2020 Fire/Smoke Impact Reports

[96avs01]

With the current fires threatening areas I love, I've been frustrated in not finding one resource that provides maps and current satellite fire info for the entire state. Each county and government agency seems to have their own GIS that is slow, limited and frustrating.

As always, it seems that CALTOPO is the best resource: https://caltopo.com
Go to your favourite map layer, then choose the "Fire Activity" map overlay on the upper right corner of your screen.

If you select "All Satellites" you can see the burn area, and currently burning areas.
If you select "VIRRS progression" you can see the time sequence of the burning

Other options:
- add past "Fire History" - you can see where fires are re-burning recent burn areas.
- add "Wind Plot" to see the current wind direction and speed

Thanks CalTopo!

AirNow dot gov recently added a fire/smoke layer into their airquality forecasting. Try https://fire.airnow.gov/, apologies if this has already been suggested.

[gosia2000]

Backpacked 8/18–8/21, North Lake via Lamarck Col to Darwin bench and out via JMT and Piute Pass. 8/18-8/19 no smoke at all. On 8/20 spent night near junction of Piute Pass Trail and JMT and woke up to the valley full of thin smoke. It cleared significantly by the time we reached Hutchinson Meadows. By 8/21 there was no visible smoke in the Piute Canyon. Good visibility overall although haze was definitively worse looking West.
Once in the North Lake Campground and then in Bishop and driving along 395 south nothing but smoke.

[wildhiker]

Backpacked in the Hoover Wilderness just east of Yosemite Park 8/20 through 8/22. From Virginia Lakes trailhead went in to a camp in upper Green Creek Thursday, dayhiked over to Virginia Canyon in the park on Friday, and then out on Saturday. Very hazy with some smoke smell on Thursday. A fierce wind from the southeast blew all night Thursday night and Friday was mostly clear of smoke, although we could see a smoke layer lower down Green Creek into the Bridgeport valley. Saturday also clear up in Virginia Lakes, but then quite hazy in the Bridgeport valley and over Sonora Pass, and then just awful once we got down to the foothills and the rest of the way home to the Bay Area.
-Phil

[Moondust]

Franklin Pass area in Mineral King -- smelled smoke 8/22 and 8/23. Raining ash 8/23. Very hazy sky all weekend.

[maverick]

InciWeb:

The Castle Fire on the Western Divide Ranger District, northeast of the mountain community of Ponderosa, has grown to approximately 5,000 acres. The fire continues to move further into the Golden Trout Wilderness on the Sequoia National Forest and is advancing towards the Inyo National Forest.

Today, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux issued a voluntary evacuation notice for the areas of Camp Nelson and Ponderosa. Tulare County Sheriff Office (TCSO) Deputies are going cabin to cabin, letting people know that the fire is growing, and it would be a good idea to leave.

A Forest Closure Order of the Golden Trout Wilderness trails and trailheads is pending. As the fire continues to advance further into the Golden Trout Wilderness, hikers are asked not to enter the area.

The Forest Service is planning a community meeting at Camp Nelson for Tuesday, Aug 25 at 6 pm. More details and location will be announced in tonight’s evening fire update.

Hazardous conditions for firefighters include steep rocky terrain and heavy fuel loads, 100-degree temperatures, erratic fire behavior due to intense afternoon winds. Hand crews, supported by aircraft, are working to stop the fire spread. Several resources are on order to support the firefight for this incident, but availability is limited due to other fires. The Forest is prioritizing firefighting resources to protect life first and then property and infrastructure.

California Interagency Incident Management Team 12 assumed command of the Castle and Shotgun fires, Monday, August 24. The team brings operational leadership, planning group, logistical support, and communications to augment the Forest and impacted communities.

Smoke and widespread air quality impacts from the California wildfires remain the primary weather concern. Additional lightning and thunderstorms are predicted this week, and in response, the Forest is using a combination of fire lookouts, patrols, and aerial detection to search for new fire starts. Visitors are urged to be vigilant about wildfire prevention as hot and dry weather conditions remain throughout the week.

Also, the Shotgun Fire, located where Pistol Creek and Shotgun Creek converge in the Golden Trout Wilderness, has grown to approximately 200 acres.

Visitors to the Forest will continue to see smoke, active fire, and firefighters during the next few days. Please drive slowly and carefully. For information about air quality, smoke conditions, and health effects, visit www.valleyair.org or visit www.airnow.gov.

[maverick]

Inyo NF:

[maverick]

Inyo NF:

The Inyo National Forest has closed the #BeachFire Area under a forest closure order. This order is in effect until the Beach Fire is declared out.
This includes the Beach Fire Closure Area and any forest road that accesses the Beach Fire Closure Area (see map in the link). Access to Navy Beach and the South Tufa Area is prohibited at this time. Firefighters continue to work here, and the fire has burned through much of this area.
The Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve also has a closure in place for the Beach Fire.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DO ... 787873.pdf

[frozenintime]

not so much of the forecasted lightning in the bay area, but plenty in the sierra, damn!

LightningInfoMap_CAStateAndR5Forests_20200823.jpg

[c9h13no3]

Turtleback Dome is uh.... yeah.

Smoke.png

[maverick]

Sierra NF: