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2023 California wildfires

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2023 California wildfires
Beyond a dirt road and desert brush and Joshua trees, a flame front burns and colors the sky brown and orange
The York Fire burns in Mojave National Preserve on July 29
Date(s)
  • January 1 –
  • December 31, 2023
Statistics[1]
Total fires4,176
Total area141,765 acres (57,370 ha)
Impacts
Deaths4
Structures destroyed15
Season
← 2022
2024 →

The 2023 California wildfire season is a series of significant wildfires that have burned in the U.S. state of California since the beginning of the calendar year. According to statistics published by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), as of August 20, 2023, a total of 4,176 fires have burned a total of 141,765 acres (57,370 hectares).[1] This is below the state's five-year average of 754,894 acres (305,495 ha) burned during the same period.[2] The 2023 fire season follows the 2022 season, during which the number of fires and the resulting burned acreage were also both below average.[3]

Season outlook

Climate

California saw a series of powerful atmospheric rivers between December 2022 and March 2023, which much improved drought conditions in the state and boosted the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada to more than 200% of average for the date. Some researchers noted that the resulting vegetation growth could prove dangerous if dry and warm conditions return during spring and summer, obviating the gains from early storms,[4][5] but in general, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), increased precipitation reduces the risk of a worse wildfire season.[6]

Cal Fire predicted that "critically dry fuel moisture alignments are not likely to be reached for any great length of time or over a larger area" between March and June 2023.[1] Critical fuel moisture refers to the point at which fuel characteristics—like vegetation mortality or dryness—are favorable for large fire growth.[7][6][8]

Timing of peak fire season

In Northern California, fire season typically peaks in the summer with increasingly warm and dry conditions and aided by occasional dry cold frontal passages that may bring winds and/or lightning. Activity usually continues until late fall brings Pacific moisture to the northern portion of the state, though northeast wind events may pose a threat. In Southern California, fire season typically peaks in late spring through early fall, when Pacific moisture recedes. Offshore wind events such as Santa Ana winds mean that large fires are possible year-round, but their frequency is most heightened in the fall, when fuels are also driest.[9]

Preparation

In January, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the allocation of $930 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act to ten western states, including California, for fuel reduction programs and other measures to curtail wildfire risks. The allocation was reported to represent a significant increase in funding for programs like tree clearing, brush thinning and removal, and controlled burns in Southern California, whose four National Forests previously received about $1.2 million annually for those purposes.[10]

On January 31, California senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla (as well as senators Steve Daines of Montana and Ron Wyden of Oregon) introduced a bill to the U.S. Senate entitled the Wildfire Emergency Act, recognizing the "threat of wildfire" as an emergency in the Western United States. The proposed bill would provide at least a quarter of a billion dollars in funding for forest restoration and wildfire resilience in 20 locations of more than 100,000 acres (40,000 ha) each, coordinated by the Forest Service. It would also create a program at the Department of Energy to "ensure that critical facilities remain active during wildfire disruptions". Further funding would be provided for prescribed fire implementation, firefighter training, and wildfire detection.[11]

On March 20, Vice President Kamala Harris announced $197 million in federal grants through the administration’s wildfire defense grant program. California-based authorities and organizations were slated to receive 29 grants; they include money for counties to conduct home defensible space inspections, prescribed burn training, and fuels reductions, as well as increased funding for U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior wildfire prevention efforts.[12]

Impacts

Casualties

While fighting the 3-acre (1.2 ha) Broadway Fire near Cabazon in Riverside County on August 6, two helicopters (a Bell 407 and a Sikorsky S-64E) collided in mid-air. The Sikorsky helicopter landed safely, while all three occupants of the Bell helicopter—a contract pilot, a Cal Fire division chief, and a Cal Fire captain—were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the accident.[13][14]

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that have burned more than 1,000 acres (400 hectares), produced significant structural damage or casualties, or otherwise been notable. Acreage and containment figures may not be up to date.

