Northern California fire season closes

Monday, November 3, 2008

Northern California fire season closes

A season that started with a flash and a bang went out with a wet wimper....
Officially Monday at 08:00hrs marks the end of Northern California Fire Season 2008 for Cal Fire-Butte County, Shasta/Trinity Unit, Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit and Tehama/Glenn Unit.
Northern California lightning siege: The 2008 California fire season started early on June 20, as a severe thunderstorm system moved through a bone dry northern and central California resulting in over 6,000 total lightning strikes in more than 26 counties.
Over two thousand wildland fires were ignited due to this storm and due to the overwhelming situation some fires were not staffed for days and even weeks as officials figured out priorities.
As firefighting resources began arriving in the North state and combined with aggressive firefighting efforts from CAL FIRE, USFS, and private fire contractors, Fire command officials strategically tackled the suppression of these incidents.
Over 25,000 firefighting personnel from across the state, nation and world responded to the Northern California lightning siege.

CAL FIRE Summary of wildland lightning fires by County

Butte: The Butte Lightning Complex burned 59,440 acres and is now 100% contained. Click Here for more information.
Humboldt: The Humboldt Complex burned 1,325 acres and is now 100% contained.
Lake: The Walker Fire burned 14,500 acres and is now 100% contained. Click Here for more information.
Lassen, Modoc: The Corral Fire burned 12,434 acres and is now 100% contained. Click Here
Mariposa: The Oliver Fire burned 2,789 acres and now 100% contained.Click Here for more information.
Mendocino: The Mendocino Lightning Complex burned 53,300 acres and is now 100% contained. Click Here for more information.
Napa & Solano: The Wild Fire burned 4,089 acres and is now 100% contained. Click Here for more information.
Santa Clara: The Whitehurst and Hummingbird Fires burned a combined 994 acres and are both now 100% contained. Click Here for more information.
Shasta & Trinity: The Shasta and Trinity Lightning burned 86,500 acres and is now 100% contained. Click Here for more information.

The Preparedness Level for Northern California today is 1. The MACS Mode for Northern California is 1. Widespread rainfall has been siginicant enough to reduce fire danger in much of Northern California.
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Burning of vegetative waste may resume without permits in most unincorporated areas of the counties until May 1, when permits will again be required and specific burning hours established.

Only clean, dry vegetative waste, including branches and yard clippings should be burned, to minimize the impact of smoke on neighborhoods. Burn piles should be attended at all times.

Residents also must call the local Air Quality Management District each morning to determine if a burn day has been declared.

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Monday, November 3, 2008