Latest news with #RedFlagWarning
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Black Hills Energy developing emergency shutoff program
(SOUTHERN COLORADO) — Black Hills Energy (BHE) is developing a program to allow the utility to shut off power in high-wildfire risk areas during 'extreme conditions.' According to BHE, the utility is preparing to launch the 'Public Safety Power Shutoff' (PSPS) program by mid-summer 2025. BHE said the PSPS program involves 'selectively and proactively' shutting off power to high-risk fire areas during extreme weather conditions until those conditions improve, with the goal of preventing electric facilities from becoming a source of wildfire ignition. 'At Black Hills Energy, the safety of our customers, employees and communities is our highest priority,' said Campbell Hawkins, vice president of Colorado utilities. 'We believe that a Public Safety Power Shutoff program is a necessary and critical tool for wildfire prevention and mitigation, particularly for utilities with high fire risk areas.' BHE said if a power line is proactively de-energized during a shutoff, it will not be turned back on until conditions improve, and until crews have inspected power lines. This process may result in outages lasting a few hours or a few days. 'Peer utilities are currently implementing and executing similar programs,' Hawkins said. 'To determine if a Public Safety Power Shutoff is necessary, Black Hills Energy will leverage industry criteria that include a combination of wind gust speeds and low relative humidity.' According to Hawkins, BHE does not intend to trigger a shutoff based only on a Red Flag Warning being issued by the National Weather Service; however Red Flag Warnings do trigger other operational responses already in place, which are outlined in the company's Wildfire Mitigation Plan. BHE said it would communicate with customers before any shutoff occurs, and said the shutoff would only be used as a last resort. During and after a PSPS event, BHE said public notifications would occur through phone calls, emails, text messages, social media, media outlets and BHE's website. BHE reminds the community to have a backup plan in place for medicine that needs to be refrigerated or medical equipment that is powered by electricity. This could mean finding a place you can go during an outage or having a backup generator. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Gusty winds and low humidity spark Red Flag Warning in parts of Northern California
( — The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning starting early morning on Monday for the Northern and Central Sacramento Valley and the adjacent northern Coastal Range. A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either happening or will happen later, NWS said. This is when a combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can start a fire that can rapidly grow in size and intensity. According to NWS, the warning comes due to gusty winds and low humidity, which will be in effect from 2 a.m. to 8 p.m. The winds are expected across the northern and central Sacramento Valley, along west of I-5, and into the northern Coastal Range. NWS stated that the speed of the winds will be 15 to 25 mph with possible gusts of 30 to 40 mph. Lucky guest wins $549K jackpot at Thunder Valley's new slot machines The humidity level is forecast to be between nine and 20 percent, with the highest threat being in the Northern Sacramento Valley. NWS asks the public to avoid and obey the following activities: Outdoor burning Do not use a lawn mower or drive on dry grass or brush Do not have vehicle parts or chains dragging on the ground Properly dispose of cigarettes and matches Obey local burn bans and evacuate if told to Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
As heavy rain soaks much of Minnesota, there's extreme fire risk in the north
Heavy rain is blanketing much of Minnesota on Tuesday, but not the part of the state that really, really needs it. While much of the state is in a drought or "abnormally dry" stage, the situation is significantly worse in the northeast of the state, where two large wildfires continue to burn. Residents in the Twin Cities, who already saw a heavy rain storm pass through on Monday evening, woke to moderate, consistent rain on Tuesday morning that in the end could total several inches in depth. Sign up for our BREAKING WEATHER newsletters The rain is expected to continue through much of Wednesday, with a widespread 1-1.5 inches of rain expected through then, with a chance of 2+ inches in south-central Minnesota, according to the National Weather Service. There's a slight chance of some rain in fire-hit St. Louis County, but the NWS in Duluth says it's "possible as far north as the Twin Ports," which would be south of the Jenkins Creek Fire and Camp House Fire. In fact, a red flag warning for "extreme fire risk" has been issued by the Minnesota DNR until 9 p.m. on Tuesday. The warning is in effect for seven counties, including St. Louis County, Cook County, and Lake County, with the others being Beltrami, Itasca, Koochiching, and Lake of the Woods. "A Red Flag Warning means fires can spread quickly and grow out of control under the predicted weather conditions, including strong winds and low humidity levels," the DNR said. "Residents should not burn in those counties where a Red Flag Warning is in effect and should check any recent burning they might have done to ensure the fire is completely out." Authorities monitoring the Jenkins Creek and Camp House fires had been warning that conditions could be challenging for suppression efforts early this week, with the priority with regards to the less-contained Jenkins Creek fire to prevent spread towards the Skibo and Hoyt Lakes communities. But there was better news for the Camp House Fire, which is 40% contained, with the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office announcing some areas have been downgraded from evacuation status. There have also been some road openings in Lake County.
