California Lightning Fires Information / Maps

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

California Lightning Fires Information / Maps

3,989 of the strikes were recorded in the National Forests. Several large fires are actively burning throughout Kern County.

More lightning activity has been reported in the last 24 hours with an increase of recorded downstrikes. 10,966 lightning strikes hit California between 6:00 am on September 12th and 6:00 am on September 13th. The majority of strikes was recorded in Northern California, however the extreme southern tip of California also saw a cluster of downstrikes.

Locally, the Tahoe National Forest recorded 312 downstrikes, with a majority (163) on the Sierraville Ranger District. The Truckee District logged 61 and the Yuba District shows 88 downstrike for the past 24 hours.

Public Affairs Officer Ann Westling states "Heavy lightning hit the east side of the TNF; area north/south of Hwy 49 at Downieville; and north/south of the Middle Yuba River last evening. Rainfall was heavy at times. Four new fires are confirmed with crews heading out this morning. Crews will also be working to mop up the Middle Fire, 9 miles east of Foresthill in the Peavine area. Forecast for today and tonight calls for continued thunderstorms east and west of the Sierra crest with decreasing activity toward the end of the week."

Tahoe National Forest Lightning Map

California Lightning Map

California Fire News 2011

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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

Tuesday, September 13, 2011