The wildfire known as the “Rocky Fire” in northern California has grown to over 60,000 acres in three counties and resulted in the destruction of over 50 buildings.
More than 12,000 residents have been forced to evacuate their homes because of the advancing flames. The fire was only 12% contained as of Monday morning.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the fire grew in an area with “little to no fire history” making it more difficult for the firefighters to predict the path of the flames.
The fire is threatening over 6,300 structures.
In all, over 134,000 acres are burning.
“There are pretty widespread evacuations,” Brad Alexander, chief spokesman for the governor’s emergency services office, told the LA Times. “The big issue is this is an area that hasn’t had burning in several decades.
“They’ve got chaparral that is over 6 feet tall,” Alexander said. “When you have vegetation that big and dense in an area like that it is going to cause flames to race up and down canyon walls and hillsides. It can move as fast as the wind can carry it. …So when you have perfect conditions for an explosive fire, it is critical folks are listening.”
Officials confirmed the death of one firefighter in a fire in Modoc County south of the Oregon border. He was scouting ways to fight the fire when erratic winds suddenly caused the blaze to expand exponentially. David Ruhl was 38 and a married father of two.
Officials also said that a fire near Yosemite National Park that burned 200 acres was deliberately set and a woman is under arrest for starting the blaze.
A rapidly expanding wildfire is raging out of control in the ranch country of Northern California, forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes in advance of the flames.
The fire has already doubled in size from Thursday morning and has burned over 15,000 acres in Lake County. The blaze is just one of 18 large fires currently burning the drought-stricken state.
The entire town of Lower Lake was placed under a mandatory evacuation order. The flames roared into the Cache Creek Wilderness and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Area.
Shelters are being opened at high schools throughout the region for those forced to flee.
“Everything is very dry, and this fire has moved extremely fast,” said Suzie Blankenship, CalFire spokeswoman. Fire officials say the dry conditions are being enhanced by hot weather and strong winds.
A fire in North Fork, called the Willow fire, is 30% contained but firefighters have stopped trying to fight the flames because the fire advanced into a steep, densely wooded area.
Meanwhile, officials in San Bernardino County have offered a $75,000 reward for information leading to the capture of drone pilots whose craft forced fire crews to ground tanker flights over the flames.
“We want to know who was flying drones, and we want them punished,” said Jorge Ramos, chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. “Someone knows who they are, and there is $75,000 waiting for them.”
Tourists and residents around Montana’s Glacier National Park were fleeing a wildfire that is shutting down tourism in the area.
Officials say that most of the part’s major attractions are still open but that flames drove away campers because of the smoke rising over the ridge tops. Over six square miles of the park have burned during what is considered the height of the tourist season.
Over 600 campers fled the St. Mary Glacier Park KOA Campground and were replaced by fire officials that have turned the camp into a makeshift staging area for fighting the fire.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Meanwhile, a wildfire in California shot flames more than 100 feet into the air and is threatening 200 homes and ranches in the Napa Valley area
The flames had spread to 10 1/2 square miles and the smoke from the fire could be seen in Sacramento and San Francisco.
The years-long drought in California is causing the perfect conditions for wildfires like the two currently raging in Southern California.
A fire in Santa Clarity has burned over 350 acres so far and has forced more than 1,000 people to flee their homes.
“I saw a fire in my neighbor’s backyard. That’s when I said, ‘Okay, it’s time to go,'” one resident said. “The next thing you know, they’re banging on my door, get out, get out!”
Officials say that this year’s fire season is starting months ahead of schedule.
“Our fuel moisture is running about where we would typically see it in August. So right now we’ve got pretty volatile conditions, and as we start getting into drier weather, we’re gonna see a lot more fire activity,” Los Angeles County Fire Department public information officer Tony Imbrenda told CBS.
The largest fire, the “Lake Fire”, has burned almost 26,000 acres since June 17th and is burning into the forest toward Heartbreak Ridge. The fire is about 19% contained and according to the U.S. Forest Service has cost $17.6 million to fight to this point.
Fire officials say they have been hampered by residents flying drone aircraft to get images of the fire. Because of those drones, officials had to suspend flights dropping water or flame-retardants.