CBS News
20-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
San Joaquin fire agencies on alert during Red Flag Warning
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY — High winds, high heat and low humidity are the trifecta that sparks a Red Flag Warning. "We just came out of the rainy season, and we've had a few weeks now for some pretty dry weather with some winds, so it's drying everything out," Waterloo-Morada Fire District Chief Eric Walder said. This Red Flag Warning spans as far north as Redding to as south as Modesto. In San Joaquin County, the highest threat of fire is being seen in the northern part of the region. Because of that, fire crews like the ones at the Waterloo-Morada Fire District are on high alert. "When we do have a Red Flag Warning, it alerts us that the conditions are right," Chief Walder explained. "So, above and beyond our normal readiness, we could pre-position extra resources. We can also have more personnel come in." Crews are more than ready for the call, but there are ways you can help your local first responders before it's too late. "We've seen through this last fire season the dangers of having normal combustible plants and vegetation around your house, and that's why the state is sort of moving to the new Zone Zero compliance, where five feet around the home should be down to non-combustibles," Chief Walder said. The region recieved a good amount of rain this past winter. It caused a lot of growth, so when the summer hits, that turns into larger fuel. San Joaquin County has a weed abatement ordinance, which means weeds must be cut back and be below six inches. As Chief Walder says, even the smallest spark can cause a huge blaze. "Cigarette, ember, a chain dragging behind a trailer, anything's going to start a spark, which is going to start the fire. We had had some rain, so we have a large grass crop this year," Walder explained. "Right now, any field that's dry can catch fire and can cause some problems with structure protection as well." He went on to say it is a bit early to see winds and conditions in May, but usually, once June hits, that's when you can see these conditions worsen and those larger fires start sparking.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Greer Fire scorches over 20,000 acres across eastern Arizona: What to know
A wildfire in eastern Arizona has set over 20,000 acres ablaze in the span of a week. After six days of fighting the blaze, dubbed the Greer Fire, fire officials announced that they had gotten control of the fire. As of May 19, the Greer Fire is 39% contained. Hundreds of firefighters are working to extinguish the wind-driven wildfire, which is currently burning through natural plant material, including grass, shrubs and timber. "As a result of substantial work securing heat near the edge of the line, fire managers were able to add some containment to the fire this morning," according to a May 19 daily update posted to InciWeb, an information management system maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. "Today, all available resources are actively working to secure the fire perimeter and cool hot spots to prevent the spread of the fire by wind-driven embers." Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs declared a state emergency that will release $200,000 in state funds to the firefighting effort after a May 17 visit to the fire zone, according to reporting by The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network. "Everything we heard today is such a testament to the partnership and the coordination that doesn't just happen in the middle of a catastrophic incident," Hobbs said. "I'm committed to helping ensure those families have the resources they need post-fire... I know we're all expecting a bad season." Here's what we know about the Greer Fire so far. The Greer Fire broke out in Greer, Arizona, a small town over 200 miles northeast of Phoenix, around 11 a.m. on May 13. The wind-driven fire was pushing to the east/northeast along the ridges through grass and pinyon-juniper. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to InciWeb. Fire personnel were expected to continue to patrol and up hotspots along the control lines to prepare for unfavorable weather conditions. A Red Flag Warning, which warns of warm temperatures, very low humidities, and stronger than average winds, remains in effect across several regions until 8 p.m. local time on May 19. Eagar, Springerville and St. Johns, communities neighboring to the Greer Fire, were also subject to a Red Flag Warning. The weather conditions forecast "critical fire weather" in the White Mountains, Little Colorado River Valley and northeastern plateaus, according to a forecast from the National Weather Service's field office in Flagstaff. Dangerous fire conditions were expected to continue through May 19, according to an X post from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. Lighter winds are expected on May 20. "One spark into the dry veg under red flag conditions can start a rapid spreading wildfire," a warning from the agency reads. "Avoid burning or using tools that spark. Please do your part to prevent wildfires." The Apache County Sheriff's Office issued mandatory evacuation orders for residents in Eagar, Greer, South Fork and all areas west of State Route 261 on May 16, three days after the wildfire began. Eagar residents located south of State Route 260 between River Road and the SR 260/U.S. 180 junction — directly east of the fire — were included in the evacuation area. The fire had crossed east over State Route 261. The latest Greer Fire evacuations could be seen on an interactive map provided by the National Interagency Fire Center. Shelter for evacuees were open at the County Fairgrounds in St. Johns and the Alpine Community Center. Blankets and food were available for those who had been evacuated, according to the Apache County Office of Emergency Management website. Greer Fire animal victims: Where residents can take horses, livestock and other animals This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Greer Fire scorches over 20,000 acres across eastern Arizona
