Wildfire updates: Dixie Fire grows rapidly, smoke from West now visible across the country
Multiple wildfires burning in Northern California grew in size Tuesday, but activity was most dramatic with the Dixie Fire, which expanded an additional 25,000 acres and generated its own lightning.
Firefighters have struggled to contain the blaze near Butte and Plumas counties, which has nearly tripled in size since Monday morning. The National Weather Service said that the fire has generated its own weather, creating gigantic pyrocumulus clouds and generating lightning strikes across Northern California.
The Dixie Fire and other California wildfires, as well as the massive Bootleg Fire in Oregon, which has erupted to well over 300,000 acres, have generated so much smoke that it has affected air quality along the East Coast. Residents from Washington, D.C., to New York City to Boston experienced hazy conditions Tuesday, and some areas along the East Coast even issued air quality warnings due to the haze, according to the NWS.
Smoke has been carried by the jet stream, a wind current that runs from the west to the east. The phenomenon has caused places thousands of miles away to experience heavier haze than areas in California directly west of the fires.
Cal Fire said the Dixie Fire grew to 85,000 acres (132 square miles) from 60,000 acres overnight. No change in containment has been reported, still at 15% on Wednesday, according to Cal Fire’s Butte unit.
Two structures have been destroyed and another 810 are threatened as the fire continues to spread to the east and the north, according to Cal Fire.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in numerous areas of Plumas County, and within the communities of Jonesville and High Lakes in Butte County. The Plumas County Sheriff’s Office issued additional evacuation orders for Chester and the Lake Almanor peninsula. More detailed information on Plumas evacuations is available via the county website.
More than 3,300 personnel are now assigned to the Dixie Fire, which ignited last week in the Feather River Canyon.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. in a Sunday night filing to state utility regulators suggested its equipment likely sparked the wildfire; a troubleman observed the fire, as well as two blown fuses on a power pole, while inspecting an outage near its origin zone, PG&E wrote.
Tamarack Fire
The Tamarack Fire is burning in Alpine County, and has prompted mandatory evacuations for Markleeville, Mesa Vista and other surrounding communities and campgrounds.
As of Wednesday morning, the fire was reported at around 40,000 acres, according to Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest officials Crews have not gained any containment over the fire.
The fire crossed the state line into Nevada on Tuesday night, burning into Douglas County and staying west of Highway 395. Evacuation warnings have been issued in some western parts of the county.
Over 1,200 firefighters are assigned to the incident, which was sparked by lightning more than two weeks ago but laid mostly dormant until gusty winds roared it to life over the weekend.
The Forest Service in a Wednesday morning update said “fire behavior will continue to be aggressive” as conditions get dryer and warmer. Southwest winds are expected with gusts up to 25 mph, creating potential for significant fire growth on the northeast portion of the fire.
Caltrans on Tuesday closed a stretch of Highway 88 from Picketts Junction in Markleeville to the Nevada state line due to the fire. It remains closed as of Wednesday morning.
Highway 89 is closed at the intersection with Highway 4, and the Pacific Crest Trail is closed between Highway 88 and Highway 4, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Beckwourth Complex
The Beckwourth Complex, a pair of fires burning in Plumas National Forest, stands at 105,670 acres and has not grown in three days, Forest Service officials said in a Wednesday morning update.
The fire complex is now 96% contained. Officials announced Wednesday that all evacuation orders would be downgraded to evacuation warnings at noon, allowing those who could prove home ownership to re-enter the forest and return to their homes for the first time in weeks.
The larger of the two fires within the incident, the Sugar Fire, flared and destroyed several homes in the town of Doyle last week.
Like the Tamarack Fire, lightning started the Beckwourth Complex in early July.
This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 8:28 AM.
