The climate crisis, which has intensified the dry conditions and increased heatwaves that bake moisture out of the environment, has played a direct role in the worsening wildfires that have been increasingly difficult to contain. More than 95% of California is classified as experiencing severe drought conditions and nearly half of the state stricken by exceptional drought, the agency’s highest classification. More than 6,000 personnel are fighting to wrangle the blaze, which is now the largest single fire ever recorded in California and is 40% contained.ĭrought is currently affecting close to half of the contiguous US, according to the US Drought Monitor. “A drawdown on resources is definitely a factor,” Swart said, mentioning the Dixie fire, which has burned more than 725,800 acres to the north and threatens homes in five counties. Officials at the time noted that it was difficult to deploy enough resources from the start with so many other big fires burning across the region. The blaze, which erupted on 14 August, quickly exploded in size, overwhelming the few-hundred firefighters and other personnel fighting to contain it early on. Source: /MUpPCbX9A4- Zeke Lunder August 23, 2021 The fire is burning adjacent to US Route 50, the most densely-developed portion of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.Įach dot here shows a home or other structure. In an incident update, Cal Fire said the blaze has destroyed at least 886 structures. Of those, 551 have been counted in the Caldor fire burn scar, which ripped through small towns tucked into the forested mountainsides in El Dorado county. The Caldor Fire covered 213,270 acres and was 32 contained as of Friday night, according to Cal Fire. Already, close to 2,000 homes and other structures have been destroyed in the state, according to the state’s department of forestry and fire protection (Cal Fire), and the count continues. Many communities in California remain under threat from the fast-moving flames. Forecasters said little relief was expected in western Nevada through midweek. Government air monitors were recording some of the region’s most hazardous conditions in years. And the dense smoke created hazardous air quality in the Reno-Tahoe area of western Nevada on Monday, canceling flights and forcing the closure of schools, parks and popular summer beaches. Nearly 43,000 Californians were under under evacuation orders and more than 500 households were in shelters, officials said. Gavin Newsom, the state governor, requested that Joe Biden issue a major disaster declaration for eight counties, which would provide a wide range of assistance. More than 13,500 firefighters were working to contain a dozen large fires in California. “Everything is primed to start – we just haven’t had enough water,” she said. She said the forest understory was filled with dense layers of dead and dry leaves, branches and stumps. “These are very, very dry, drought-ridden areas that we are dealing with,” said Diana Swart, a spokesperson for the Amador El Dorado unit of Cal Fire. Crews battling the blaze achieved 5% containment, helped by moderate humidity and lower overnight temperatures that helped calm the fire on Sunday night, but officials said the firefight through steep rugged terrain has been difficult.
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