The Latest Details on the Carr Fire

The death toll of the Carr fire is up to five as of July 29th.  The fire that has ravaged over 89,194 acres and continues to burn has prompted the action of over 3,300 fire personnel.  With over 500 structures already impacted, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection say nearly 5,000 more are in immediate threat from the fires.  As in most cases the current and future weather conditions are aiding in the future spread and limited containment of the fire.  The combination of high winds, high temperatures, and dry vegetation has aided in conditions that are prime for fire growth.  The Carr fire has been burning since the beginning of last week.  It was likely started by a car that suffered mechanical failure.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Sacramento, California has issued a red flag warning which is issued for critical fire weather conditions.  In the warning, the NWS says this fire is a plume dominated fire in which it is driven by itself.  Very hot and dry surface conditions are in concert to create an environment that will allow this fire to continue spreading even with light winds.  It is also important to remember that fire behavior is difficult to predict, and wildfires can generate their own micro scale wind circulations and produce higher winds near the fire itself that are different from synoptic winds.  The NWS continues to predict humidity values less than 15 percent and maximum temperatures in the lower 90’s.  The highest threats are near the city of Redding and surrounding areas where irregular spreading of the fire is possible.

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© 2018 Meteorologist Allan Diegan
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