Inside a Wildfire

[longknife]

An article about firghting wildfires from a 30 year veteran you will want to read from start to finish @ What It Feels Like to Fight a Wildfire - TIME

And, after the annoying ad, here's a story with an awesome video about the fires from BBC @ BBC News - California wildfire 'flare-up' sparks new evacuations

And Discover Online provides great photos that also include fires in Baja California we never hear about in the news. Read @ SoCal and Mexico Blazes as Seen From Space - ImaGeo | DiscoverMagazine.com

 

[depotoo]

Thanks for posting this. I can'teven begin to imagine.

 

[waltky]

Imagine this...

California Wildfire Threatens Forest Homes
September 08, 2015 | A wildfire raging in California's Kings Canyon National Park forced the evacuation of about 20 homes and a heat wave prompted concern that the blaze will continue to spread, authorities said on Tuesday.

At 98,000 acres (40,000 hectares), the so-called Rough Fire is the largest wildfire currently burning in California, the U.S. Forest Service said, as the state wilts under a heat wave expected to bring temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 Celsius). The Rough Fire cast smoke over numerous popular hiking and camping area in the southern part of the Sierra Nevada mountains near Fresno, prompting cancellation of tours and other activities. All campgrounds in Kings Canyon National Park were closed for the Labor Day weekend and remained closed on Tuesday.

The park and adjacent national forest land are home to some of California's most famous giant Sequoia trees. Grant Grove, where the giant General Grant tree is located, was open on limited basis on Tuesday, but the area was likely to be smoky, said Jim Schwarber, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service. The fire also is affecting Sierra National Forest and Sequoia National Forest, which has the largest concentration of giant Sequoia trees in the world, according to the U.S. Park Service.

A controlled burn ignites pine trees on the "Rough Fire" — which closed camps east of Fresno at Hume Lake as it crossed Highway 180 — in the Sequoia National Forest in California

The heat predicted for much of the state this week could exacerbate fire conditions, particularly if the winds pick up, Schwarber said. "The weather conditions are going to continue to support active fire behavior and there is the potential to have extreme fire behavior if higher winds develop," Schwarber said.

Officials issued extreme heat advisories in part of California as temperatures climbed into the high 90s, with relatively high humidity for the region, and expected to climb as the week wears on. As of Tuesday morning, winds were relatively light at 5 to 10 miles per hour (8-16 kph), and were not immediately expected to pick up this week, the National Weather Service said. Tony Botti, a spokesman for the Fresno County Sheriff's Deparment, said about 20 homes have been evacuated. The homes are located in a sparsely populated area in the forest, according to Schwarber.

California Wildfire Threatens Forest Homes

 

[waltky]

Fire gettin' near the sequoias...

Explosive wildfire threatens California mountain towns
12 Sept.`15 — A wildfire that quickly went from modest to massive overwhelmed firefighters and frightened mountain towns in Northern California, but major efforts and a little luck had kept it from doing serious damage so far.

Bright orange flames burning in the hills were visible from the edge of town in San Andreas, a community of 2,700 people who were all told to evacuate briefly Friday before the fire moved in a favorable direction and they were told they could stay put, for now. Hundreds of people from smaller surrounding communities had evacuated their homes and were filling up evacuation centers, one of which had to be moved twice Friday to get a safe distance from the flames. The fire that had burned only about one square mile two days before had grown to more than 100 square miles and was just 5 percent contained, state fire officials said. Six homes were destroyed, and about 6,000 structures were under threat.

Firefighters chipped away at the huge blaze as they attempted to build fire lines. One of them said its growth was overwhelming. "We feel so small in a big ocean right now," said Matt Sisneros, a bulldozer operator for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. "We've been pushing dirt for about 18 hours." Those in San Andreas, a gold-rush town about 60 miles southeast of Sacramento, were told they may still have to clear out. Some had already left. Fred Oshiro, 85, said he, his wife and his wife's sister loaded up the car and went to an evacuation center only to learn that it had been moved. "We're trying to evacuate," Oshiro said. "We were going to stay in the house and watch the fire, but the sheriff said you better take a hike." "If the house burns down we'll lose a lot," he added, saying he had only brought "the three of us, and some essentials."

