With more than 15,000 firefighters battling more than a dozen major wildfires across California, state officials urged residents Monday to be prepared to evacuate before they are ordered to do so.
Wildfires have burned more than 1.76 million acres across the state this year, according to Cal Fire, including the Dixie Fire in the Feather River Canyon that has burned more than 770,000 acres and the Caldor Fire near South Lake Tahoe that has spread to more than 177,000 acres.
That state is using nearly 1,200 fire engines and 111 helicopters to fight the 15 major fires currently burning across the state, according to California Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci.
California is also receiving firefighting resources from Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia. The state had received emergency resources from Louisiana as well before Hurricane Ida made landfall in the Gulf of Mexico, Ghilarducci said.
“We know that a lot of work lies ahead but this continues to be a truly one-team, one-fight effort,” he said.
Ghilarducci and Cal Fire Chief Thom Porter also noted that residents in areas with high fire risk should not feel like they need to wait for an evacuation order if they are warned that one may or may not be coming.
“‘Warning’ doesn’t mean you have to stick around and wait for the order; you can go during a warning,” Porter said. “If you’re sucking smoke and you have respiratory or other underlying issue and you’re in the smoke for days, you’re not going to be out of the smoke for many more days so find a way out, go to clear air.”
“Every acre can and will burn someday in this state,” Porter said. “Be ready now, before there’s a warning.”
Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place for multiple parts of Calaveras, El Dorado, Riverside, San Diego, Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Tehama, Shasta, Kern, Siskiyou, Trinity and San Bernardino counties.
13 comments
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If fighting fires in CA is so important, why are some local firefighters going to Louisiana? Aren’t there firefighters in that region who can assist Louisiana?
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The world wonders.
Always boggled my mind on that one too Exit 12A
Firefighters on the ground in forest wild fires are almost useless. Thats why these fires burn for weeks.
Youre misinformed.
California is sending urban search and rescue teams to Louisiana who are experienced in water rescue and technical and canine search, rescue, medical and other specialized capabilities.
Where are the DC-10’s in all of this?
By now California should have a fleet of these.
It is Criminal Negligence by the state to have not funded an entire fleet of a dozen or so of these planes at this point.
https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/4950/aviation-guide-2019-access.pdf
A DC 10 holds 9,000 gallons. A 747 if they still had one holds 19,000 gallons. There was one doing a good job, it was privately owned. The owner could make more money with it hauling freight. The feds and the state should own fleets of them. I suggest a federal forest fighting air force.
Ricardoh—
You’ve got my vote for governor.
That is a great idea!
Shoulda Coulda
Man would I shake up this state. ( smiling face )
It’s pretty simple.
A.) You cant send aircraft up in the air when visibility is near zero because of the smoke.
B.) Meanwhile, the State has access to a total of 4 DC-10’s. Two are under exclusive use contracts with the US Forestry Service since 2017 and the other two are up for grabs every year for anyone else who might need them during fire season. Cal Fire tried to get a hold of these 2 planes over the Summer, but they had already been snatched up by the Forest Service for use nationwide.
Cal Fire didnt have any money until the beginning of their fiscal year (July 1st). By then, the airplanes had already been picked up. Historically, this hasnt been a problem. But given our fire seasons as of late, it is a problem now. The US Forest Service picked them up relatively early this season for 90 days.
Law and order I responded to your post but maybe the mayor thought I wasn’t polite enough. Anyway you are wrong on all points.
I already evacuated California and have no interest in returning. I seem to have company.
Just spoke to one of my dearest friends who retired from SFFD and asked him about one of his homes in Tahoe and his words to me were, “If it goes, it goes”. I’ll be glad to head to Marin end of week to see my best friend so her husband also retired Captain from SFFD can join Bill in the City during this time. Man oh man.
Chick-fil-A Jonny rockets elephant bar steak and shake Cochie
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