97-695: The Mosquito Fire was California's largest wildfire in 2022. The fire began on September 6, burned 76,788 acres (31,075 hectares) in Placer and El Dorado counties in September and October, and was pronounced fully contained on October 22. It affected the Tahoe and Eldorado National Forests and destroyed 78 structures in the rural communities of Michigan Bluff , Foresthill , and Volcanoville . The fire suppression effort cost more than $ 180 million, and at its peak involved more than 3,700 firefighters. The precise cause of
194-514: A Form 8-K financial report announcing that (1) the Forest Service had indicated to them that the Mosquito Fire started in the area of the company's power line, (2) the Forest Service was conducting a criminal investigation, and (3) the Forest Service had removed and taken possession of one of PG&E's transmission poles and attached equipment on September 24. The company said elsewhere that it
291-564: A defensible space be maintained by clearing flammable materials within a prescribed distance from the structure. Communities in the Philippines also maintain fire lines 5 to 10 meters (16 to 33 ft) wide between the forest and their village, and patrol these lines during summer months or seasons of dry weather. Continued residential development in fire-prone areas and rebuilding structures destroyed by fires has been met with criticism. The ecological benefits of fire are often overridden by
388-541: A state of emergency for Placer and El Dorado counties. The following day, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) granted the state's request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG), which can provide federal funding for a large portion of eligible firefighting costs, including field camps, equipment, and mobilization/demobilization of personnel. On September 22, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced an moratorium on
485-406: A $ 100 million charge in the third quarter of 2022 when it determined that it would likely incur a loss from the fire, though the investigation had not yet finished. Those who lost homes in the fire were able to submit direct payment claims to PG&E for compensation through the company's Direct Payments for Community Recovery (DP4CR) Program. On September 8, PG&E submitted an incident report to
582-465: A 15 mile radius. Additionally, Sensaio Tech , based in Brazil and Toronto, has released a sensor device that continuously monitors 14 different variables common in forests, ranging from soil temperature to salinity. This information is connected live back to clients through dashboard visualizations, while mobile notifications are provided regarding dangerous levels. Satellite and aerial monitoring through
679-470: A 24-hour fire day that begins at 10:00 a.m. due to the predictable increase in intensity resulting from the daytime warmth. Climate change promotes the type of weather that makes wildfires more likely. In some areas, an increase of wildfires has been attributed directly to climate change. Evidence from Earth's past also shows more fire in warmer periods. Climate change increases evapotranspiration . This can cause vegetation and soils to dry out. When
776-701: A PG&E contractor to get past law enforcement checkpoints. A large portion of the Tahoe National Forest was closed, and recreation areas such as the French Meadows Reservoir and the Western States Endurance Run trail were expected to be closed at least through the end of 2022. An area encompassing 20 miles (32 km) of the Western States Endurance Run route burned. The Rubicon Trail (a popular 4x4 road/trail)
873-455: A Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) incident report noting unspecified electrical activity close in time and location to the first report of the Mosquito Fire. As of 2023, the company is cooperating with an investigation by the Forest Service and the Department of Justice into the cause of the blaze, and has been asked to produce documents and information for the probe. PG&E recorded
970-663: A benefit for people. Modern forest management often engages in prescribed burns to mitigate fire risk and promote natural forest cycles. However, controlled burns can turn into wildfires by mistake. Wildfires can be classified by cause of ignition, physical properties, combustible material present, and the effect of weather on the fire. Wildfire severity results from a combination of factors such as available fuels, physical setting, and weather. Climatic cycles with wet periods that create substantial fuels, followed by drought and heat, often precede severe wildfires. These cycles have been intensified by climate change . Wildfires are
1067-485: A common type of disaster in some regions, including Siberia (Russia), California (United States), British Columbia (Canada), and Australia . Areas with Mediterranean climates or in the taiga biome are particularly susceptible. Wildfires can severely impact humans and their settlements. Effects include for example the direct health impacts of smoke and fire, as well as destruction of property (especially in wildland–urban interfaces ), and economic losses. There