The evacuation center that twice moved had begun at San Andreas Town Hall. "I had to move a kitchen full of food, 217 beds, three huge air conditioners," said Gina Gonzales, a Red Cross volunteer organizing the evacuation center. The center was then moved to the nearby Calaveras County fairgrounds, home of the jumping frog contest made famous in a story by Mark Twain. But officials then decided to make that a staging area for the battle against the blaze, and the evacuation center was moved to Valley Springs about 20 miles from its original location.

Despite the runaround, volunteers said there was no lack of volunteers to help or supplies donated. "They put out a call for 30 to 40 pillows, and we got 400," said Debbie Calcote, a Red Cross organizer. "It's what communities do." Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for the blaze burning in both Calaveras and Amador counties, helping to free up funding and resources in the firefight. More than 2,400 firefighters, 246 engines, eight air tankers and 17 helicopters were assigned to fight the fire, which began Tuesday. "The plan is to try to get this thing out," state fire spokeswoman Nancy Longmore said. "It's going to take quite a bit of work. We're in for the long haul here." The cause is under investigation.

Meanwhile another California wildfire threatened to sweep through an ancient grove of Giant Sequoia trees. The lightning-caused fire has charred 172 square miles and grew by nearly 40 square miles in the last week. In a fight to save the trees, firefighters have been clearing lines with bulldozers around the Grant Grove and putting up sprinklers, said Andy Isolano, a spokesman for the Clovis Fire Department. The grove is named for the towering General Grant tree that stands 268 feet tall. There are dozens of Sequoia groves in the Sierra Nevada, and some trees are 3,000 years old.

Explosive wildfire threatens California mountain towns

 

[longknife]

Sequoias are intensely fire-proof trees. Even it it's a major crowning fire, their roots remain firm. Same with redwoods In fact, fires are great for releasing seeds from the cones and softening them so they will wriggle into the earth and germinate.

 

[warf]

Sequoias are intensely fire-proof trees. Even it it's a major crowning fire, their roots remain firm. Same with redwoods In fact, fires are great for releasing seeds from the cones and softening them so they will wriggle into the earth and germinate.

Some species need fire to release the seeds from the cones.

But after years of fire suppression the under story is so dense that fires are now much hotter than they were before these modern practices were started.

 

[waltky]

4 firefighters injured in Valley fire...

Four firefighters injured in Northern California wildfire
Sun Sep 13, 2015 - Four firefighters were injured on Saturday in a fast-moving wildfire in Northern California that forced the evacuation of thousands of people, officials said.

The firefighters suffered second-degree burns as they battled the so-called Valley Fire, in Lake County, north of San Francisco, said Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant. The Valley Fire broke out on Saturday afternoon and quickly spread to 10,000 acres (4,047 hectares), the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said on its website. The firefighters had been dropped off by helicopter to build containment lines. They were airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento where they were listed in stable condition, Berlant later said on Twitter.

The explosive growth of the Valley Fire forced authorities to order mandatory evacuations of a number of communities, including all of Hidden Valley Lake which has about 5,500 people, according to a Lake County Sheriff's Office statement. About 100 miles (161 km) to the southeast, the so-called Butte Fire has destroyed 86 homes and 51 outbuildings in rural Amador and Calaveras counties, where it covers an estimated 65,000 acres (26,305 hectares), officials said. It is only 15 percent contained. Thousands of residents in the area were required to evacuate on Friday, and the blaze threatened more than 6,000 structures, officials said.

A firefighter watches a tree burn as the Butte fire rages near San Andreas, California

More than 3,800 firefighters were working to contain the fire, which erupted on Wednesday near the former gold mining town of Jackson. Flames from a larger blaze, dubbed the Rough Fire which is burning in Kings Canyon National Park in central California, had forced officials to order about 3,500 to evacuate by Friday, said Jim Schwarber, a spokesman for the team handling the blaze.

Firefighters on Saturday intentionally set low-intensity fires in a famed grove of giant sequoia trees in Kings Canyon National Park to remove vegetation and protect the grove from the wildfire, Schwarber said. The giant sequoias themselves are naturally flame-resistant, officials said. More than 2,900 firefighters were on the front lines of the blaze on Saturday, with containment listed at 29 percent, officials said. Ranking as California's largest active fire, the Rough has scorched about 128,800 acres (52,000 hectares).

Four firefighters injured in Northern California wildfire

 

[waltky]

California wildfires tremendous toll...

The Latest: Residents report heavy damage from wildfire
Sept 13, 2015 — The latest on wildfires barreling through drought-wracked California (All times local):

11 a.m.