Name County Acres Start date Containment date Notes Refs
Danny Los Angeles 1,560 June 4 June 5 Unknown cause. [15]
Geology Riverside 1,088 June 10 June 18 Cause under investigation, burned in Joshua Tree National Park. [16][17]
Bone Tuolumne 1,163 June 15 July 10 Caused by lightning in the area of a Stanislaus National Forest planned prescribed burn, the fire was managed for resource objectives. [18]
District Kern 1,044 July 7 July 10 Caused by a semi truck fire. Adjacent to Interstate 5, caused closures of the freeway's northbound lanes. [19][20][21]
Rabbit Riverside 8,283 July 14 July 22 Cause under investigation, burned near Lakeview and Beaumont. Caused evacuation warnings and orders. [22][23][24]
Bonny Riverside 2,322 July 27 August 9 Cause under investigation. Caused evacuation warnings and orders. 1 structure destroyed. [25][26]
York San Bernardino, Clark (NV) 93,078 (burned partially in Nevada) July 28
98% contained
 Cause undetermined. Burned largely in Mojave National Preserve in California, crossed into Nevada on July 30 and burned ~8,580 acres (3,470 ha) there. 3 structures destroyed. [27][28]
East Kern 1,540 August 1 August 2 Cause under investigation. [29][30]
No Name Kern 1,120 August 5 August 8 Cause under investigation. [31][32]
Almond Kern 5,229 August 6 August 7 Cause under investigation. [33][34]
Bluff Complex Del Norte, Humboldt 4,080 August 15
15% contained
 Caused by lightning. Consists of the Mosquito, Blue Creek, Bluff #1, and Bluff #2 fires. [35]
South Fork Complex Humboldt 2,234 August 15
0% contained
 Caused by lightning. Consists of the 3-9, Pilot, and Sulpher fires. [36]
Lone Pine Humboldt 1,625 August 15
5% contained
 Caused by lightning. [37]
Deep Trinity 3,573 August 15
0% contained
 Caused by lightning. Evacuations in effect. [38]
Smith River Complex Del Norte, Curry (OR) 25,419 August 15
0% contained
 Caused by lightning. Consists of the Holiday, Diamond, Kelly, and Prescott fires, as well as many smaller fires. [39][40]
Happy Camp Complex Siskiyou 8,409 August 15
0% contained
 Caused by lightning. Consists of the Head, Canyon, Elliot, and Three Creeks fires, as well as many smaller fires. Evacuations in effect. 9 structures destroyed/damaged. [41]
Plant Santa Barbara 5,464 August 19
5% contained
 Cause under investigation. Threatening the South Cuyama Oil Field. [42]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "2023 Fire Season Incident Archive". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  2. ^ "Statistics". fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  3. ^ Smith, Hayley (November 19, 2022). "'We got really lucky': Why California escaped another destructive fire season in 2022". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  4. ^ Ramirez, Rachel; Rigdon, Renée (January 26, 2023). "How California's recent flooding could set the stage for a dangerous wildfire season". CNN. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  5. ^ "California's recent flooding could set the stage for a dangerous wildfire season". CBS Bay Area. January 26, 2023. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Smith, Hayley (January 31, 2023). "Why epic California rains might not prevent a dangerous fire season ahead". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  7. ^ "Fire Weather Criteria". National Weather Service. NOAA. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  8. ^ Steffens, Ron (January 21, 2023). "What a wet West Coast winter foretells for fire season 2023". Wildfire Today. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  9. ^ "Fire Season Climatology". National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  10. ^ Nelson, Joe (January 19, 2023). "Southern California to get slice of $930 million in federal funds for wildfire reduction efforts". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  11. ^ "Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Increase Preparedness, Reduce Risk for Catastrophic Wildfires". United States Senator for California Dianne Feinstein. January 31, 2023. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  12. ^ Subramanian, Courtney (March 20, 2023). "Harris unveils $197 million for wildfire resilience as California's fire season looms". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  13. ^ Wolfe, Elizabeth; Watson, Michelle (August 7, 2023). "NTSB investigating a helicopter collision that left 3 dead while battling Southern California fires". CNN. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  14. ^ Smith, Hayley; Wigglesworth, Alex; Petri, Alexandra E.; Goldberg, Noah; Lin, Summer (August 7, 2023). "Authorities investigate Cabazon helicopter crash that killed 3: 'This should never happen'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 8, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  15. ^ "Danny Fire: Forward progress stopped, nearly 1,600 acres burned". KTTV. June 4, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  16. ^ "Geology Fire". The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).
  17. ^ Franco, Kate; Perez, Eliana (June 11, 2023). "Fire in Joshua Tree National Park. What to know about road, trail, camping closures". Palm Springs Desert Sun. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  18. ^ "2023 - Bone Lightning Fire Information". InciWeb: Incident Information System. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  19. ^ "District Fire". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  20. ^ "District Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  21. ^ Rodriguez, Matthew (July 7, 2023). "District Fire grows to 357 acres, closes part of the northbound I-5 Freeway". CBS News. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  22. ^ "Rabbit Fire". CAL FIRE. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  23. ^ "Rabbit Fire". Watch Duty. July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  24. ^ Radin, Danielle (July 14, 2023). "Road closures in place as firefighters respond to Rabbit Fire in Lakeview". CBS News.
  25. ^ "Bonny Fire". fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  26. ^ "Bonny Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  27. ^ "2023 - York Fire". InciWeb. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  28. ^ "York Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  29. ^ "East Fire". fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  30. ^ "East Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  31. ^ "No Name Fire". fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  32. ^ "No Name Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  33. ^ "Almond Fire". fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  34. ^ "Almond Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  35. ^ "SRF Bluff Complex". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  36. ^ "SHF South Fork Complex Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  37. ^ "Lone Pine Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  38. ^ "Deep Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  39. ^ "Smith River Complex Information". Inciweb. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  40. ^ "SRF Smith River Complex". Watch Duty. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  41. ^ "2023 Happy Camp Complex Klamath NF Information". InciWeb. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  42. ^ "Plant Fire". CalFire. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
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