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#17328583454941164-610: A fire starts in an area with very dry vegetation, it can spread rapidly. Higher temperatures can also lengthen the fire season. This is the time of year in which severe wildfires are most likely, particularly in regions where snow is disappearing. Weather conditions are raising the risks of wildfires. But the total area burnt by wildfires has decreased. This is mostly because savanna has been converted to cropland , so there are fewer trees to burn. Climate variability including heat waves , droughts , and El Niño , and regional weather patterns, such as high-pressure ridges, can increase
1261-530: A new fire detection tool is in operation at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (USFS) which uses data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite to detect smaller fires in more detail than previous space-based products. The high-resolution data is used with a computer model to predict how a fire will change direction based on weather and land conditions. In 2014, an international campaign
1358-415: A number expected to rise to 30,000 by 2050. The economic impact is also significant, with projected costs reaching $ 240 billion annually by 2050, surpassing other climate-related damages. Over the past century, wildfires have accounted for 20–25% of global carbon emissions, the remainder from human activities. Global carbon emissions from wildfires through August 2020 equaled the average annual emissions of
1455-545: A policy of allowing some wildfires to burn is the cheapest method and an ecologically appropriate policy for many forests, they tend not to take into account the economic value of resources that are consumed by the fire, especially merchantable timber. Some studies conclude that while fuels may also be removed by logging, such thinning treatments may not be effective at reducing fire severity under extreme weather conditions. Building codes in fire-prone areas typically require that structures be built of flame-resistant materials and
1552-503: A possible resolution to human operator error. These systems may be semi- or fully automated and employ systems based on the risk area and degree of human presence, as suggested by GIS data analyses. An integrated approach of multiple systems can be used to merge satellite data, aerial imagery, and personnel position via Global Positioning System (GPS) into a collective whole for near-realtime use by wireless Incident Command Centers . A small, high risk area that features thick vegetation,
1649-531: A rapid forward rate of spread (FROS) when burning through dense uninterrupted fuels. They can move as fast as 10.8 kilometres per hour (6.7 mph) in forests and 22 kilometres per hour (14 mph) in grasslands. Wildfires can advance tangential to the main front to form a flanking front, or burn in the opposite direction of the main front by backing . They may also spread by jumping or spotting as winds and vertical convection columns carry firebrands (hot wood embers) and other burning materials through
1746-681: A remote site and sent via overnight mail to the fire manager . During the Yellowstone fires of 1988 , a data station was established in West Yellowstone , permitting the delivery of satellite-based fire information in approximately four hours. Public hotlines, fire lookouts in towers, and ground and aerial patrols can be used as a means of early detection of forest fires. However, accurate human observation may be limited by operator fatigue , time of day, time of year, and geographic location. Electronic systems have gained popularity in recent years as
1843-606: A smoke plume visible from as far away as Auburn , 20 miles (32 km) to the southwest. The fire continued to burn actively through the night, moving northwest up the side of the Middle Fork American River canyon. On September 7, the Mosquito Fire grew considerably, developing a massive pyrocumulus cloud and exhibiting extreme behavior that made it difficult to directly combat the fire. Other concurrent wildfires caused fire personnel to compete for limited firefighting resources, such as Very Large Airtankers (VLATs). As
1940-702: A soil scientist with the Eldorado National Forest, was surprised at the relatively high percentage of low soil burn severity, generally indicating more burning confined to the understory . The nearby Caldor Fire had experienced higher burn severities. The highest-intensity soil burn region was located in the drainage of the Rubicon River, between Foresthill and the Volcanoville/Quintette area. On September 8, Governor of California Gavin Newsom declared
2037-569: A strong human presence, or is close to a critical urban area can be monitored using a local sensor network . Detection systems may include wireless sensor networks that act as automated weather systems: detecting temperature, humidity, and smoke. These may be battery-powered, solar-powered, or tree-rechargeable : able to recharge their battery systems using the small electrical currents in plant material. Larger, medium-risk areas can be monitored by scanning towers that incorporate fixed cameras and sensors to detect smoke or additional factors such as