Residents streaming from a Northern California town in the path of an explosive wildfire say the blaze has heavily damaged Middletown. Cars leaving Middletown were dodging smoldering telephone poles and driving through billowing smoke on Sunday. Residents said there were burned buildings in downtown, but the heaviest damage was farther out, where homes and apartment complexes were destroyed. Javier Negrete told The Associated Press that parts of Middletown have burned to the ground. Teri Molini, who lives on the edge of town, said she started seeing flames within hours of having heard about the fire. She left with her pug and spent the night in Calistoga, about 17 miles away. George Escalona said his home has burned and he's left with nothing but the clothes he was wearing when he fled.

10 a.m.

California fire officials are correcting the number of homes destroyed by a wildfire burning 70 miles southeast of Sacramento. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman Lynn Tolmachoff says at least 81 homes and 51 outbuildings have been destroyed by a fire burning in Amador and Calaveras counties. Officials had earlier counted 86 homes destroyed, but issued the new figure early Sunday. She says numerous homes, businesses and other buildings were destroyed by a separate blaze burning in Lake County but that an official count has not yet been released.

8:40 a.m.

California Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in Lake and Napa Counties after a wildfire charred more than 60 square miles within 12 hours, prompting thousands to flee their homes. Brown said Sunday the declaration will expedite debris removal and waive fees to people who need to replace official documents lost in the fire. The blaze, about 100 miles north of San Francisco, has destroyed an unconfirmed number of homes and other buildings and damaged highways and other infrastructure. Brown had earlier declared a state of emergency for a separate 101-square-mile wildfire about 70 miles southeast of Sacramento that has destroyed 86 homes.

7:30 a.m.

Fire fighter Luis Magana stands guard at the General Grant tree at Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park, Calif.

Firefighters have made gains in their efforts to corral a 101-square-mile wildfire about 70 miles southeast of Sacramento, California. More than 4,000 firefighters are working to beat back the flames and crews increased containment to 20 percent by early Sunday. Mandatory evacuations remain in place. The fire, which broke out on Wednesday, destroyed 86 homes, 51 outbuildings and was threatening about 6,400 more. Teams had arrived by Sunday to assess the damage. Authorities say the dry conditions, steep terrain and limited access to the flames are making for a challenging firefight.

7 a.m.

The destructive wildfire roaring through Northern California's parched Lake County has surged ahead, churning through an extra 23 square miles overnight. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlant tweeted Sunday morning that the fire has burned up 62 1/2 square miles. Authorities say the fire erupted in Lake County, about 100 miles north of San Francisco, Saturday afternoon and rapidly chewed through brush and trees parched from several years of drought. An unconfirmed number of structures were destroyed. Entire towns as well as residents along a 35-mile stretch of highway were evacuated. Four firefighters suffered second-degree burns in fighting the blaze and are hospitalized in stable condition.

The Latest: Residents report heavy damage from wildfire

See also:

State of emergency declared as thousands flee northern California fire
Sept 13, 2015 - Two California wildfires — one north of San Francisco and the other south of Sacramento — cover over 100,000 acres and have forced nearly 6,000 people to evacuate their homes.

On Sunday, California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Lake and Napa counties due to how fast the fire in Lake County, Calif., was spreading. The fire, in an area north of San Francisco, started on Saturday afternoon and now covers over 40,000 acres. It has forced over 3,000 people to evacuate their homes, according to Cal Fire.

ABC News in San Francisco reports that the fire originally covered 50 acres but it grew to over 40,000 acres within 12 hours. Four firefighters who were battling the blaze have been hospitalized with second-degree burns. It’s unknown how many homes and schools have been damaged at this time.

Firefighters monitor a backfire while battling the Butte fire

A second fire, near Sacramento, in Butte, started on Wednesday and has burned over 65,000 acres. More than 4,000 firefighters have been working to contain the fire. It has forced 2,700 people to evacuate their homes since Wednesday.

State of emergency declared as thousands flee northern California fire

Related:

Sierra wildfire destroys homes, threatens 6,000 California residences
12 Sept.`15 - A relatively small but fast-moving wildfire in California's Sierra Nevada mountains grew overnight, destroying homes and threatening about 6,000 residences, fire officials said on Saturday.

