The closures include Tahoe National Forest, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Plumas National Forest, Lassen National Forest, Mendocino National Forest, Klamath National Forest, Six Rivers National Forest, Shasta-Trinity National Forest and Modoc National Forest. “These temporary closures are necessary to ensure public and firefighter safety, as well as reduce the potential for new fire starts,” regional forester Jennifer Eberlien said. Wildfire scorched an area in California roughly half the size of Chicago in less than a week as thousands more evacuate The US Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region issued an emergency forest service closure through at least September 6, citing “extreme fire conditions throughout northern California, and strained firefighting resources throughout the country.”įlames from the Caldor Fire scorch the ground near a structure in Grizzly Flats, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. Nine national forests in California were closed Monday. Several counties have already been declared states of emergency.įlames prompt closure of 9 federal forests Public assistance for repairs and replacement of schools, roads, utilities also would be included. If granted, the presidential declaration would help provide help with housing, unemployment, counseling, and medical and legal services. This is a marathon,” said Porter, noting that late August is about the middle point of the season for large and damaging fires that are expected to burn into the deep fall. “We’re also working to make sure that we’re resetting and getting our own people home and rested so we can sustain this fight. Two other large fires, the Walker Fire and the French Fire, are still growing, and each inferno has its own specific needs, said Porter, who is helping coordinate the massive effort to deploy resources, including firefighters, aircraft, and equipment to each area as appropriate. That blaze has swelled to more than 725,000 acres and is now 40% contained.
The Dixie Fire – the second-largest fire in state history – which has been burning for more than a month, has grown so large that its perimeter stretches more than 500 square miles. Thick smoke from the raging wildfire turned the sky over Lake Tahoe an ominous orange on Monday, with the Environmental Protection Agency reporting hazardous air quality in the region. The weather has outstripped and Mother Nature has taken over and taken fires like the Dixie to places that I never thought possible.” “I personally don’t believe the fire is going to get into the basin proper,” Porter said of Lake Tahoe.
Officials fear the fire, which is just 5% contained, may push its way into the populated Lake Tahoe Basin, and they warned all Californians to be ready to evacuate. The Caldor Fire, which has scorched 106,562 acres, is the top firefighting priority in the nation, according to Chief Thom Porter of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention ( Cal Fire). Gavin Newsom to request a major disaster declaration from President Biden. “Our teams are working around the clock to verify the environmental and safety precautions of the actions taken thus far,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the county’s top elected official, said in a statement Sunday night.More than 42,000 Californians have been forced to flee their homes as nine large wildfires continue to burn out of control in the northern part of the state, prompting Gov. Shell said Sunday that the large amount of water being used to extinguish the blaze had exceeded the plant’s wastewater storage capacity and was being released into the Houston Ship Channel.Ī floating barrier or boom was being used to prevent any chemical products from the plant from running off with the wastewater and contaminating the channel, Qamar said.Īfter some rain on Sunday, a “light sheen” was seen outside the boom but it has been cleaned up, Shell said.
The cause of the blaze remained under investigation. Nine workers who were sent to a hospital were released after undergoing precautionary medical evaluations. The unit was undergoing routine maintenance at the time of the fire.
The fire had started at plant’s olefins unit, which makes plastics and rubber. The city of Deer Park did not issue a shelter-in-place order for residents during the fire. There is no danger to the nearby community,” Shell said. “Air monitoring is ongoing and has not detected any harmful levels of chemicals affecting neighboring communities. The reignited fire was contained in a controlled area. The fire was finally extinguished on Sunday night, Shell spokeswoman Natasha Qamar said Monday.
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