Ron Brackett
Several firefighters were injured, one critically, after a group of 14 had to deploy a safety shelter while fighting a wildfire in Southern California's Los Padres National Forest.
The firefighters were trapped Tuesday morning near the forest's Nacimiento Station, which was destroyed, according to an update posted late Tuesday afternoon. The firefighters sustained injuries including burns and smoke inhalation. Three were transported by Life Flight to Community Regional Hospital in Fresno. A hospital spokesperson told fire officials that one firefighter was in critical condition and the other two were in fair condition.
The blaze, dubbed the Dolan Fire, has burned more than 114 square miles since it started on Aug. 18. It is 40% contained, but the Forest Service said in an update earlier Tuesday that very hot weather over the Labor Day weekend led to increased fire activity.
(WATCH: Santa Ana Winds To Fan California Wildfire Flames)
Earlier Tuesday, dense smoke cleared enough for military helicopters to rescue about 100 hikers and campers in the path of a separate wildfire in California's Sierra National Forest.
Vehicles are driven downhill on Highway 168 as the Creek Fire advances Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, near Alder Springs, California.Thirteen people had been cut off by fire near China Peak in Lakeshore, California. They landed in a Blackhawk helicopter at the National Guard Base at Fresno Yosemite International Airport where they were reunited with their families.
Several other groups of people were ferried aboard National Guard helicopters to the airport from the Lake Edison area, KMPH-TV reported. Overall, about 100 people and half a dozen dogs were rescued.
The Creek Fire, which began Friday, has exploded across more than 224 square miles in Fresno, Madera and Mariposa counties in Northern California. Evacuations were ordered across much of the area. The blaze has destroyed at least 60 homes and threatens more than 5,000 structures.
Over the weekend, National Guard helicopters rescued more than 200 campers and hikers trapped by the Creek Fire near the Mammoth Pool Reservoir.
The state is entering peak wildfire season but a record 3,403 square miles — nearly 2.2 million acres — have already burned. The previous record was set in 2018 when 3,067 square miles burned. That season included the state's deadliest wildfire, the Camp Fire that killed 85 people in the town of Paradise. In an average season, 486 square miles burn. Since 2000, the average area burned has been about 1,150 square miles.
(MORE: Washington Town Nearly Wiped Out by Wildfire Fueled by Dry, Windy Conditions)
At a briefing Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state has seen more than 7,600 wildfires this year. By this time last year, there had been 4,927 wildfires that burned 184 square miles.
Since Aug. 15, the state has had more than 900 wildfires. Twenty-five of those have been major wildfires. The fires have forced the evacuation of more than 42,200 people, Newsom said.
About two dozen large fires are burning in the state. Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, San Bernardino and San Diego counties because of the wildfires.
"Extreme weather conditions have made this situation significantly worse this year," Randy Moore, regional forester for the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region that covers California, said in a statement. "Record high temperatures, unprecedented dry lightning events, and multiple heat waves across the state have made conditions extremely dry and susceptible to fire ignition. ... In addition to the heat and high temperatures, significant wind events have occurred fueling blazes out of control."
The Forest Service has closed eight national forests in California because of the fires: Stanislaus National Forest, Sierra National Forest, Sequoia National Forest, Inyo National Forest, Los Padres National Forest, Angeles National Forest, San Bernardino National Forest and Cleveland National Forest. It also has closed campgrounds and day-use sites at all national forests statewide.
Pacific Gas and Electric, whose equipment has caused several fires in the past few years, announced it is cutting power to 172,000 customers in 22 counties in the northern Sierra foothills, northern Sacramento Valley and elevated North Bay terrain. The preemptive blackouts are expected to last at least through late Wednesday.
More than 200,000 homes and businesses were without power across the state late Tuesday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us.
In addition to the Creek Fire, here are some of the other major wildfires being battled by 14,000 firefighters across California:
-The Valley Fire has burned more than 27 square miles about 30 miles east of San Diego in the Cleveland National Forest. It has forced evacuations and was only 3% contained as of Tuesday morning. It has destroyed 11 homes and 25 outbuildings. Two people have been injured.
-The El Dorado Fire burning in San Bernardino County was started Saturday by a smoke device used during a gender reveal party, according to Cal Fire. As of Tuesday morning, it has burned more than 15 square miles and was only 7% contained.
-The Sequoia Complex Fire, SQF Complex, is made up of the Castle and Shotgun fires that began late last month in the Sequoia National Forest. It has burned more than 95 square miles and was only 7% contained as of Tuesday morning.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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