The so-called Butte Fire has destroyed 15 homes in rural Amador and Calaveras counties, where it covers an estimated 64,728 acres (26,195 hectares), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman Lynn Tolmachoff said. She said the fire grew overnight after officials initially overestimated the area of the blaze on Friday. Tolmachoff said she expects the tally of destroyed homes to grow as inspectors assess the damage on Saturday. Residents in the area were required to evacuate on Friday. "There are a lot of homes there, but they're spread pretty far and wide," she said.

A house burns as the Butte fire rages through Mountain Ranch, California

About 3,300 firefighters are working to contain the fire, which erupted on Wednesday and spread late on Friday near the former gold mining town of Jackson. Officials listed it as 10 percent contained on Saturday morning. Governor Jerry Brown on Friday declared a state of emergency for Amador and Calaveras counties. Separately, authorities ordered the entire community of more than 2,700 residents to evacuate San Andreas on Friday, but lifted the order when flames headed away from town.

Flames from the Butte fire pass a yard sculpture in Mountain Ranch, California

Flames from a larger Sierra Nevada blaze, dubbed the Rough Fire, speeded north toward McKenzie Ridge, where firefighters continued to strengthen containment lines on Saturday, said Jim Schwarber, spokesman for the fire's incident management team. About 3,500 people have been affected by a mandatory evacuation in the area. He said if the fire reaches the containment line and spreads North, more evacuations will be triggered. "This fire has all the right conditions for it to be making this type of large acreage gain," Schwarber said. He said low humidity, steep terrain and upslope wind have made the blaze harder to control.

A house burns as the Butte fire rages through Mountain Ranch, California

The fire was in the northern part of a famed grove of giant sequoia trees in Kings Canyon National Park on Saturday, but Schwarber said the giant sequoias were less of a concern because they are naturally flame-resistant and more protected. More than 2,500 firefighters were on the front lines of the blaze on Saturday, and containment was listed at 29 percent. Ranking as California's largest active fire, the Rough has scorched about 128,800 acres (52,000 hectares) and forced evacuations of park staff and visitors from a large swath of Kings Canyon.

Sierra wildfire destroys homes, threatens 6,000 California residences

 

[waltky]

Wildfire toll leads to state of emergency in California...

Property toll from Northern California wildfire grows to 585 homes
Tue Sep 15, 2015 - The toll of property loss from a deadly Northern California wildfire has climbed to at least 585 homes and hundreds of other structures destroyed, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported on Tuesday.

Another 9,000 buildings are listed as threatened by the so-called Valley Fire, which erupted on Saturday in the hills north of Napa County's wine-producing region west of Sacramento and has since charred 67,000 acres (3,640 hectares), fire officials said. The blaze ranks as the most destructive among scores of wildfires that have ravaged the drought-stricken western United States so far this year.

A firefighter surveys a destroyed home at the so-called Valley Fire near Middleton, California

Property toll from Northern California wildfire grows to 585 homes

See also:

California declares state of emergency
Tue, Sep 15, 2015 - California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency on Sunday, as raging wildfires spread in the northern part of the drought-ridden US state, forcing thousands to flee the flames.

The monster blazes have charred more than 40,470 hectares, authorities said, destroying hundreds of homes and commercial structures and mobilizing thousands of firefighters. Eight major fires are currently burning, but two — one about 160km southwest of the state capital of Sacramento and the other about 160km to the east — have been particularly damaging over the past week, with little letup in sight. Driven by dry conditions, high winds and soaring temperatures, the Butte Fire has burned 26,426 hectares and was just 25 percent contained, while the Valley Fire had grown to 20,235 hectares and was zero percent contained, state fire agency CAL FIRE said late on Sunday.

Brown issued “an emergency proclamation for Lake and Napa counties due to the effects of the Valley Fire, which has burned thousands of acres of land and caused the evacuation of residents and damage to highways and other infrastructure,” his office said. The town of Middletown, population 1,300, was particularly devastated by the Valley Fire, according to local daily Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, which said the fire grew from 20 hectares to more than 4,000 hectares in just five hours on Saturday — before quadrupling in size overnight. “I’m looking in all directions, and all I see is fire,” local fire chief Steve Baxman told the paper.

An oven remains standing amid ruins of a home leveled by the Valley Fire on Lincoln Street in Middletown, California

More than a thousand firefighters have been called in to combat the fast-moving blaze, which was tearing through oak-and-grass hillsides dried out from a fourth year of drought. CAL FIRE said four of those firefighters suffered second-degree burns while battling the blaze. Throughout Saturday night and Sunday morning, new evacuation orders were issued for nearby communities, including all the way south to the town of Calistoga, at the northern edge of the Napa Valley wine region. “Thousands of residents have been evacuated from this fire,” CAL FIRE spokesman Daniel Berlant said. “The Red Cross has opened emergency shelters to provide evacuated residents a place to go.”

