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North State firefighters brace for potential thunderstorms with lightning this week
It's already been a busy season for North State firefighters with several small brush fires breaking out in June.
And weather conditions will challenge firefighters this week as the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for portions of Shasta, Siskiyou and Trinity counties through Tuesday night.
'Isolated thunderstorms may produce dangerous lightning, gusty winds, small hail, and possible fire starts, impacting outdoor activities and recreationists. No debris flow impacts are expected to burn scars,' the National Weather Service said in an advisory it posted Monday morning.
The chance for thunderstorms is expected to continue through Thursday in the mountains.
"We're in the thick of right now. We have had some fires and we have some incoming weather right now that could produce some lightning, so we're on high alert," California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Battalion Chief Matt Alexander said Monday during the Shasta Arson Task Force fireworks danger demonstration in Redding.
Two more brush fires burned Sunday and early Monday morning in Redding.
Crews on Monday mopped up from the Kenyon Fire that burned 26 acres in south Redding on Sunday afternoon. The fire caused a scare for residents in the area of Riviera Drive, prompting evacuation orders and warnings for those neighborhoods.
Redding Fire Prevention Officer Corey Welch said the Kenyon Fire threatened 25 homes. It damaged a house and outbuilding on Enchanted Way and Rocky Ridge Court.
There were no reported injuries, Welch said.
The Twin Fire burned 4 acres north of Highway 299 and west of Shasta College around 3 a.m. Sunday. The blaze burned in the same vicinity of a quarter-acre fire around 10 p.m. Saturday.
Causes for the Kenyon and Twin fires are under investigation, Welch said.
With thunderstorms and the potential for lightning in the forecast, Cal Fire is getting ready for the fire risk the weather brings.
Cal Fire spokeswoman Jas Shaw said Cal Fire units in the Northern California region, essentially Sacramento to the Oregon border, are adding staff and equipment.
'If we start getting a lot of activity, then our (Cal Fire Shasta-Trinity Unit) duty chief would be able to (add staff) unit-wide,' Shaw said.
Cal Fire also is staffing two fire lookouts, Bully Choop on the western edge of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, and Solider Mountain near the eastern edge of the Shasta-Trinty National Forest near McArthur Road, Shaw said.
A red flag warning alerts people that there is an increased risk of fire danger brought on by warm temperatures, low humidities and stronger winds, according to a NWS office in Michigan. A new fire can grow rapidly under a red flag warning, according to the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
People can help prevent fires from starting by removing dead shrubbery around their homes and avoiding using power equipment that creates sparks, NPR reported. Other tips from the IAFC include not driving your vehicle on dry grass as the heat from the underside of your vehicle can start a fire and never throwing cigarettes or matches out of a car.
Temperatures are expected to cool later in the week as the threat of thunderstorms subsides, the National Weather Service said.
After a forecast high of 103 degrees in Redding on Wednesday, the mercury will dip below 100 on Thursday. The expected high for Friday, July 4, is 92 degrees.
Temperatures will stay below 100 through the weekend, the National Weather Service said.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He's part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Red flag warning for Shasta, Siskiyou has firefighters on alert
