Space WX Alerts: SUMMARY:  X-ray Event exceeded M5 ( Latest Alert ) - Issue Time: 2024 Mar 18 1942 UTC
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52.2°F  78% CBI: 1 Chandler Burning Index Description
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Current Conditions for Foresthill, CA.
Updated3/19/24  12:31am
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Fire locations are based on data provided by the National Interagency Coordination Center and are subject to change.

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Map and data courtesy of #FireMappers. Learn more about #FireMappers here.

This map is not a source of official information. Do not use this map to make important decisions that could result in harm to life or property. Always follow the instructions of local law enforcement and officials. This map is intended only to provide a general awareness of wildfire activity. For official information regarding the incidents shown on the map, please visit VCEmergency.com.


Fire Information - National Fire News

Northern California Preparedness Level 1  

National Preparedness Level 1   

Updated Time: March 15, 2024

14 new large fires were reported this week, 6 of which have already been 100% contained. New uncontained fires remain in Kentucky, Wyoming, and Oklahoma, with several Oklahoma fires threatening residences. Containment on the Smokehouse Creek and Windy Deuce Fires in the Texas panhandle has increased significantly and fire behavior in that area is currently reported as minimal. 

A Fuels and Fire Behavior Advisory has been issued for a large area of the southern Great Plains encompassing northwest Texas, western Oklahoma, southwest Kansas, southeastern Colorado, and far eastern New Mexico.  The advisory highlights the conditions that contributed to the outbreak of recent fires in the high plains of Texas and adjacent areas of the southern plains, which continue to pose a risk for ongoing fires and new ignitions. In addition to unusually warm temperatures and dry conditions, compounded by seasonal and storm winds, the grass and other herbaceous fuel loading is greater than normal due to abundant growth during 2023's wet growing season. Visit the NICC fuels/fire danger webpage for more information. 

Visit the NIFC website prevention page to learn how you can plan and prepare for wildfires and prevent unwanted human-caused fires: https://www.nifc.gov/fire-information/fire-prevention-education-mitigation.

    Please check the IMSR for more information.
    National Weather: March 15, 2024

    An upper low will bring widespread showers, with snow above 6,000 to 8,000 feet, to much of the Southwest, southern Great Basin, and Colorado Rockies through early next week. Offshore winds in California will become light, but dry conditions will continue there through early next week as well. High pressure aloft will bring above normal temperatures to the northern half of the West this weekend through mid-next week. A slow-moving cold front will bring widespread moderate to heavy rain to south and central Texas and the Gulf Coast this weekend, while lighter precipitation, with a period of drier conditions to the southern Appalachians and Southeast through mid-next week. Fast-moving cold fronts are expected for the Great Lakes, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic keeping temperatures near to below normal, but any precipitation will be light. Late next week, Pacific storms will begin to affect the northwestern US, but much of the northern Plains into the northern Great Lakes will remain dry. A warming trend is forecast for much of Alaska the next week, especially the western Interior, while relatively dry trade winds are forecast for Hawai’i through mid-next week. 

    Local Weather: Monday, March 18, 2024 - 2:05pm PDT

    Lightning Ignited Fires

    National Interagency Fire Center statistics show that in 2002-2006, an average of 12,000 (16%) of the wildland fires were started by lightning per year. These fires burned an average of 5.2 million acres per year.

       Two-thirds of lightning fires occur June-August. lightning fires peak in the late afternoon and early evening. Three-fifths (61%) of all fires started by lightning occurred between 2:00 and 10:00 p.m.

       55% of lightning fires occur outdoors, and 41% occur in structures. Deaths and injuries occur mostly in structures (89% and 86%, respectively).

       Because most lightning fires occur outdoors, the most prominent form of material ignited is "growing living form," which includes trees, brush, and grass. Materials found on residential structures that are commonly ignited include roofs, sidewalls, and framing. Electrical wiring is another material often ignited, as the electrical current in lightning is drawn to electrical wires.

       Civilians suffer more injuries than fatalities in lightning fires each year. Most casualties result from lightning structure fires rather than outside or other types of lightning fires. 89% of lightning fire civilian fatalities and 86% of injuries occur in structure fires.

    Potential Outlook Maps

    Fire Potential Outlook

    Significant Fire Potential Outlooks
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    Lightning Probability Forecast Map
    Thunderstorm Probability
    Current Lightning Efficiency Map
    (click to enlarge)

    Lightning Ignition Efficiency

    Lightning fires are started by strikes to ground that have a component called a continuing current. All positive discharges have a continuing current, and about 20% of negative discharges have one. Ignition depends on the duration of the current and the kind of fuel the lightning hits. Ignition in fuels with long and medium length needle cast, such as Ponderosa pine and Lodgepole pine, depend on the fuel moisture. Ignitions in short- needled species, such as Douglas fir depend far more on the depth of the duff layer than on the moisture. Spread of the fire after ignition usually depends on fuel moisture in all cases.

