{"id":2319018,"date":"2024-08-04T14:05:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-04T18:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/firefighters-continue-battling-massive-wildfire-in-california-ahead-of-thunderstorms-lightning-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-04T14:17:43","modified_gmt":"2024-08-04T18:17:43","slug":"firefighters-continue-battling-massive-wildfire-in-california-ahead-of-thunderstorms-lightning-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/firefighters-continue-battling-massive-wildfire-in-california-ahead-of-thunderstorms-lightning-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Firefighters continue battling massive wildfire in California ahead of thunderstorms, lightning &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffirefighters-continue-battling-massive-wildfire-in-california-ahead-of-thunderstorms-lightning-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2319018&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Firefighters in California are currently engaged in combating the Park Fire, \u2062the state&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dixie-fire-scorches-more-than-190k-acres-in-calif\/\" title=\"Dixie Fire scorches more than 190K acres in Calif.\">largest wildfire<\/a> of the year, which has expanded to 626 square miles\u2064 and is now the fourth-largest fire on \u2064record \u2062in California. Containment efforts have \u200breached 27%, aided by relatively cooler weather \u200bover\u200d the past few days. However, the forecast predicts\u2064 thunderstorms that could \u200cbring lightning and unpredictable winds, \u200cposing a \u2063significant risk of reigniting the fire and complicating ongoing \u2062suppression efforts.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2062fire, \u2062believed to have been started by arson, originated in an area of thick grass and oak trees and has burned through\u2064 many structures\u2014567 destroyed and 51 \u200cdamaged to \u2062date. Firefighters face challenges due to steep terrain and\u2064 heavy smoke, which has hindered\u200b aerial firefighting operations. Communities\u2063 such as \u2064Cohasset and Forest Ranch have begun to \u2062allow \u200cresidents \u2064to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-president-trump-gives-pardons-to-73-individuals-and-commutes-another-70-sentences-steve-bannon-is-included\/\" title=\"BREAKING: President Trump Gives Pardons to 73 Individuals and Commutes Another 70 Sentences \u2013 Steve Bannon Is Included\">return home<\/a> as suppression \u2062operations continue.<\/p>\n<p>As the firefighters progress against this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/grammy-ratings-hit-lowest-of-low-only-8-8m-tune-in-vs-19m-last-year\/\" title=\"Grammy Ratings Hit Lowest Of Low: Only 8.8M Tune In Vs. 19M Last Year\">large blaze<\/a>, they are also preparing for potentially severe weather that could exacerbate conditions, emphasizing a watchful approach\u200b to their \u200dsafety protocols as they fight not only \u200bthe Park Fire\u2062 but also contend with multiple other\u2062 wildfires across the western United States.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Firefighters continue battling massive wildfire in California ahead of thunderstorms, lightning<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1722153\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>CHICO, Calif. (AP) &mdash;<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/firefighters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Firefighters<\/a> made progress Saturday against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/California\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>California<\/a>&rsquo;s largest wildfire of the year ahead of expected thunderstorms that could unleash fire-starting lightning and erratic winds and erode progress made over the past week. Dry, hot conditions posed similar threats across the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wildfires-colorado-105e2106e0d65d9ea85888c9fa8e8890\">fire-strick<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wildfires-colorado-105e2106e0d65d9ea85888c9fa8e8890\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>e<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wildfires-colorado-105e2106e0d65d9ea85888c9fa8e8890\">n West<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not completely out of the woods yet, but we&rsquo;re looking very, very good,&rdquo; CalFire official Mark Brunton said in a video update Saturday. &ldquo;This is moving at a very fast pace.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Containment of the Park Fire, now California&rsquo;s fourth-largest wildfire on record, was at 27% as of Saturday afternoon. Brunton said the relatively milder weather the last few days allowed firefighters to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/evacuations-ordered-as-california-wildfire-spreads-cause-still-under-investigation\/\" title=\"Evacuations Ordered as California Wildfire Spreads, Cause Still Under Investigation\">build containment lines<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But hotter weather, fuels and terrain will continue posing challenges for the estimated 6,500 firefighters battling the fire, which has spread over 626 square miles since&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wildfires-evacuations-oregon-california-canada-1809c690e8902a4578c9f4286949550d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>allegedly being started by arson<\/a>&nbsp;in a park in the Sierra Nevada foothills east of the Sacramento Valley city of Chico. For comparison, the city of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Los-Angeles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Los Angeles<\/a> covers about 503 square miles.<\/p>\n<p>Suppression crews will also start removing damaged infrastructure in some areas Saturday. People living in the rural communities of Cohasset and Forest Ranch were told they could start returning home Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>The fire originated at low elevations, where it quickly burned through thick grass and oaks, destroying at least 567 structures and damaging 51 so far. As it has climbed higher, the vegetation has changed to a greater concentration of trees and brush, Cal Fire said.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/survivor-of-baseball-shooting-discusses-threats-to-democracy\/\" title=\"Survivor of baseball shooting discusses threats to democracy\">fire&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s push northward has brought it toward the rugged lava rock landscape surrounding Lassen Volcanic National Park, which has been closed because of the threat. The area remains one of the biggest challenges for firefighters, Cal Fire officials said Saturday afternoon. The smoke has also prevented firefighters from deploying <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/helicopters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>helicopters<\/a> and other aircrafts the last few days.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of really steep drainages in that area,&rdquo; CalFire spokesperson Devin Terrill said. &ldquo;It takes a lot more time to access those areas.