CAL FIRE: Investigates Fire in the Sky and Sonic Boom

Sunday, April 22, 2012

CAL FIRE: Investigates Fire in the Sky and Sonic Boom

CAL FIRE was sent out today to investigate reports of fire in the sky, As very loud and wide ranging sonic boom was heard over Central California and the Sierra's.
911 reports in the two states of California and Nevada reported seeing a fireball streak across the sky at the same time.

Where: The ground shaking explosion was heard by residents in El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and San Joaquin counties. Dan Ruby of the Fleischmann Planetarium at the University of Nevada, Reno, said the reports indicate the meteor broke up above Earth somewhere over the Sierra southwest of Reno.
The explosion rattled windows and shook houses from Reno to Winnemucca in Nevada, and from the Sacramento to Bakersfield areas in California. Some people in the two states reported seeing a fireball streak across the sky at the same time.
Who: Numerous 911 callers reported seeing a meteor over the Sierra sky at approximately 7:45 a.m. some callers further reported resultant smoke plumes.
CAL Fire spokesperson Daniel Berlant said they received several calls about the lengthy sonic boom and sent spotter crews out to investigate. One caller in Camino reported seeing a column of smoke after he saw the meteor.
What: National Weather Service's Craig Shoemaker said the boom was due to "a meteor that originated from a debris cloud from the Thatcher Comet."
Comet Thatcher Yearly Attack on Earth: The Lyrid Meteor Shower:
Debris from the Thatcher Comet are called Lyrid meteors. According to NASA, every year in late April, Earth passes through a stream of Lyrid meteors, which has been happening for at least 2,600 years.
Dust from Thatcher's Comet hit the Earth's atmosphere at 110,000 mph and disintegrate in a flurry of meteors; most years the meteor shower creates about 15 to 20 Lyrids per hour, according to NASA.
More: Slamming into the atmosphere at nearly 110,000 miles per hour, 15 to 20 meteors per hour could shower the night sky and produce some fireballs. The annual skywatching event peaks on April 21st, 2012.The Science and history of Thatchers Comet at NASA Link

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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).

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Sunday, April 22, 2012