On Sunday, August 24th, thousands of families in Northern California’s wine country and central Oregon received evacuation orders and warnings due to wildfires spreading in the area.
According to data from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), as of Sunday, the “Pickett Fire” has burned about 10 square miles (26 square kilometers) in Napa County, with only 11% of the fire contained.
Cal Fire spokesperson Jason Clay stated that evacuation orders were issued to about 190 people, with evacuation warnings for another 360 people, as the fire threatened around 500 structures located approximately 80 miles north of San Francisco near Aetna Springs and Pope Valley.
With support from 10 helicopters, over 1,230 firefighters are battling the blaze in California. The fire broke out in a remote area last Thursday following a week of hot weather. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Clay noted that the weather had improved since the start of the wildfire in California, with high temperatures around 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius) on Sunday. However, with increasing winds later in the day, humidity levels are expected to decrease.
In Oregon, wildfires in Deschutes County and Jefferson County have spread to nearly 34 square miles (88 square kilometers), prompting evacuation notifications for approximately 4,000 households, with 1,000 households asked to evacuate immediately.
Firefighters have successfully established containment lines and continue to extinguish fires in residential areas. However, officials faced severe challenges on Sunday, including complex terrain, low humidity, and temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas. Some homes have been destroyed.
Jason Carr, spokesperson for the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, mentioned that the fire zone in Oregon is in a high desert climate zone where dry grass and juniper trees are burning rapidly, advancing toward canyon areas where it’s difficult to create firebreaks.
The wildfire started Thursday night and rapidly spread in hot and windy weather conditions. Oregon State Fire Department spokesperson Chris Schimmer posted a video on Facebook, stating that firefighters are closely monitoring isolated thunderstorms in southern Oregon, which were expected to move north on Sunday.
“If the thunderstorms pass through, it could cause the fire to jump the containment lines,” Carr explained, adding that downdrafts could push the fire in various directions.