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>After a brief respite, firefighters are now bracing for treacherous conditions of hot and dry weather, along with expected thunderstorms with potential thunder strikes and gusty winds.<\/p>\n<p>The collapse of thunderstorm clouds can blow wind in any and all directions, said Jonathan Pangburn, a fire behavior analyst with Cal Fire. &ldquo;Even if there&rsquo;s not lightning per se, it is very much a safety-watch-out environment for our firefighters out there,&rdquo; Pangburn said.<\/p>\n<p>The Park Fire is among almost 90 large fires burning across the western U.S. Evacuation orders were in effect for 22 of the fires, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.<\/p>\n<p>Crews made progress Saturday against three major fires&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wildfires-colorado-105e2106e0d65d9ea85888c9fa8e8890\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>burning in Colorado<\/a>&nbsp;near heavily populated areas north and south of Denver, with containment figures improving and some evacuation orders lifted. One of the fires was being investigated as arson. About 50 structures had been damaged or destroyed, about half of them homes, and one person was found dead in a burned home earlier in the week.<\/p>\n<p>The Jefferson County Sheriff&rsquo;s Office is investigating a blaze threatening hundreds of homes near the Colorado city of Littleton&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wildfires-evacuations-oregon-california-canada-1809c690e8902a4578c9f4286949550d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>as arson<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Karlyn Tilley, a spokesperson for Jefferson County Sheriff&rsquo;s Office, said the investigation is ongoing, and investigators are using a dog specially trained to sniff out sources and causes of fires. Tilley said just because they suspect the fire was human-caused doesn&rsquo;t mean it was intentional.<\/p>\n<p>Firefighters were making good progress on the fire despite the steep, rocky terrain and blistering heat, and no houses had been burned, officials said.<\/p>\n<p>The cause and origin of a fatal blaze west of the town of Lyons was being probed by the federal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ATF\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives<\/a>, with specially trained fire investigators from the agency helping local authorities, agency spokeswoman Crystal McCoy said. The area blackened by that fire remained relatively unchanged after it burned five houses.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/?d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The largest of the Colorado fires, west of Loveland, grew to 14.9 square miles after previously burning 49 homes and other structures. Its cause is under investigation.<\/p>\n<p>Scientists say extreme wildfires are becoming more common and destructive in the U.S. West and other parts of the world as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wildfire-season-2024-firefighters-climate-653890235089c9fc7b5aacf2e4c66fd7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>climate change warms<\/a>&nbsp;the planet and droughts become more severe.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1722153\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1722153\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Firefighters are making headway in combating California&#8217;s largest wildfire of the year, but they face potential challenges from incoming thunderstorms that could bring lightning and unpredictable winds, jeopardizing their recent progress. Dry and hot weather conditions are a concern throughout the fire-affected regions of the West. CalFire official Mark Brunton stated in a video update on Saturday that while there is still work to be done, the situation looks promising. As of Saturday afternoon, containment of the Park Fire\u2014now recorded as California&#8217;s fourth-largest wildfire\u2014stood at 27%. The cooler weather over recent days has allowed firefighters to establish containment lines; however, rising temperatures and difficult terrain continue to pose obstacles for approximately 6,500 firefighters battling the blaze, which has consumed around 626 square miles since it was reportedly ignited by arson in a park near Chico.<\/p>\n<p>In comparison, Los Angeles covers about 503 square miles. Crews began removing damaged infrastructure on Saturday as residents from rural areas like Cohasset and Forest Ranch were permitted to return home. The fire initially spread rapidly through dense grasslands and oak trees at lower elevations, resulting in significant destruction with at least 567 structures lost or damaged so far. As it ascended into higher altitudes, it encountered more trees and brush.<\/p>\n<p>The northern advance of the fire is approaching rugged lava rock terrain near Lassen Volcanic National Park\u2014which remains closed due to safety concerns\u2014and this area presents one of the greatest challenges for firefighting efforts according to Cal Fire officials. Smoke has hindered aerial support over recent days as well.<\/p>\n<p>Firefighters are now preparing for potentially dangerous conditions with hot weather expected alongside thunderstorms that could produce erratic winds and lightning strikes. Jonathan Pangburn from Cal Fire noted that even without direct lightning strikes, these conditions create a hazardous environment for firefighting crews.<\/p>\n<p>The Park Fire is one among nearly 90 large wildfires currently active across western states; evacuation orders have been issued for 22 fires according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center. In Colorado, progress was reported against three major fires near Denver with some evacuation orders being lifted despite ongoing investigations into arson related incidents affecting several structures including homes.<\/p>\n<p>In another case involving a fatal fire west of Lyons being investigated by federal authorities alongside local teams using specialized dogs trained in detecting fire causes remains under scrutiny after five homes were destroyed without further changes observed post-fire.<\/p>\n<p>Overall trends indicate extreme wildfires are becoming increasingly frequent and severe across parts of western U.S., attributed largely to climate change effects leading to intensified droughts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2634,"featured_media":2319019,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/california-wildfires.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4045,3907,37138,22644],"class_list":["post-2319018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-california","tag-firefighters","tag-thunderstorms","tag-wildfire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/california-wildfires.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2319018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2634"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2319018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2319018\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2319019"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2319018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2319018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2319018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}