In a tweet, Berlant said crews have not had a chance to do a full damage assessment on the Valley Fire, but “we know hundreds of structures have been destroyed.” On the other side of California’s Central Valley, the Butte Fire has drawn more than 4,500 firefighters to the Sierra Nevada foothills since Wednesday. More than 80 homes have been destroyed there and about 6,400 other structures are threatened, Berlant said.

California declares state of emergency - Taipei Times

 

[waltky]

Entire population of Ft. McMurray evacuated...

Canadian wildfire forces evacuation order for entire city
The Canadian province of Alberta raced to evacuate the entire population of Fort McMurray where an uncontrolled wildfire was taking hold in the heart of the country's oil sands region, with dry winds forecast for Wednesday that could fuel the blaze.

Alberta appealed for military help to battle the fire and airlift people from the smoke-filled city after authorities issued a mandatory evacuation order for 80,000, but officials said army and air force assistance would take two days to arrive. About 44,000 people were estimated to be on the roads, fleeing the city, while approximately 8,000 had reached an evacuation center outside Fort McMurray, officials said. "Right now, we have fire burning within the city," Chief Darby Allen of Fort McMurray's fire department told reporters. "It is impacting communities as we speak. Homes are on fire as we speak." The 2,650-hectare (6,540-acre) fire, which was discovered on Sunday, shifted aggressively with the wind on Tuesday to breach city limits. The blaze closed off the main southern exit from the city, Highway 93, prompting many residents to head north towards the oil sands camps.

The southern route eventually reopened but traffic was quickly gridlocked in both directions. Gas stations throughout the area were out of fuel and police were patrolling the highway with gas cans. "This is the biggest evacuation we have seen in the history of the province," Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said at a news conference, adding that there were no known casualties. "We need to find more camps. We have secured spaces for about 6,000 people. We know we need to find more and that work is under way," Notley said. Alberta is much drier than normal for this time of year, strengthening prospects for a long and expensive wildfire season, in the wake of a mild winter with lower-than-average snowfall and a warm spring.

Wildfire is worsening along highway 63 Fort McMurray, Alberta Canada​

Authorities expect increased winds on Wednesday that will make it harder to fight the fire. "Tomorrow is expected to be a more intense burning day," said Bruce Mayer, assistant deputy minister of Alberta's Forestry Division. Suncor Energy, whose oil sands operations are closest to the city, said its main plant, 25 km (16 miles) north of Fort McMurray, was safe, but it was reducing crude production in the region to allow employees and families to get to safety. Suncor said evacuees were welcome at its Firebag oil sands facility, while Canadian Natural Resources Ltd said it was working to ensure any affected CNRL workers and their families could use its camps.

Flames rise in Industrial area south Fort McMurray, Alberta Canada​

Shell Canada also said it would open its oil sands camp to evacuees and was looking to use its airstrip to fly out non-essential staff and accommodate displaced residents. A number of flights from Fort McMurray airport were canceled and the airport advised passengers to check with their airlines for updates. The blaze started southwest of Fort McMurray and spread rapidly to the outskirts of the city, located about 430 km (267 miles) northeast of Alberta's capital, Edmonton. Radio stations were forced off the air as staff left the downtown core. "There's lots of smoke, it's quite bad and hanging over the city," one resident, Nick Sanders, told Reuters as he packed up to leave downtown. "Where there are trees in the distance you can see the fire."

MORE

See also:

Airborne Fire Fighters Gather for Training at Peterson Air Force Base
May 03, 2016 | Two enormous wildfires made Pikes Peak region residents grew painfully aware of what C-130 aircraft look like.

During the 2012 Waldo Canyon and 2013 Black Forest fires, the large, gray, bloated planes poured thousands of gallons of red fire retardant over the Pike National Forest and through wooded, residential areas in northern El Paso County. "It's a very iconic picture," said Ann Skarban, a spokeswoman for the 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base. On Friday, Skarban and a group of Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System crewmen gathered in a hangar near one of the humongous C-130s. They shared stories of past missions, explained how the MAFFS works and prepared for their annual training. The group of Air Force reservists will head to Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in California on Tuesday for a week of instruction.

