Updated June 18, 9:05 a.m.
A red flag warning for increased risk of wildfires has been extended until noon Tuesday for much of the Central Valley as firefighters work to gain containment on nearly a dozen large fires burning throughout California, many in the Northern half of the state.
As of 7 a.m. Tuesday:
- The Sites Fire in Colusa County was around 10,000 acres with no containment
- The Aero Fire in Calaveras County had burned 5,249 acres and was 20% contained
- The Point Fire in Sonoma County had burned 1,207 acres and was 40% contained
- Evacuations had been lifted for a wildfire in Yolo County burning near Zamora, though the fire had resparked Tuesday morning
- Two large fires in Southern California — the Post Fire and Hesperia Fire — continue to burn, the with Post Fire scorching more than 15,000 acres
Two grass fires were contained Monday in Sacramento County near Mather Airport. The Jackson Fire started Sunday near Excelsior and Jackson roads, briefly forcing evacuations in the area and burning nearly 900 acres.
The Douglas Fire started Monday evening but was contained near Kiefer and Sunrise boulevards after around 585 acres. Authorities determined the fire started at an unattended homeless encampment, and the person who initiated the fire was charged with reckless burning.
Red flag warnings are issued when winds are strong and humidity is low to raise awareness that wildfires could be more likely to spread quickly.
“It's sort of a call to be prepared for any potential fire starts and exercise caution when doing anything that could create a spark or start a fire,” said Sara Perdue, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. “So, you know whether that's cooking outside or making sure you don't park your car over dry grass.”
After back-to-back wet winters, fire season has gotten off to a slow to near-average start, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California, Los Angeles.
“These are not peak season fires either in scope or behavior, or in terms of where they’re burning,” Swain said in an online briefing. “In many ways, they’re classic, early-season fires since they’re primarily burning in grass and brush.”
Swain said he expects more fire activity to begin in July at lower elevations and August at higher elevations.
“And the bad news is that I think that the back half of this season is going to be much more active, with a lot more concerning level of wildfire activity in a lot of areas than the first half,” he said.
Cal Fire has already responded to over 1,800 vegetation fires throughout the state this year. Issac Sanchez, a spokesperson with Cal Fire, says it’s important that you prepare yourself in advance.
“If you have to evacuate, be ready to do it at a moment's notice,” he said. “And the only way you can do that and do it … in a more organized manner is to be prepared ahead of time right? Once the fire starts, it's too late.”
Cal Fire has recommendations on its website for how to prepare. We also have these resources for preparing for wildfires, including how to sign up for emergency alerts in every California county.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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