene yet, and locations are unsure.”
A column of smoke rising near the Oregon border as seen from the Wild Frontier Camera in northern Del Norte County. [Image from ALERTCalifornia]
Though most of the fires at this time appear to be in relatively remote areas, residents in the affected areas are urged to remain vigilant and stay informed about the changing fire conditions.
Smoke showing north of Covelo in Mendocino County as seen from Big John. [Image from ALERTCalifornia]
Earlier: Red Flag Warning Issued as Lightning Strikes Pepper the Emerald Triangle
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Your fire coverage is wonderful. Thank you
Nothing left to burn up in them mountains
Looks like that storm has drifted north.
I wonder how unusual it is for us to catch a summer storm moving east to west?
Seems like they usually run south to north or come in from the west.
Thunderstorms in Nor Cal almost always go east to west from the remnants of monsoon moisture or hurricanes coming up from Nevada and the Sierras..
This disturbance\moisture came all the way from the Gulf of Mexico.
Up through Texas, then west through Arizona, Nevada, then turned north again and came all the way up to Oregon.
Original forecast… disturbance it was supposed to die out in central California, but it didn’t !
the monsoon season brings moisture (and dry lightning) from the high plateau of Mexico northward. It’s the same seasonal phenomenon that brings rainfall to the states of the Southwest. Most of the rain lands there and leaves us with dry lightning. Most of us have the impression that a monsoon is a very wet rainstorm, but it is actually a seasonal wind event.
Fires over the last 24 hours
https://napsg.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6dc469279760492d802c7ba6db45ff0e
And so it begins 🔥 🔥 🔥
Hopefully we get early rains 🌧 this year 🙏
Looks like Mother Lightning was really angry! Cal Fire and all the other first responders have a lot of hot and dangerous work staring them in the face. I hope they can get all these fires out with any injuries or worse. Excellent coverage Kim and I am sure folks living around those areas really appreciate your coverage.
Thanks for the good del Norte fire info. Blue Creek fire smoke now creeping down stream to Klamath Glen on this hot day here.
Calling our fire in the Willow Creek area the Lone Pine fire. In the Horse Linto/Quimby Creek drainage.
The lightning woke me up. I counted after the flash to see how far away it was but did not hear thunder.
12 fires around Covelo now…
Tap for full screen…
Covelo resident here. Not a trace of smoke – these are spot fires. Query: Why are they not jumping on them? Waiting for them to achieve “bring home the bacon” size? Sorry to be cynical, but I have been here far too long and seen too much. Remembering the Lightning Complex and how aircraft SAT on the runway at the airport for THREE DAYS while bureaucrats dithered and that monster (77 fires in Mendo County alone) grew and grew. I know a good man of many years’ experience who quit the Forest Service because of this. He’d had enough. Now the good news – power was shut down in part of the Valley last night. Guess they learned something from Lahaina.
Keep us posted Round Valley!
Looking ahead a week or so… a Hurricane/Tropical Storm might be making its way up Calfornia… all the way to the Oregon border.
If so… hang onto your hats.
“ This year’s El Niño is expected to keep building and remain strong through the 2023-2024 winter.”
Great news. Big rain. Bring it!!
Good discussion on lightning fires from our favorite fire blogger, The Lookout: https://the-lookout.org/2023/08/09/dry-lightning/
Over 25 confirmed fires on Six Rivers NF now,more on Calfire lands and SHF and MNF..and a hot new storm over Ruth now…here we go!
So far… not much lightning from today’s storm. (8/15/2023 4pm)
Thunder starting on Pratt Mountain again, today… 4:02PM Tuesday, August 15, 2023.
Getting closer @ 4:05PM
More @ 4:06PM.
Yikes!
Almost constant distant thunder for the last 20 minutes plus.
It seems like it’s coming from the north/northeast.
Valid until 8/15/2023 22:00
Red Flag Warning issued August 15 at 3:38PM PDT until August 15 at 10:00PM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
Valid until 8/15/2023 22:00
Storm moving from Southeast to Northwest…
https://radar.weather.gov/station/kbhx/standard
@ 4:40PM
https://radar.weather.gov/station/kbhx/standard
Hat tip t.m.
I’m on the Laytonville end of bell springs rd and it’s looking and sounding pretty ominous to the north and to the east.
Looks like we’re gonna be rocking and rolling again tonight.
Stay safe out there everyone
Thanks for the heads up…
Probably be passing by here in a little bit…
We are in a bit of a lull right at the moment…
Well, spoke too soon…
It’s closer again…
…and I thought I just heard the spotter for a second…
Unless it’s echoing, the area encompassed by Alderpoint, Fort Seward, Blocksburg, and Eel Rock might be getting a bunch of lightning…
I saw a small plane come in from the south head your way and come back maybe 5 min later. Starting to hear thunder from the east, an hour ago it was all.coming from the north
Just found this…
https://lostcoastoutpost.com/weather-alerts/2020/
Alderpoint/ Ft. Seward WAS getting hammered…