Brad Ross, an instructor and MAFFS crewman for the 302nd, said each MAFFS unit usually does its own training. But this year, all four of the Airlift Wings will be in California together. "Typically we're on our own," Ross said. "But it's good to get together and learn things from the other units and pass on our experiences." Along with the 302nd that calls Peterson home, there are units based in Wyoming, North Carolina and California. MAFFS missions are quite quick, Ross said. The aircraft fly for about 10 minutes to meet up with a lead plan. They receive their orders on where to drop the retardant that is mostly water with ammonium sulfate, a jelling agent and red dye mixed in. The six-person crew finds the drop location and disperses 3,000 gallons of retardant in as little as five seconds before returning to base for a reload.

An Air Force C-130 sprays fire retardant over a wildfire area​

Ross has been flying MAFFS missions for nine years. He said the C-130s' and their crews' main job is to give support to "boots on the ground," reinforcing fire lines made by firefighters carrying picks, axes and shovels. Ross said his job has taken him all over the West on missions, but noted that he was privileged to man a C-130 that fought the more than 14,000-acre Black Forest Fire in 2013. "It's very rewarding," the 10-year resident of the Colorado Springs area said of all his missions. "It's even more poignant when it's in your own backyard." When the crew returns from training and waits for its orders to deploy, it hopes that the 2016 wildfire season will be a slow one.

Chris Barth, a U.S. Forest Service representative, was also at Peterson on Friday, talking about the 43-year partnership between the USFS and the MAFFS units. Barth, who works out of Lakewood and has been involved in wildland-fire suppression for more than 20 years, also spoke about this year's fire season in Colorado. "The outlook is going to be average to slightly below average," Barth said, noting that 2016 could see lower fire danger than most years. He said if there is one area that fire officials will be watching extra closely, it is be the southwest part of the state where he said temperatures are predicted to be hot this summer. Barth also said people living in densely populated areas like Colorado Springs and along the entire Front Range need to always be mindful of mitigation and actions that could spark a fire, especially in the Wildland Urban Interface. "When you have more people, there are just more people out using public lands," he said. "But we don't know where the fires are going to be."

Airborne Fire Fighters Gather for Training at Peterson Air Force Base | Military.com

 

[waltky]

Two firefighters killed in western fires...

Two federal firefighters killed amid wildfires in several states
July 11, 2016 - Two federal firefighters returning from a wildfire patrol in remote northern Nevada have been killed in a crash, while crews are battling blazes across the Western U.S. Federal fire managers on Monday reported active fires in at least nine states. Here's a look at some of them:

NEVADA

A vehicle carrying Bureau of Land Management firefighters heading back from looking for lightning-sparked wildfires crashed, killing two of them and injuring another on a Nevada highway near the Oregon state line. A firefighting truck overturned Sunday evening on U.S. 95, BLM spokesman Stephen Clutter said Monday. Their names and other details of the crash on State Route 140 weren't immediately made public. The injured firefighter was flown by helicopter to a Reno hospital, Clutter said. A BLM statement mourns the deaths and injury and says the agency's thoughts and prayers are with the firefighters' families.

COLORADO

Two campers accused of igniting a Colorado wildfire that has forced the evacuation of 2,000 people talked to a reporter about the blaze before they were arrested. Jimmy Andrew Suggs, 28, and Zackary Ryan Kuykendall, 26, of Vinemont, Alabama, didn't properly extinguish a campfire, causing flames to flare up and spread in hot, windy weather Saturday, authorities said. Gusty winds also threaten to fan the flames Monday. uggs and Kuykendall were arrested Sunday at an evacuation shelter. The pair and a woman camping with them told the Daily Camera newspaper of Boulder that they saw the fire soon after it started.

A plane drops retardant while battling the Cold Springs Fire near Nederland, as viewed from Sugarloaf, Colorado​

They had "never seen anything like it," Suggs said. The fire has burned about a square mile in the foothills roughly 20 miles west of Boulder and has destroyed three homes. In northern Colorado, firefighters say a wildfire near the Wyoming border has burned another 1,000 acres, and they are warning that the fire could spread rapidly on Sunday because high winds are forecast.

