Latest news with #ChloeCastillo
USA Today
01-04-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
Wildfires in California are threatening the world's oldest trees
Wildfires in California are threatening the world's oldest trees Show Caption Hide Caption Firefighters battle growing blaze in central California Firefighters worked through the night to battle a wildfire ablaze in central California. Firefighters in central California were working Tuesday to contain a wildfire near the Nevada border threatening a forest home to the oldest trees in the world, after making good progress on Monday, officials said. The Silver Fire broke out Sunday near Bishop, California, in Inyo County and has burned 1,589 acres. It was 50% contained as of Tuesday morning. Forward spread of the flames was successfully halted on Monday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Residents were still under evacuation orders as crews worked for more containment. "The fire still threatens structures, critical infrastructure, watersheds, endangered species, and cultural resources," the Cal Fire San Bernardino Unit said in a post to social media on Tuesday. Less than 15 miles from the fire, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest contains trees that are more than 4,000 years old. The Patriarch Tree is the world's largest bristlecone pine tree. The oldest tree in the world: Meet 'Methuselah,' a literal hidden gem. "The concern comes from the weather. The increased winds that are projected over the next day and today, it leaves concerns because of the fact that flareups can happen. There is still an active threat to the bristlecones," Cal Fire Public Information Officer Chloe Castillo told USA TODAY on Tuesday. The cause of the fire was still under investigation, according to Cal Fire. Photos of the fire the day it broke out show flames and dark smoke billowing up from an area of dry brush. The fire was located along Highway 6.
The Guardian
01-04-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
California wildfire threatening forest home of world's oldest tree
Firefighters have managed to make 'strong progress' containing a fire burning through eastern California near the world's oldest trees, but the blaze remains an active threat, officials said. Since igniting on Sunday afternoon, the Silver fire has scorched nearly 1,600 acres (647 hectares) in the eastern Sierra Nevada, and forced residents of about 800 homes to evacuate. Strong winds fanned the flames, which burned through dry grass and brush in Inyo county, threatening neighborhoods, endangered species and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. On Monday evening, Cal Fire's San Bernardino/Inyo/Mono unit, the agency managing the response to the blaze, announced that firefighters had stopped forward spread of the fire. By Tuesday morning, authorities reported that crews working overnight had made 'strong progress' on the fire, with containment at 50%, and announced that evacuation orders had been downgraded to warnings. Still, the fire continues to threaten structures, critical infrastructure and endangered species, Cal Fire said in a statement. It also remains an active threat to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, said Chloe Castillo, a Cal Fire public information officer. The forest features some of the oldest known trees, including Methuselah, a bristlecone pine that is almost 5,000 years old and the world's oldest living organism. Officials are keeping the evacuation warnings out of an abundance of caution because of high winds forecast in the fire zone, Castillo said. The fire sparked along Route 6 north-east of the Owens Valley town of Bishop, near the Nevada border. Inyo county has seen little rain recently and parts of the region are experiencing severe or extreme drought, according to the US Drought Monitor. Weather can be erratic in the area and the local vegetation, saltgrass, will burn even in snow, Castillo said. More than 200 personnel responded to the blaze, facing thick smoke that reduced visibility as strong winds grounded aerial resources, preventing tanker drops, the Cal Fire spokesperson said. Meanwhile, temperatures have dropped below freezing in the evenings. Firefighters have dealt with 'extreme cold. Extreme, extreme wind. Almost Santa Ana type winds where it is completely dead, and it just immediately takes a turn for the worse,' Castillo said. 'It's been a very tough firefight in the middle of very cold weather.' The area is expected to see snow on Tuesday evening, Castillo said, but the threat remains. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Al Bawaba
01-04-2025
- Climate
- Al Bawaba
Fresh wildfire erupted in California forcing evacuations
LOS ANGELES, 1st April, 2025 (WAM) -- A wildfire erupted in central California over the weekend quickly spread to over 1,000 acres (4.04 square kilometres) as of Monday and prompted evacuations in multiple counties. Also Read Death toll from wildfires in South Korea reaches 26 According to the Cal Fire, the blaze, dubbed Silver Fire, was ignited at 2:11 pm local time Sunday in Inyo County near the state border with Nevada and quickly grew to 1,000 acres in six hours. On Monday morning, the fire spread to 1,250 acres (5.06 square kilometres) with zero containment, Cal Fire said, noting strong winds and gusts reaching up to 35 mph (56.3 kph) fuelled the fire, which "created hazardous conditions, grounding some firefighting aircraft and complicating containment efforts." "The winds are very erratic," Cal Fire spokesperson Chloe Castillo said, "One minute they're pushing north, the next they're going east." Evacuations were ordered for about 800 homes in Laws of Inyo County, Chalfant in Mono County and the White Mountain Estates neighbourhoods, and a stretch of about 50 kilometres of US Highway 6 was closed.
Sharjah 24
01-04-2025
- Climate
- Sharjah 24
Wildfire in California prompts evacuations in multiple counties
According to the Cal Fire, the blaze, dubbed Silver Fire, was ignited at 2:11 pm local time Sunday in Inyo County near the state border with Nevada and quickly grew to 1,000 acres in six hours. The fire spread to 1,250 acres On Monday morning, the fire spread to 1,250 acres (5.06 square kilometres) with zero containment, Cal Fire said, noting strong winds and gusts reaching up to 35 mph (56.3 kph) fuelled the fire, which "created hazardous conditions, grounding some firefighting aircraft and complicating containment efforts." "The winds are very erratic," Cal Fire spokesperson Chloe Castillo said, "One minute they're pushing north, the next they're going east." Evacuations were ordered for about 800 homes in Laws of Inyo County, Chalfant in Mono County and the White Mountain Estates neighbourhoods, and a stretch of about 50 kilometres of US Highway 6 was closed.
Arab Times
01-04-2025
- Climate
- Arab Times
Evacuations ordered as winds pose challenges for firefighters battling blaze in Calif
BISHOP, Calif, April 1, (AP): Firefighters stopped the forward spread of a wildfire tearing through a remote area of eastern California, but evacuation orders for residents of hundreds of homes remained in place, officials said Monday evening. The Silver Fire erupted Sunday afternoon along Route 6 in Inyo County, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) northeast of Bishop in the Owens Valley, near the Nevada border. The cause was under investigation. It had churned through nearly 2.5 square miles (about 6.5 square kilometers) of grass and brush, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Monday in a post on the social platform X. It was 47% contained. Residents of about 800 homes near the tiny communities of Laws, Chalfant and White Mountain Estates had been ordered evacuated after the fire broke out. Officials didn't provide an update Monday evening on how many people were still under those orders. Crews were expected to stay overnight to keep an eye on hotspots and work on containment. The potential for 65 mph (104 kph) gusts had limited flights by water-dropping helicopters and kept air tankers grounded, Cal Fire spokesperson Chloe Castillo said earlier Monday. "The winds are very erratic," she said. "One minute they're pushing north, the next they're going east.' Cal Fire said the blaze was threatening land belonging to the Bishop Paiute Tribe as well as habitats for endangered species including the Owens pupfish and desert bighorn sheep. Inyo County has received very little recent precipitation and is abnormally dry, with some areas experiencing extreme drought. Similarly, most of Southern California is in moderate to extreme drought, according to the US Drought Monitor.