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#17328583454942134-779: A susceptible area: an ignition source is brought into contact with a combustible material such as vegetation that is subjected to enough heat and has an adequate supply of oxygen from the ambient air. A high moisture content usually prevents ignition and slows propagation, because higher temperatures are needed to evaporate any water in the material and heat the material to its fire point . Dense forests usually provide more shade, resulting in lower ambient temperatures and greater humidity , and are therefore less susceptible to wildfires. Less dense material such as grasses and leaves are easier to ignite because they contain less water than denser material such as branches and trunks. Plants continuously lose water by evapotranspiration , but water loss
2231-558: A tree fell on a PG&E power line in the Feather River Canyon . The 2018 Camp Fire , California's deadliest wildfire, also began in the Feather River Canyon when hardware on a PG&E power line failed. PG&E was also implicated in the 2015 Butte Fire , the 2019 Kincade Fire , the 2020 Zogg Fire , and others. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019 after amassing $ 30 billion in liability for wildfires in
2328-448: Is also the potential for contamination of water and soil. At a global level, human practices have made the impacts of wildfire worse, with a doubling in land area burned by wildfires compared to natural levels. Humans have impacted wildfire through climate change (e.g. more intense heat waves and droughts ), land-use change , and wildfire suppression . The carbon released from wildfires can add to carbon dioxide concentrations in
2425-721: Is no longer an expectation, but the majority of wildfires are often extinguished before they grow out of control. While more than 99% of the 10,000 new wildfires each year are contained, escaped wildfires under extreme weather conditions are difficult to suppress without a change in the weather. Wildfires in Canada and the US burn an average of 54,500 square kilometers (13,000,000 acres) per year. Above all, fighting wildfires can become deadly. A wildfire's burning front may also change direction unexpectedly and jump across fire breaks. Intense heat and smoke can lead to disorientation and loss of appreciation of
2522-473: Is prone to offset errors, anywhere from 2 to 3 kilometers (1 to 2 mi) for MODIS and AVHRR data and up to 12 kilometers (7.5 mi) for GOES data. Satellites in geostationary orbits may become disabled, and satellites in polar orbits are often limited by their short window of observation time. Cloud cover and image resolution may also limit the effectiveness of satellite imagery. Global Forest Watch provides detailed daily updates on fire alerts. In 2015
2619-416: Is usually balanced by water absorbed from the soil, humidity, or rain. When this balance is not maintained, often as a consequence of droughts , plants dry out and are therefore more flammable. A wildfire front is the portion sustaining continuous flaming combustion, where unburned material meets active flames, or the smoldering transition between unburned and burned material. As the front approaches,
2716-680: The 2023 Canadian wildfires false claims of arson gained traction on social media; however, arson is generally not a main cause of wildfires in Canada. In California, generally 6–10% of wildfires annually are arson. Coal seam fires burn in the thousands around the world, such as those in Burning Mountain , New South Wales; Centralia , Pennsylvania; and several coal-sustained fires in China . They can also flare up unexpectedly and ignite nearby flammable material. (Fire) Good luck deleting this, Frost! (Fire) The spread of wildfires varies based on
2813-957: The Amazon rainforest . The fires in the latter were caused mainly by illegal logging . The smoke from the fires expanded on huge territory including major cities, dramatically reducing air quality. As of August 2020, the wildfires in that year were 13% worse than in 2019 due primarily to climate change , deforestation and agricultural burning. The Amazon rainforest 's existence is threatened by fires. Record-breaking wildfires in 2021 occurred in Turkey , Greece and Russia , thought to be linked to climate change. The carbon released from wildfires can add to greenhouse gas concentrations. Climate models do not yet fully reflect this feedback . Wildfires release large amounts of carbon dioxide, black and brown carbon particles, and ozone precursors such as volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into
2910-568: The Caldor Fire in 2021. The Mosquito Fire burned 700 acres (283 ha) of the 4,356-acre (1,763 ha) Blodgett Forest Research Station, owned by the University of California, Berkeley . A recently donated parcel of 400 acres (162 ha) burned at high severity, with close to 100% vegetation mortality. According to a Berkeley ecologist, the ~250 acres (101 ha) treated with prescribed fire and other methods saw more moderate fire behavior when