UTAH

Crews spotted an unauthorized drone over a southern Utah wildfire for the fifth time since it ignited nearly a month ago, stirring fears that firefighting aircraft could be at risk of a collision. Firefighters will still use their airplanes and helicopters but face random, illegal drone flights as one more hazard, said Megan Saylors, spokeswoman for a team of agencies fighting the 3.6-square-mile fire about 300 miles south of Salt Lake City. Saylors said aircraft are critical in the battle against the flames burning on a steep ridge above the town of Pine Valley because access for crews on the ground is limited. No aircraft were flying Sunday night during the latest drone sighting, but firefighters had to ground their planes for several hours Friday night during another drone flight, Saylors said. It's unclear if the same unmanned aircraft has been flying over the fire in all five incidents over the past month.

CALIFORNIA

See also:

Alabama campers charged with arson in connection with Colorado wildfire that now covers 600+ acres
— Two campers from Alabama have been arrested in connection with a Colorado wildfire that has grown to more than 600 acres, destroying five homes and four buildings.

The fire is in Boulder County. Sheriff's deputies say Jimmy Andrew Suggs, 28, and Zackary Ryan Kuykendall, 26, both of Vinemont, Alabama, face felony arson charges because of the danger the fire poses. That's according to our sister station KDVR. The men were booked in the Boulder County Jail. One of the campers accused of starting the Cold Springs Fire told investigators “It had to been us” because they were the only ones in the area where the blaze likely began, according to an arrest affidavit. Authorities say the men left a poorly extinguished campfire smoldering as hot, dry winds whipped down from mountain peaks. The fire sparked on Saturday, forcing evacuations of nearly 2,000 people southwest of Boulder.

Suggs, Kuykendall and Elizabeth Burdeshaw, 21, were camping on private property, according to the Sheriff's Office. According to the affidavit, witnesses told the sheriff’s office they had seen the three camping near where the fire started. In an interview with investigators, the three said they were in the area and reading their Bibles, camping at three different sites. The three agreed to show investigators where they had been camping. The first campsite could not be located. At the third campsite, Suggs found a machete that he had left behind. While hiking back, the three and investigators discussed going to the second campsite.

However, there was an active fire in the area and Suggs said, “That’s right where we were,” pointing to the fire. He also said, “It had to been us. There was no one else around.” A few hours later, a fire investigator showed the three pictures of the area they had described as being their campsite. Suggs and Burdeshaw said it appeared to be their site, specifically indicating a stump in the geography looked familiar, according to the affidavit.

Suggs later said they had not put dirt on the fire, only rocks. “Both Suggs and Kuykendall had a discussion about doing more to put out the fire but ultimately decided not to,” the affidavit said. The fire investigator then talked with the sheriff’s detective and said he was “90 percent” certain the campsite was where the fire started. Suggs and Kuykendall were then arrested at Nederland High School and booked into the Boulder County Jail. Karen Antonacci with the Boulder Daily Camera interviewed Suggs, Kuykendall and Burdeshaw the day before they were arrested. Burdeshaw doesn't face charges because investigators say she didn't have anything to do with starting or maintaining the campfire.

NEW DETAILS: Alabama campers charged with arson in connection with Colorado wildfire that now covers 600+ acres

 

[waltky]

Flames an' fire an' vapors o' smoke...

'Like a freight train': California wildfire guts 18 homes
July 24, 2016 — Flames raced down a steep hillside "like a freight train," leaving smoldering remains of homes and forcing thousands to flee the wildfire churning through tinder-dry canyons in Southern California, authorities said Sunday.

The fire that has destroyed at least 18 homes in northern Los Angeles County gained ferocious new power two days after it broke out, sending so much smoke in the air that planes making drops on it had to be grounded for part of the afternoon. "For this time of year, it's the most extreme fire behavior I've seen in my 32-year career," County fire Chief Daryl Osby said. About 300 miles up the coast, crews were battling another fire spanning more than 16 square miles and forcing evacuations outside the scenic Big Sur region. The Southern California blaze has blackened more than 34 square miles of brush on ridgelines near the city of Santa Clarita, and authorities found a burned body in a car. No new measurements were available, but officials said the fire might now be double that size.

Planes were unable to make drops over the fire for a long stretch of the afternoon before resuming for a few hours before dusk. Helicopters released retardant around the perimeter of the fire all day and would continue into the night. "The fire's just doing what it wants right now," U.S. Forest Service spokesman Nathan Judy said. "We have to stick back, let it do what it wants to and attack it where we can." Juliet Kinikin said Sunday there was panic as the sky became dark with smoke and flames moved closer to her home a day earlier in the Sand Canyon area of Los Angeles County. "And then we just focused on what really mattered in the house," she told The Associated Press. Kinikin grabbed important documents and fled with her husband, two children, two dogs and three birds. They were back at home Sunday, "breathing a big sigh of relief," she said. Residents of thousands of homes were evacuated as shifting winds were pushing flames northeast through Angeles National Forest, authorities said.

