Tag Archives: Fire

Montana blaze rages as California crews gain ground on wildfire

FILE PHOTO: A house stands amid blackened range where the Lodgepole Complex fire jumped the Montana 200 highway, near Mosby, Montana, U.S. July 23, 2017. Bureau of Land Management/Handout via REUTERS.

By Ian Simpson

(Reuters) – The biggest U.S. wildfire torched buildings and parched grassland forcing evacuations in eastern Montana while California firefighters gained ground on a massive blaze near Yosemite National Park on Monday, authorities said.

The two-blaze Lodgepole Complex in Montana, the biggest wildfire in the United States currently, was only 5 percent contained on Monday after racing through 226,000 acres (91,500 hectares) of timber, brush and range land near the Missouri River, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center.

The 215 firefighters have had to rely on bulldozers and harrows to plow fire breaks since water alone cannot put out the flames driven by high temperatures, lack of rain and gusty winds, said Tim Engrav, a spokesman for the firefighter command center.

“Folks who’ve been fighting fires in this part of Montana since the early ’80s said they’ve never seen it so difficult,” he said by telephone from Sand Springs, Montana. Engrav said about 50 people have been evacuated from their homes.

The Lodgepole fire was started by lightning on Wednesday and has destroyed 22 structures, the coordination center said. Much of the state is under a National Weather Service “red flag” warning because of dry weather and gusty winds.

In California, the Detwiler Fire that has threatened historic gold rush towns in the Sierra Nevada mountains was 50 percent contained, up from 45 percent on Sunday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said.

The fire has burned 76,500 acres (31,000 hectares), but higher overnight humidity has helped the 5,100 firefighters despite sunny, dry daytime weather, said Heather Williams, a Cal Fire spokeswoman.

The Detwiler fire has destroyed more than 130 structures, including 63 homes, and most of the 5,000 people ordered from their homes are now allowed to return, according to the Cal Fire website.

The Lodgepole and Detwiler fires are among the 38 large U.S. wildfires, the coordination center said.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington; editing by Diane Craft)

Evacuation orders lifted but California wildfire rages on

Charred grasslands remain after the Long Valley fire came through the Fort Sage Off-Highway Vehicle Area.

(Reuters) – Residents of a historic gold-mining town in central California began returning home on Friday as evacuation orders prompted by a massive wildfire were lifted, but some 1,500 structures remained threatened by the flames.

Around 2,000 residents of the town of Mariposa, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, fled their homes on Tuesday as the so-called Detwiler Fire bore down on them.

The blaze, which has blackened more than 75,000 acres, destroyed 125 structures, 61 of them homes, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The Detwiler, one of dozens of major wildfires burning across the U.S. West, was 25 percent contained as of Friday evening, Cal Fire said on its tracking website.

“Even though the fire has grown in one area, there’s containment in other areas and those are safe for the owners to go back,” Cal Fire spokesman John Clingingsmith said.

A total of 5,000 residents in the small communities on the edge of the Yosemite National Park have been evacuated since the fast-moving fire broke out on Sunday, including the town of Coulterville.

“Except for (Wednesday), this fire doubled in size every day,” Tim Chavez, a state fire official said during the community meeting. “That is really unusual for it to progress like that.”

More than 3,800 firefighters, working in temperatures of 90 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit (32 to 36 Celsius), were battling the fire, Cal Fire said.

Chavez blamed the fire’s growth on spot fires, drought and grassy vegetation. The area’s rough topography made fighting the blaze harder, he said.

Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County on Tuesday.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A total of 44 large fires across 11 western states were burning on Thursday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center’s website.

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Milwaukee, Gina Cherelus in New York and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Larry King and Bernadette Baum)

Evacuation order may be lifted Friday as California wildfire slows

A firefighting truck is seen parked along a firebreak beneath a burning ridge during the Detwiler fire in Mariposa, California. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

(Reuters) – Some residents of a historic gold-mining town in central California may be able to go home on Friday as a wildfire nearby slowed its progress after destroying dozens of houses over the past several days, the local sheriff said.

About 2,000 residents of the town of Mariposa in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains fled their homes on Tuesday as the so-called Detwiler Fire approached. It eventually destroyed 99 structures, including 50 houses, in the area, according to local and state officials.

“We are in very detailed conversations about repopulation,” Mariposa County Sheriff Doug Binnewies said during a community meeting on the fire on Thursday. He said authorities hoped people from Mariposa could go home on Friday.

At total of 5,000 residents in the small communities on the edge of Yosemite National Park have been evacuated since the fire began on Sunday. The community of Coulterville was evacuated on Wednesday.

The fire, which has burned 70,596 acres (28,570 hectares), is just 10 percent contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said on its website.