3007-633: The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), indicating that "electrical activity occurred close in time to the report time of the fire", and that the U.S. Forest Service had placed caution tape around one of their 60-kilovolt overhead power transmission poles, on the Oxbow Tap/Middle Fork #1 line. The report also mentioned that PG&E had observed no damage or abnormal conditions to the transmission pole or other nearby facilities, nor had they observed down conductors in
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3104-557: The European Union . In 2020, the carbon released by California's wildfires was significantly larger than the state's other carbon emissions. Forest fires in Indonesia in 1997 were estimated to have released between 0.81 and 2.57 giga tonnes (0.89 and 2.83 billion short tons ) of CO 2 into the atmosphere, which is between 13–40% of the annual global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. In June and July 2019, fires in
3201-472: The Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS). Between 2022–2023, wildfires throughout North America prompted an uptake in the delivery and design of various technologies using artificial intelligence for early detection, prevention, and prediction of wildfires. Wildfire suppression depends on the technologies available in the area in which the wildfire occurs. In less developed nations
3298-664: The McKinney Fire to become California's largest wildfire of the year. The fire continued to burn to the east, in steep and inaccessible terrain in canyons upriver from the confluence of the Middle Fork American River, where the North Fork of Middle Fork American River, the Middle Fork American River , and the Rubicon River come together. It burned through much of the footprint of the 2006 Ralston Fire, as well as parts of
3395-500: The Paris climate agreement . Due to the complex oxidative chemistry occurring during the transport of wildfire smoke in the atmosphere, the toxicity of emissions was indicated to increase over time. Atmospheric models suggest that these concentrations of sooty particles could increase absorption of incoming solar radiation during winter months by as much as 15%. The Amazon is estimated to hold around 90 billion tons of carbon. As of 2019,
3492-542: The Tesla, Inc. Gigafactory near Sparks , adjusted their HVAC systems and provided N-95 respirator masks. Smoke from the Mosquito Fire and other Western wildfires traveled as far as the East Coast, visible on satellite images. Researchers with the U.C. Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center studied the effects of smoke particulates from the Mosquito Fire on Lake Tahoe, using a robotic underwater glider first deployed during
3589-410: The dry season . In middle latitudes , the most common human causes of wildfires are equipment generating sparks (chainsaws, grinders, mowers, etc.), overhead power lines , and arson . Arson may account for over 20% of human caused fires. However, in the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season "an independent study found online bots and trolls exaggerating the role of arson in the fires." In
3686-544: The American River and crossed southward into El Dorado County, burning towards Volcanoville and destroying structures along Volcanoville Road. The fire burned an additional 17,000 acres (6,880 ha) in just four hours. An elderly couple was trapped behind the fire line when their vehicle became disabled and a wild pig attacked their dogs, necessitating a sortie through the flames by an El Dorado County Sheriff's deputy. As fire activity intensified and became plume-dominated,
3783-459: The Arctic emitted more than 140 megatons of carbon dioxide, according to an analysis by CAMS. To put that into perspective this amounts to the same amount of carbon emitted by 36 million cars in a year. The recent wildfires and their massive CO 2 emissions mean that it will be important to take them into consideration when implementing measures for reaching greenhouse gas reduction targets accorded with
3880-520: The Fairview Fire in Southern California. On November 19, Governor Newsom signed an executive order allowing some environmental regulations to be suspended to expedite the removal of hazardous debris and speed other fire recovery actions. The cause of the Mosquito Fire has not officially been determined, and Cal Fire lists it as under investigation. However, media attention has circulated around
3977-514: The Mosquito Fire passed through them compared to areas that had not been treated. The Mosquito Fire also burned large parts of multiple watersheds that empty into Oxbow Reservoir and the Middle Fork American River, providing drinking water to communities in the Central Valley and Sierra foothills. The Placer County Water Agency added water treatment steps to remove sediment, ash, and debris that might enter waterways. During early winter storms after
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4074-405: The Mosquito Fire produced an enormous pyrocumulonimbus cloud that reached more than 41,000 feet (12,000 m) into the atmosphere, visible from as far away as Chico and Sonoma , more than 120 miles away. A NOAA aircraft flew around the plume in order to conduct research with San Jose State University's Fire Weather Research Laboratory and the University of Nevada , which had researchers on