    The ignition efficiency on a 1 km pixel is given on a per discharge basis. That is, if the efficiency is high, then about 9 discharges will result in one ignition; if the efficiency is extreme, about 5 or fewer discharges will result in an ignition. The ratio of positive and negative discharges is built into the calculation. (Latham and Schlieter 1989) document the algorithm.

    The fuel type and depth are conversions of the 1 km resolution current cover type (Hardy and others 1999) for this specific calculation. The moisture input is the 100-hr dead fuel moisture.

    August 2002 - The lightning ignition efficiency algorithm has been corrected due to discovery of an error. The resulting maps reflect higher lightning efficiency than previously.

    Current Lightning Efficiency Map
    Current Lightning Efficiency Map

    Haines Index (Wildfire Potential)

    Haines (1988) developed the Lower Atmosphere Stability Index, or Haines Index, for fire weather use. It is used to indicate the potential for wildfire growth by measuring the stability and dryness of the air over a fire. It is calculated by combining the stability and moisture content of the lower atmosphere into a number that correlates well with large fire growth. The stability term is determined by the temperature difference between two atmospheric layers; the moisture term is determined by the temperature and dew point difference. This index has been shown to be correlated with large fire growth on initiating and existing fires where surface winds do not dominate fire behavior.

    Haines Index is computed from the morning (12Z) soundings from RAOB stations across North America.

    The Haines Index can range between 2 and 6. The drier and more unstable the lower atmosphere is, the higher the index.

    • 2 : Very Low Potential -- (Moist Stable Lower Atmosphere)
    • 3 : Very Low Potential
    • 4 : Low Potential
    • 5 : Moderate Potential
    • 6 : High Potential ------ (Dry Unstable Lower Atmosphere)
    Current Haines Index Map
    Haines Index Map

    Fire Danger Maps

    Each day during the fire season, national maps of selected fire weather and fire danger components of the National Fire Danger Rating System are produced by the Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS-MAPS), located at the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station in Missoula, Montana.

    Current Observed Fire Danger Map
    Observed Fire Danger Map
    Current Forecast Fire Danger Map
    Forecast Fire Danger Map
    Current Observed Relative Humidity
    Observed Relative Humidity
    Current Observed Dew Point Levels
    Observed Dew Point Levels
    Current Observed Temperature
    Observed Temperature
    Forcast Wind Speed
    Forcast Wind Speed

    Keetch-Byram Drought Index

      Keetch and Byram (1968) designed a drought index specifically for fire potential assessment. It is a number representing the net effect of evapotranspiration and precipitation in producing cumulative moisture deficiency in deep duff and upper soil layers. It is a continuous index, relating to the flammability of organic material in the ground.

      The KBDI attempts to measure the amount of precipitation necessary to return the soil to full field capacity.

    It is a closed system ranging from 0 to 800 units and represents a moisture regime from 0 to 8 inches of water through the soil layer. At 8 inches of water, the KBDI assumes saturation. Zero is the point of no moisture deficiency and 800 is the maximum drought that is possible. At any point along the scale, the index number indicates the amount of net rainfall that is required to reduce the index to zero, or saturation.

      The inputs for KBDI are weather station latitude, mean annual precipitation, maximum dry bulb temperature, and the last 24 hours of rainfall. Reduction in drought occurs only when rainfall exceeds 0.20 inch (called net rainfall). The computational steps involve reducing the drought index by the net rain amount and increasing the drought index by a drought factor.

    Current - Keetch-Byram Drought Index
    Keetch-Byram Drought Index

     

    • KBDI = 0 - 200: Soil moisture and large class fuel moistures are high and do not contribute much to fire intensity. Typical of spring dormant season following winter precipitation.
    • KBDI = 200 - 400: Typical of late spring, early growing season. Lower litter and duff layers are drying and beginning to contribute to fire intensity.
    • KBDI = 400 - 600: Typical of late summer, early fall. Lower litter and duff layers actively contribute to fire intensity and will burn actively.
    • KBDI = 600 - 800: Often associated with more severe drought with increased wildfire occurrence. Intense, deep burning fires with significant downwind spotting can be expected. Live fuels can also be expected to burn actively at these levels.

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