After expanded by more than 22,000 acres overnight, the fire’s progress slowed on Thursday, taking only 500 acres during the day, Cal Fire said.

“Except for (Wednesday), this fire doubled in size every day,” Tim Chavez, a state fire official said during the community meeting. “That is really unusual for it to progress like that.”

More than 3,700 firefighters, working in temperatures of 90 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit (32 to 36 Celsius), were battling the fire, Cal Fire said.

Chavez blamed the fire’s growth on spot fires, drought and grassy vegetation. The area’s rough topography made fighting the fire harder, he said.

“I am not try to make excuses … it’s been a tough fire for us,” he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, in Montana, officials said that a 19-year-old fireman was killed on Wednesday when part of a tree fell on him while he was fighting the so-called Florence Fire north of Seeley Lake.

A total of 44 large fires across 11 western states were burning on Thursday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center’s website.

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Milwaukee, editing by Larry King)

Massive wildfire destroys 29 structures in California

A firefighter walks near a home as flames from the fast-moving Detwiler fire approach in Mariposa, California U.S. July 19, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

(Reuters) – More than 3,000 firefighters on Thursday battled a raging wildfire in central California that has destroyed 29 structures and forced thousands to flee their homes as it threatened a picturesque gold rush town outside Yosemite National Park.

Just seven percent of the Detwiler Fire has been contained as it threatens the town of Mariposa and tiny communities in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the Cal Fire state agency said on its website.

“Everybody’s heart is in the game,” Battalion Chief Jeremy Rahn told a community meeting on Wednesday night, noting that about 3,100 firefighters from across the region were battling the blaze, according to the Fresno Bee newspaper. “We are totally invested in this.”

The blaze has mushroomed to 48,000 acres (19,424 hectares), an increase of about 23,000 acres (9,307 hectares) compared to the day before. The fire has destroyed 29 structures and damaged five others as it threatens some 1,500 more structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

The small communities of Coulterville and Greeley Hill were ordered evacuated on Wednesday.

Mariposa’s 2,000 residents were told to leave town on Tuesday after its power and water links were damaged. In total, nearly 5,000 people are under orders to vacate their homes, officials said.

The town’s hospital, called the John C. Fremont Healthcare District, and its 14 patients did not evacuate, at the advice of fire officials, said the facility’s interim CEO Matthew Matthiessen.

The California blaze was among 37 active large fires spread across 12 western states as of Wednesday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center’s website.

Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County on Tuesday, dispatching resources to the area.

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

California wildfire almost doubles in size as blazes torch U.S. West

Flames from the Detwiler fire burn on a hill near the John C. Fremont Hospital in Mariposa, California, U.S., July 18, 2017. Picture taken July 18, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

By Stephen Lam

MARIPOSA, Calif. (Reuters) – A fast-growing California wildfire has forced about 5,000 residents from their homes and nearly doubled in size as about four dozen major blazes scorch the U.S. West, authorities said on Wednesday.

More than 2,000 firefighters have contained just 7 percent of the Detwiler fire, which is threatening tiny communities in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the Cal Fire state agency said on its website.

The blaze has mushroomed to 46,000 acres (18,000 hectares) since Tuesday and is threatening 1,500 structures. Firefighters are facing “extreme and aggressive fire behavior” with solid walls of flame and sparks from the main blaze setting secondary fires, Cal Fire said.

Flames have destroyed eight structures and threaten 1,500 while homes and businesses were ordered evacuated southwest of Yosemite National Park. The fire is threatening power lines to the park, Cal Fire said.

Mariposa’s 2,000 residents were told to leave the town on Tuesday, after its power and water links were damaged, news reports said.

Dan Ostler, a Mariposa business owner, said he was staying behind to offer fire crews bathrooms and water. “It’s something I want to do, I can do. I’ve got my escape route planned,” he told Sacramento’s KOVR television.

Smoke pouring from the Detwiler fire has drifted as far northeast as Idaho, according to satellite photos from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

The California blaze was among 46 active large fires spread across 12 western states as of Tuesday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center’s website.

Around 4.4 million acres (1.8 million hectares) have been burned since the start of 2017, compared to 2.7 million acres (1.1 million hectares) in the same period last year, according to the website.

Dry and windy conditions have intensified the wildfires and thousands of people have been evacuated, including in neighboring Oregon and Nevada.

Cal Fire did not report any injuries from the Detwiler fire as of Wednesday morning.

Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County on Tuesday, dispatching resources to the area, as the fire was approaching.

(Additional reporting by Al Golub in Mariposa, Brendan O’Brien in Milwaukee and Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Tom Brown)

Windy, dry weather forecast in U.S. West, threatens to stoke wildfires

A USFS bulldozer cuts a line through vegetation to create a safety line below West Camino Cielo while fighting the Whittier Fire near Santa Barbara, California, U.S. July 15, 2017. Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Department/Handout via REUTERS

(Reuters) – More than 800,000 residents in the U.S. West were told to be ready to evacuate on Tuesday as windy, dry conditions threatened to stoke wildfires, forecasters said.

A red flag warning was issued for southern Oregon, northern California and northern Nevada as 35 mph (55 kph) wind gusts and humidity hovering around 10 percent were seen, the National Weather Service said in an advisory.

“Strong winds could rapidly push fire into close proximity of local communities Tuesday afternoon and evening. Heed any evacuation orders. React quickly, you may not have much time to leave,” the service said.

More than a half a dozen fires have started up over the last two days in California including the Detwiler Fire, which forced some residents in Mariposa County to evacuate on Monday.

The fire destroyed one structure and threatened 300 more after swelling to 11,200 acres since it began burning brush and tall grass on Sunday afternoon. Five percent of the fire was contained as of Monday night, the Cal Fire website reported.

“I haven’t seen these conditions in a long time, it’s a wind driven, slope driven, fuel-driven fire,” Jerry Fernandez with Cal Fire told an ABC affiliate in Fresno.

Ten new large blazes ignited on Monday as a total of 35 wildfires burned across the U.S. West, the National Interagency Coordination Center said.

Flames have charred more than twice as much land in California so far in 2017 compared with the same time last year, according to Cal Fire.

(This story has been refiled to delete extraneous word in headline.)

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Richard Balmforth)

Hot, dry conditions may stoke wildfires in U.S. West, forecasters warn

A hand drawn sign shows thanks to fire fighters heading out to tackle the Whittier fire near Santa Barbara, California, U.S. July 13, 2017. Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire/Handout via REUTERS

(Reuters) – Crews battling dozens of wildfires across parts of the parched U.S. West will face tinderbox conditions that could stoke more blazes on Friday and through the weekend, forecasters said.

Red flag warnings were issued for northern California, southern Oregon, northeastern Utah and northern Montana. Forecasters expect temperatures to reach above 90 degrees Fahrenheit 32 degrees Celsius) and winds to gust 50 miles (80 km) per hour in parts of the region, the National Weather Service said in advisories.

“Very dry and unstable conditions will support extreme fire behavior and rapid rates of spread,” the service said.

On Thursday evening, crews were battling 43 large fires that were out of control across the U.S. West, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center.

The hot, dry forecast comes after firefighters made gains in California on several blazes, including the so-called Wall Fire, which had damaged or destroyed 44 homes in Butte County and more than 60 other structures.

Evacuation orders have been lifted for about 4,000 people as firefighters have cut containment lines around 85 percent of the blaze, according to the Cal Fire website.

Flames have charred more than twice as much land mass in California so far in 2017 than a year earlier, according to a Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman.

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

Crews fight dozens of California wildfires amid July heatwave

Los Padres National Forest firefighters watch as helicopters work on the northeast flank of the Whittier fire near Hot Spring Canyon outside Cachuma Lake, California, U.S. July 11, 2017. Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire/Handout via REUTERS

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Crews battled dozens of wildfires raging across California on Wednesday, gaining ground on several of the more destructive blazes as forecasters warned that hot, dry, tinderbox conditions would persist across the U.S. West.

In Northern California, by late Wednesday afternoon firefighters had cut containment lines around more than half of the so-called Wall Fire, which has damaged or destroyed more than 100 structures, 44 of them homes, since it broke out last week.

Evacuation orders in the path of the Wall fire were reduced to warnings on Wednesday but according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection more than 600 homes remained threatened.

The blaze has displaced 4,000 people and charred some 5,800 acres of tall grass and chaparral in Butte County, north of Sacramento.

In Southern California, meanwhile crews had managed to contain 65 percent of the Alamo Fire, which has blackened nearly 29,000 acres northeast of Santa Maria in San Luis Obispo County.

Some 200 people remained under evacuation orders because of the blaze, which has destroyed two structures

The Whittier Fire in Santa Barbara County forced the evacuation of thousands of campers near Lake Cachuma, including some who left behind their trailers in the rush.

Dozens of residents were also evacuated when the fire broke out on Saturday, officials said.

By Wednesday, firefighters had contained 48 percent of the blaze, up from 25 percent a day earlier. The fire has burned nearly 12,000 acres.

As of Wednesday evening 47 large fires were burning out of control across the U.S. West, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center.

So far this year, more than twice as much land mass in California has been charred by flames compared to the same time last year, said Heather Williams, a Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman.

Temperatures in the region will top 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) this week, with only scattered showers to possibly quell some flames, said meteorologist Brian Hurley of the National Weather Service.

