SAN DIEGO CREWS SENT TO BATTLE MAJOR FIRES ACROSS CALIFORNIA: ACRES SCORCHED IN 2017 ALREADY DOUBLE LAST YEAR’S TOTAL

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy San Bernadino County Fire Department

July 10, 2017 (San Diego) – It’s shaping up to be an extreme fire season.  Over 6,100 firefighters are battling at least 14 large wildfires burning across California, CAL FIRE public information officer Issac Sanchez reports on behalf of CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire Chief Tony Mecham. The U.S. Forest Service is also battling numerous fires on federal forest and national park lands, including Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.  

“Statewide, there have been 633 new wildfires over the last week with information from the largest provided below.  Because of current fire activity, CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire has staffed 6 patrols, 1 type 1 engine and 2 additional water-tenders as well as several overhead and support positions,” Mecham says.  Other local jurisdictions are also sending teams to help, including Lakeside Fire, which announced on Twitter that it has sent an engine strike team to assist on the Alamo Fire in San Bernadino County.

So far this year,  there have been 3,449 fires that have scorched 92, 439 acres in California within CAL FIRE and federal jurisdictions.  CAL FIRE’s jurisdiction includes 2,905 fires that have burned 68,129 acres so far in 2017, and though the year is only about half over, that’s more than the 2,270 fires and over double the 30,574 acres burned all of last year. It’s also far more than the five year CAL FIRE average of 2,492 fires and 27,390 acres a year.

A cooling weather trend may bring relief from intense heat Tuesday and Wednesday.  In Southern California, scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast, mainly over mountain and desert areas. Though rain could help douse fires, lightning could also spark new blazes.

Major fires within CAL FIRE jurisdiction include:

Wall Fire, Butte County (more info…)

Chinese Wall Rd, 5 miles north of Bangor

• 5,600 acres, 35% contained
• Evacuations remain in effect

Winter Fire, Yolo County (more info…)

Highway 128 at Pleasant View Road, 3 miles southwest of Winters

• 2,269 acres, 90% contained

Stone Fire, San Luis Obispo County, NEW

Huero Rd x Hwy 58, Santa Margarita

• 340 acres, 40% contained

Garza Fire, Kings County, NEW

8.5 miles east of Parkfield near the Monterey, Kings County Line

• 5,000 acres, 5% contained

Fay Fire, Siskiyou County (more info…)

Highway 3 and Fay Lane, 7 miles south of Etna

• 469 acres, 95% contained

Axel Fire, El Dorado County

Axel Ct. and Barrister Ct., Rescue

• 100 acres, 70% contained

Parkfield Fire, Monterey County

Vineyard Canyon Rd, 25 miles west of Parkfield

• 1,816 acres, 80% contained

Benson Fire, Tehama County

Benson Rd, Bowman., 11 miles northwest of Red Bluff

• 29 acres, 95% contained

**Unified Command**

Whittier Fire, Santa Barbara County, NEW (more info…)

Lake Cachuma area, south of Hwy 154

• 10,823 acres, 5% contained

Alamo Fire, San Luis Obispo County (more info…)

Highway 166 at Alamo Creek Road, east of Santa Maria

• 28,926 acres, 15% contained

Bryant Fire, San Bernardino County, FINAL

Highway 38 at Bryant, west of Yucaipa

• 74 acres, 100% contained

**Federal Incidents**

Island Fire, Siskiyou County (more info…)

14 miles west of Etna in the Marble Mountain Wilderness

• 736 acres

Schaeffer Fire, Tulare County (more info…)

17 miles north of Kernville

• 14,342 acres, 11% contained

Mart Fire, San Bernardino County (more info…)

Highland Ave at Highway 330

• 670 acres, 95% contained

Silver Fire, San Bernardino County (more info…)

Silverwood Lake Area

• 13 acres, 80% contained

The U.S. Forest Inciweb sites lists these active fires on federal lands in California:

(https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/5/):

INCIDENT                  TYPE                      LOCATION              STATUS     ACRES BURNED