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California Wildfire Outlook Through End of 2019, Early 2020 | Need to Know

/in , /by /ABC 10 San Diego by Tracy Humphrey

Each month the National Interagency Fire Center releases a report on the likelihood of wildfire development across the continental United States. Here’s a breakdown of the most recent report released on November 1, 2019.

The Sacramento Valley and Foothills, entire Bay Area and the western slopes of the Cascade-Sierra range are projected to have above-normal significant fire potential in November, with noted emphasis on the first half of the month.

Warmer and drier than normal conditions to continue into the middle of November across the region. In fact, no rainfall is expected within the region through the first week of November.

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Water Agencies Stress Need for Disaster Plan

/in , , /by /Antelope Valley (Calif.) Pressby Allison Gatlin

LANCASTER — In case of an emergency such as an earthquake or wildfire, one key element that could be disrupted, and for an extended period, is water. As such, it is important to include planning for water needs for emergency scenarios, whether for public agencies or individuals.

To that end, area water agencies and government officials gathered Wednesday in Lancaster as the Greater Antelope Valley Water Emergency Coalition to discuss preparations and resources available in case of water disruptions in an emergency.

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When The Power Goes Out, So Does The Water In Some Places

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis Alexander

Not only did the lights go out for tens of thousands of Californians on Wednesday, but some of them were bracing for the loss of their taps and toilets, too.

Utilities across the state were warning residents that PG&E’s planned power outages could limit their ability to deliver water and carry off sewage, especially if the shut-off were to continue for days.

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Cleaning Up Paradise As A Grim Anniversary Nears

/in , , /by /Cal Matters by Julie Cart

Next month, the Northern California community of Paradise and will commemorate a somber anniversary: On Nov. 8, 2018, the town burned to the ground. Nearly 11,000 properties were erased in the deadliest, most destructive wildfire in state history, which took 85 lives.

Now, as California braces for peak fire season, the most extensive post-fire cleanup it has ever taken on is  nearly complete. Crews have hauled off more than 3.6 million tons of debris — twice what was removed from the World Trade Center site after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, in New York City.

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Wildfires A Massive Threat To California’s Progress In Cutting Greenhouse Gases

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Tony Barboza

The wildfires that raged last year from Paradise to Malibu made for California’s deadliest, most destructive fire season on record.

But the eruption of blazes marked another distinction for California, as one of the worst for the climate. In 2018, fires released more than 45 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere — the most in a decade and trailing only slightly behind 2008, when the state was also stricken by two of the largest wildfires in modern history.

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California Adopts 22 New Laws Taking Aim At Wildfire Danger

/in , , /by /APby Don Thompson

California is adopting nearly two dozen laws aimed at preventing and fighting the devastating wildfires that have charred large swaths of the state in recent years and killed scores of people.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that he had signed the 22 bills, saying several also will help the state meet its clean energy goals.

The measures largely enact key recommendations from a June report by a governor’s task force and build on $1 billion in the state budget devoted to preparing for wildfires and other emergencies, Newsom said.

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California Wildfires Pose Drinking Water Contaminant Challenge

/in , , /by /Water Onlineby Peter Chawaga

To illustrate the pervasiveness of damage caused by California’s rising epidemic of wildfires, researchers are now connecting the problem to an influx of dangerous contaminants in drinking water delivery systems.

Due to increasingly dry conditions, California’s forests are becoming highly susceptible to rampant wildfires, a trend highlighted by the so-called “Camp Fire” in November 2018, the state’s most destructive wildfire on record. In addition to damaging property and jeopardizing lives, this most recent catastrophe presented massive obstacles for drinking water treatment operations.

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L to R: Colter Shannon, Toby Stoneburner, Matt Perez, and Austin Wendt, stand in front of the utility vehicle they will take to Paradise, Calif. to help with water repairs from November’s treacherous Camp Fire. Photo: FPUD

Fallbrook PUD Crews Help Paradise Camp Fire Recovery Efforts

/in , /by

Crews from the Fallbrook Public Utility District are helping rebuild water services in Paradise, Calif. after the devastating November 2018 Camp Fire.

The Camp Fire burned 153,336 acres, destroyed 18,793 structures, caused 85 deaths and three firefighter injuries. The Camp Fire is the deadliest, most destructive fire in California’s history, according to CAL FIRE.

Colter Shannon and Austin Wendt left the FPUD yard Sept. 22 to make the 565-mile, 10-hour drive to Paradise. On Sept. 29, two more FPUD crew members, Toby Stoneburner and Matt Perez, will depart for the Butte County town. Each two-member team will spend two days driving and five days working on repairs for a total of seven days.

“I just want to help,” said Wendt. “That town went through devastation and I can actually do something to physically help. My wife and I always send backpacks to places devastated by hurricanes. For the most recent one, we sent 25 backpacks stuffed with school supplies.”

San Diego water agencies help Paradise Irrigation District

The Paradise Irrigation District is still struggling to repair the damaged infrastructure that resulted in more than 10,500 customers being issued a “do not drink” water advisory.

Two other San Diego County water agencies recently helped Camp Fire recovery efforts. Six water professionals from the Helix Water District and Padre Dam Municipal Water District spent one week in August assisting the Paradise Irrigation District.

Fallbrook PUD crews will bring back lessons learned to community

Their time away won’t cost FPUD a penny as their labor is reimbursed by FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“We’re doing this because we recognize that we are in a fire-prone area here in Fallbrook,” said Jack Bebee, FPUD general manager.

The Rice Fire in 2007 burned 206 homes, 9,472 acres, two commercial properties, and 40 outbuildings in the Fallbrook area. Bebee said he knows Fallbrook may one day need the help the crews are now providing to Paradise.

He said the crews can bring back with them some of the lessons they learn from the destruction and repair work. Bebee said the district is also working with North County Fire on emergency preparedness and the FPUD board room has been set up as an emergency command center in the event it is needed.

There’s a Silver Lining to California’s Wildfires: More Snowpack and Water Storage, Study Finds

/in , /by /Sacramento Beeby Michael Finch II

Wildfires in California leave behind acres of scorched land that make snowpack formation easier and more water runoff downstream from the Sierra Nevada to basins in the Central Valley, increasing the amount of water stored underground.

That’s the finding from researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who discovered that blazes in some parts of the state could result in more water availability.

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