4171-417: The Mosquito Fire. At least two firefighters were injured; one hurt their wrist in a fall and another stepped into a still-burning stump hole, sustaining second-degree burns on their leg. At least 78 structures were destroyed and 13 were damaged; on September 7, the fire burned in the area of Michigan Bluff, on September 8 the Mosquito Fire impacted structures near Volcanoville and Quintette, and on September 13
4268-589: The Mosquito Fire. In January 2023, El Dorado and Placer counties (with the El Dorado Water Agency, Georgetown Divide Public Utilities District and Georgetown Divide Fire Protection District as co-plaintiffs) filed a third suit against PG&E, again accusing the company of negligence and seeking to recoup costs from "fire suppression; law enforcement costs and overtime; administration, funding and operation of emergency operations and evacuation shelters; and lost tax revenue." On September 26, 2022, PG&E filed
4365-500: The Stumpy Meadows area. Between 2:00 and 2:30 p.m, the fire spotted from the south side of the Middle Fork American River to the north side, below Todd Valley and Foresthill, on the west flank of the fire. The spot fire grew aggressively and became established, creating a large plume as it burned up towards Foresthill, which had been under a mandatory evacuation for several days by that point. Some personnel working on dozer lines in
4462-498: The United States in the early 20th century and fires were reported using telephones, carrier pigeons , and heliographs . Aerial and land photography using instant cameras were used in the 1950s until infrared scanning was developed for fire detection in the 1960s. However, information analysis and delivery was often delayed by limitations in communication technology. Early satellite-derived fire analyses were hand-drawn on maps at
4559-485: The United States, aided ground crews. Those tankers also dropped massive amounts of retardant to reinforce the firefighting efforts—just shy of 200,000 gallons on September 13 alone. By that evening, the fire was mapped at approximately 58,000 acres, representing nearly 10,000 acres (4,047 ha) of growth in a day, with 25% containment. On Wednesday, September 14, the fire burned an additional 5,000 acres (2,023 ha), reaching 63,776 acres (25,809 ha) and surpassing
4656-767: The Western US, earlier snowmelt and associated warming has also been associated with an increase in length and severity of the wildfire season, or the most fire-prone time of the year. A 2019 study indicates that the increase in fire risk in California may be partially attributable to human-induced climate change . In the summer of 1974–1975 (southern hemisphere), Australia suffered its worst recorded wildfire, when 15% of Australia's land mass suffered "extensive fire damage". Fires that summer burned up an estimated 117 million hectares (290 million acres ; 1,170,000 square kilometres ; 450,000 square miles ). In Australia,
4753-435: The air over roads, rivers, and other barriers that may otherwise act as firebreaks . Torching and fires in tree canopies encourage spotting, and dry ground fuels around a wildfire are especially vulnerable to ignition from firebrands. Spotting can create spot fires as hot embers and firebrands ignite fuels downwind from the fire. In Australian bushfires , spot fires are known to occur as far as 20 kilometres (12 mi) from
4850-720: The annual number of hot days (above 35 °C) and very hot days (above 40 °C) has increased significantly in many areas of the country since 1950. The country has always had bushfires but in 2019, the extent and ferocity of these fires increased dramatically. For the first time catastrophic bushfire conditions were declared for Greater Sydney. New South Wales and Queensland declared a state of emergency but fires were also burning in South Australia and Western Australia. In 2019, extreme heat and dryness caused massive wildfires in Siberia , Alaska , Canary Islands , Australia , and in
4947-443: The area, or any vegetation on the line. In a September 8 interview, PG&E executive vice president Sumeet Singh said that the power line on the transmission pole tripped offline in what was described as a fault, close to the fire's reported start time. The pole had been installed about a decade earlier, and had been inspected within five months of the Mosquito Fire with no signs of damage found. A preliminary inspection conducted after
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#17328583454945044-470: The atmosphere and thus contribute to the greenhouse effect . This creates a climate change feedback . Naturally occurring wildfires can have beneficial effects on those ecosystems that have evolved with fire. In fact, many plant species depend on the effects of fire for growth and reproduction. The ignition of a fire takes place through either natural causes or human activity (deliberate or not). Natural occurrences that can ignite wildfires without
