Tuesday
The light looks funny out my window this morning, I can't smell it but it's smoke from the 'Rim Fire' burning in the Sierra Foothills between Angels Camp and Yosemite National Park.
The NWS SFO/Monterey Office posted a photo to their Facebook Page that clued me in:
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| Tuesday August 20th Satellite View |
Then along comes this tweet from @CAL_FIRE: "Over the past 24 hours over 3,400 lightning strikes in CA sparking over 40 new fires that burned over 350 acres. Fire.ca.gov... "
There's still a day or two more of this pattern and the Red Flag Warnings that go along with it.
Friday
The Rim Fire has blown up! Smoke plagues everyone from Carson City to The Oregon border, down to the foothills and Sacramento Valley. There's what, eleven major fires burning in California today?
CalFire reports Friday: "Lightning fires have ignited or been detected for 9 consecutive days on National Forests in California"
The Red Flag Warnings are over, all the excitement will fade into Memoryland.
I really haven't had the heart (if that's the right metaphor?) to keep a running tally on the fires...I mostly ignored Twitter and only checked into the news to see fresh video...
I did look at the Interstate 80 webcams when Severe Thunderstorm Warnings were posted for Donner Summit. It rained so hard you could see sheets of rain on the webcam images!
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| Sheets of rain from Sugar Bowl's Lodge |
I'd been looking at the same webcams to view the smoky conditions for three days.
This morning, CalTrans had to close both the eastbound and westbound fast lanes of I-80 just uphill of the DaveCave for a sinkhole! All that rain must have bored through a backfilled trench that carries some conduits.
They've got the WB #1 Lane reopened now...what's next? Pestilence? Uncle!
Cue the locust swarms!
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