At a local assistance center, resident Carolyn Opalenik said her house had been destroyed.

“It’s all gone. We have pictures, and it’s all gone,” she told the Chico Enterprise-Record newspaper.

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Milwaukee and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Tom Brown)

California battling several large wildfires that forced out residents

The full moon rises over flames of the Alamo fire on a hilltop off Highway 166 east of Santa Maria, California, July 7, 2017. Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire Dept/Handout via REUTERS

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – More than 7,000 firefighters battled 13 large wildfires in California on Tuesday as the state entered its peak fire season with hot and dry conditions threatening to spread flames that already have forced thousands of people from their homes.

The biggest evacuation was in Northern California’s Butte County, where the 5,800-acre (2,350-hectare) Wall Fire, which began on Friday, displaced about 4,000 people, officials said.

“We’re certainly getting to where we’re at the peak of fire season conditions,” Cal-Fire Chief Ken Pimlott said in an interview with Capital Public Radio on Tuesday.

In the U.S. West, where more than 50 uncontained large fires are burning, temperatures in many locations will top 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) this week with only scattered showers to possibly quell some flames, said meteorologist Brian Hurley of the National Weather Service.

Some people displaced by the Wall Fire were allowed to return to their houses on Tuesday, as firefighters held containment lines around 45 percent of the blaze, compared to 35 percent the day before.

In Santa Barbara County along California’s central coast, about 200 people were under evacuation orders because of the Alamo Fire, named after a creek near where it started on Thursday, said Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Kelly Hoover.

Remnants of a home burned by the Wall Fire are pictured near Oroville, California, July 10, 2017. REUTERS/David Ryder

Remnants of a home burned by the Wall Fire are pictured near Oroville, California, July 10, 2017. REUTERS/David Ryder

The blaze, which has spread to nearly 29,000 acres (11,736 hectares) to rank as the state’s largest, is 45 percent contained, up from 20 percent on Monday evening.

A blaze north of Bangor, more than 100 miles (161 km) northeast of San Francisco, has charred about 5,800 acres (2,347 hectares) and destroyed at least 36 houses.

Another fire about 40 miles (64 km) to the southeast near Lake Cachuma forced the evacuation of thousands of campers, including some who left behind their trailers in a rush, and dozens of residents when it broke out on Saturday, officials said. It was 25 percent contained on Tuesday after burning more than 10,000 acres (4,047 hectares).

A fire on the border between California and Nevada closed a 20-mile (32-km) stretch of Interstate 80 on Tuesday, said Deanna Shoopman, a spokeswoman for California Department of Transportation.

So far this year, more than twice as much land mass in California has been charred by fires compared to the same time last year, said Heather Williams, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Fires in the western Canadian province of British Columbia have forced 14,000 people from their homes and disrupted logging and mining operations.

(Additional reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York and Keith Coffman in Denver; Editing by Toni Reinhold and Bill Trott)

Britain sends in task force to help run council after tower block fire

FILE PHOTO: Damage to Grenfell Tower is seen following the fire in London, Britain, June 25, 2017. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain said on Wednesday it was sending in a task force to help run the local authority struggling to cope with the aftermath of a deadly London tower block blaze which killed at least 80 people.

Kensington and Chelsea council has been criticized by victims’ relatives and survivors for its handling of the disaster in Grenfell Tower on June 14 and its leader quit last week over the response to the fire.

“The scale of the recovery effort needed on the Lancaster West estate in the months to come cannot be underestimated,” Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said.

“Support to survivors, the families and friends of those who lost their lives and residents in the wider community must and will be ongoing. The challenge of providing that support is and will continue to be significant.”

Prime Minister Theresa May promised that all residents from the tower would be offered good temporary homes in the local area within three weeks but, with that deadline due on Wednesday, many remain in emergency accommodation after rejecting as unsuitable the premises they had been offered.

There has also been anger at the failure to provide definitive answers about those who are missing since the fire. Police have said 80 people were dead or missing presumed dead, but say they expect the number to rise amid accusations from locals that the scale of the death toll is being kept low.

“I completely understand their desire for answers and we are committed to providing as much information we can, as soon as we can,” Commander Stuart Cundy said on Wednesday adding that all visible human remains had been recovered.

“In total we have made 87 recoveries, but I must stress that the catastrophic damage inside Grenfell Tower means that is not 87 people. Until formal identification has been completed to the coroner’s satisfaction I cannot say how many people have now been recovered.”

The fire has also thrown a spotlight on the safety of exterior cladding used to provide insulation and improve the external appearance of Grenfell Tower and other high-rise blocks. Since the blaze, the government said cladding tested at nearly 200 sites had failed fire tests.

(Reporting by Michael Holden, editing by Elizabeth Piper)