California Faces Wildfire as Heat Wave Strikes the Western Region
A Wildfire continued to blaze California as another heatwave will strike the western region of the U.S. this weekend. Firefighters continue to face a surging wildfire in the Beckwourth Complex, which erupted from two flashes of lightning, Al Jazeera reported.
There were no current reports of building damage in the area. However, the fire prompted evacuations orders or warnings for about 2,800 people. The fire also prompted the closure of nearly 200 square miles of Plumas National Forest.
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California Beckwourth Complex Wildfire
The California wildfire in the Beckworth Complex was composed of two different wildfires, that are both caused by lightning according to a report from The Sacramento Bee. The two fires scorched 45 miles north of Lake Taho located in Plumas County.
The two fires, called Dotta Fire and Sugar Fire, that formed the Beckwourth Complex wildfires erupted on different days. Dotta Fire started on June 30 while the Sugar Fire erupted on July 2. The said fire burned at least 55,091 acres of land and was reported to be 8% percent contained as of July 10.
Fire Information Officer Lisa Cox said that hot and low humidity made it challenging for them to identify when will they be able to contain the fire, Los Angeles Times reported.
"Spot fires caused by embers leaped up to 1.6 kilometers ahead of the northeastern flank," Cox said, adding that area was too far for firefighters to safely battle against the blaze. Cox also noted that the fire "can actually pick up speed" as winds directed the fire up to canyons full of dry fuels.
The U.S. Forest Service officials emphasized that the fire behavior was caused by different factors such as hot temperatures, critically dry and receptive fuels, the topography arrangement, and the winds that funnel through the blaze.
On Friday, Associated Press highlighted that the hot rising air from the wildfire formed a "gigantic, smoky pyrocumulus cloud" that reached thousands of feet high and formed its own lightning.
"Such intensity, combined with hot, dry, unstable conditions can generate a thunderstorm cloud as the fire did Friday afternoon," Cox noted.
Between Friday and Saturday morning, The Sacramento Bee noted that the wildfire in Beckwourth Complex doubled its size, as the Sugar Fire and Fotta Fire remained stagnant. As of this writing, the Dotta Fire is 80 percent contained.
Heat Wave Blankets the Western Region of U.S.
The California Wildfire happened as several areas in the west are also experiencing extreme temperatures generated by the heat wave. In late Saturday afternoon, Las Vegas recorded temperatures up to 117 degrees Fahrenheit. On Friday, Death Valley National Park in California recorded up to 130 degrees.
The NWS Weather Prediction Center also announced on Friday that a "record-breaking heat" was set to affect areas in the western and southwestern regions of the U.S.
"Over 31 million people are currently under an Excessive Heat Warning or Heat Advisory," the center noted in their statement, adding that Las Vegas could experience three-digit temperatures up to 117 degrees.
Experts noted that "climate change" drives more extreme weather events such as the wildfires in California and heat waves in the west.
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Witten By: Joshua Summers
WATCH: Beckwourth Complex Fires Grow - From KTVN 2 News