Lois Wash, 87, said she and her daughter and her dog evacuated, but her husband refused. "My husband's stubborn as a mule, and he wouldn't leave," Wash told KABC-TV. "I don't know if he got out of there or not. There's no way of knowing. I think the last time I looked it was about 100 yards from us. I don't know if our house is still standing or not. All we can do is pray." The fire has ripped through brush withered by days of 100-degree temperatures and years of drought. "It started consuming houses that were non-defendable," Los Angeles County Deputy Fire Chief John Tripp said, describing the flames as charging through terrain "like a freight train." More than 1,600 firefighters were battling the flames that sent up a huge plume of smoke visible across the region. The body of a man was discovered Saturday in a burned sedan outside a home in the fire zone. Los Angeles County sheriff's officials are investigating the death.

The fire destroyed film sets at Sable Ranch in Santa Clarita, which has Old West-style buildings used for movie locations. It also forced a nonprofit sanctuary for rescued exotic creatures to evacuate 340 of its more than 400 animals, including Bengal tigers and a mountain lion. North on the Central Coast, a blaze consuming brush in rugged mountains near Big Sur was threatening about 1,650 homes. It burned in inaccessible terrain 5 miles south of Garrapata State Park and forced the communities of Palo Colorado and Carmel Highlands to evacuate, California's forestry department said. Brock Bradford lives in a historic house in Palo Colorado and could see the flames coming down the road as he evacuated. "I hope I don't have to rebuild my house," he told the Monterey Herald. "I'm 66."

'Like a freight train': California wildfire guts 18 homes

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Burned body found as wildfire burns near Los Angeles
July 24, 2016 — A burned body was found Saturday at the scene of a brushfire north of Los Angeles that has scorched 31 square miles and prompted the evacuation of 1,500 homes, authorities said.

The body was discovered outside a home on Iron Canyon Road in Santa Clarita, and detectives are trying to determine whether the person was killed by the blaze or another cause, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Rob Hahnlein said. The home also may have burned, he said. The area was one of several neighborhoods ordered evacuated as the fire raged through bone-dry canyons and ranchlands. The fire burned through the area Saturday evening. Firefighters reported that some buildings had been engulfed, but it was not immediately clear whether they were homes, outbuildings or garages, said Nathan Judy, a spokesman for the U.S. Fire Service. The area was still unsafe because of smoldering debris and trees that might fall because their roots had burned, Judy said. The fire was only 10 percent contained Saturday night as it burned on the edge of Santa Clarita and into the Angeles National Forest and showed no sign of calming.

A large plume of smoke from a wildfire rises near Highway 1, burning five miles south of Carmel, Calif.​

More than 900 firefighters and water-dropping helicopters planned to battle the flames overnight, but they could face several fronts. "It's not a one-direction type of fire," Judy said. "It's going in different directions depending on which way the wind is blowing. It's doing what it wants." A Bengal tiger and other exotic animals were evacuated from the Wildlife Waystation, a nonprofit sanctuary for rescued exotic creatures within the national forest. More than 220 horses, dozens of goats and other animals were taken from the fire area, animal control officials said. About 300 miles up the coast, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection firefighters battled a 10-square-mile blaze in rugged mountains north of the majestic Big Sur region.

The flames completely charred a Fresno County Sheriff's patrol truck. The deputy had pulled over to help with evacuations but his truck got stuck right in the path of the fire.​

The blaze 5 miles south of Garrapata State Park posed a threat to about 1,000 homes and the community of Palo Colorado was ordered evacuated, Cal Fire said. By evening, people living in the Carmel Highlands north of the fire were told to be ready to leave at a moment's notice if an evacuation was called. Jerri Masten-Hansen and her husband said she and her husband watched the fire creep in. "We felt threatened this morning and decided we needed to go," Masten-Hansen told KSBW-TV (Soberanes Fire grows to 10,262 acres; containment up to 5 percent). Her sister also left her home down the road. "I grabbed all the pictures of the kids, and then I took the paintings of my parents that had been done by a local artist," Ellen Masten said.

Burned body found as wildfire burns near Los Angeles