California Statewide Fire Summary Monday, August 19, 2013
Firefighters remain busy as they battle nine major wildfires burning in California and today
are bracing for increased winds and lightning. This morning over 5,500 firefighters continue to battle the large fires and our making good progress including the recent containment of two large fires.
Several wildfires have already been sparked by lightning over the past 12 hours, including a new 200 acre fire in Kern County.
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning due to the possibility of dry lightning in combination with gusty winds for most of the foothills and mountains of Northern California. The thunderstorms are expected to initially be dry, which will heighten the fire danger, but should begin to bring some rainfall by midweek. The Warning takes place this morning and is expected to last through Wednesday.
In preparation for the heightened fire potential due to the lightning, CAL FIRE increased its staffing over the weekend bringing on additional personnel and staffing extra resources. The California National Guard is also assisting fire crews with the aid of several helicopters and two C-130 aircraft used as airtankers.