5141-444: The atmosphere. These emissions affect radiation, clouds, and climate on regional and even global scales. Wildfires also emit substantial amounts of semi-volatile organic species that can partition from the gas phase to form secondary organic aerosol (SOA) over hours to days after emission. In addition, the formation of the other pollutants as the air is transported can lead to harmful exposures for populations in regions far away from
5238-492: The burn scar led to a flash flood watch being issued for the entire Mosquito Fire burn area on September 18 and 19. In the meantime, steep and muddy terrain posed new challenges for firefighting. On September 19, for the first time since igniting, the Mosquito Fire did not increase in acreage, though smoking hot spots were still visible during gaps in the rain. By September 21, all evacuation orders in both Placer and El Dorado counties were lifted. Firefighters struggled to complete
5335-532: The burn scars from the American and King fires. The fire was moderated by an unseasonably early Pacific storm that brought wetting rains to the area in mid-September, after which the fire grew little and containment steadily increased. Beginning on September 18, it brought rain to much of Northern California, including the Sierra and the Mosquito Fire. The fire increased in acreage on the 17th, fueled by gusty winds ahead of
5432-492: The cancellation or non-renewal of residential insurance coverage in areas affected by the Mosquito Fire. The moratorium required insurance companies to maintain policies for one year after Newsom's September 8 emergency declaration for California policyholders living within the perimeter of the Mosquito Fire or in adjacent ZIP codes, totaling 18 ZIP codes in Placer and El Dorado counties. The moratorium also included ZIP codes affected by
5529-468: The canyon were forced to abandon their equipment and flee from the rapidly growing fire. Fire crews hastily set backfires between Foresthill Road and the fire to the south in order to consume the fuel between the two and prevent the fire from overrunning the community. A massive airshow attempted to halt the fire, as 16 different aircraft, including all four of the Very Large Air Tankers operated in
5626-639: The direction of the fire, which can make fires particularly dangerous. For example, during the 1949 Mann Gulch fire in Montana , United States, thirteen smokejumpers died when they lost their communication links, became disoriented, and were overtaken by the fire. In the Australian February 2009 Victorian bushfires , at least 173 people died and over 2,029 homes and 3,500 structures were lost when they became engulfed by wildfire. Cumulonimbus flammagenitus Too Many Requests If you report this error to
5723-693: The earth's atmosphere has 415 parts per million of carbon, and the destruction of the Amazon would add about 38 parts per million. Some research has shown wildfire smoke can have a cooling effect. Research in 2007 stated that black carbon in snow changed temperature three times more than atmospheric carbon dioxide. As much as 94 percent of Arctic warming may be caused by dark carbon on snow that initiates melting. The dark carbon comes from fossil fuels burning, wood and other biofuels, and forest fires. Melting can occur even at low concentrations of dark carbon (below five parts per billion)". Wildfire prevention refers to
5820-411: The economic and safety benefits of protecting structures and human life. The demand for timely, high-quality fire information has increased in recent years. Fast and effective detection is a key factor in wildfire fighting. Early detection efforts were focused on early response, accurate results in both daytime and nighttime, and the ability to prioritize fire danger. Fire lookout towers were used in
5917-514: The fire burned in all directions, it burned structures in the community of Michigan Bluff . The next day, September 8, saw the single largest day of growth on the Mosquito Fire. The fire was mapped by FIRIS (the Fire Integrated Real-time Intelligence System, using aircraft with infrared sensors ) at 13,705 acres (5,546 ha). Shortly afterwards, at approximately 1:00 p.m. PDT, the Mosquito Fire spotted across
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#17328583454946014-402: The fire front. Especially large wildfires may affect air currents in their immediate vicinities by the stack effect : air rises as it is heated, and large wildfires create powerful updrafts that will draw in new, cooler air from surrounding areas in thermal columns . Great vertical differences in temperature and humidity encourage pyrocumulus clouds , strong winds, and fire whirls with
6111-474: The fire had burned four to five acres (1.6 to 2.0 ha) of brush and timber. Steep terrain and access issues hindered the fight: an old landslide on a road obstructed fire engines, and the fire was burning on the shadowed side of a canyon, making it difficult for larger air tankers to drop water or fire retardant . Aircraft were forced to leave once night began to fall at roughly 7:41 p.m., less than an hour after arriving on scene. At around 9:00 p.m.,
6208-478: The fire had caused, in addition to physical damage to its facilities, the loss of tens of millions of dollars in power production sales. Also threatened was the Placer County Big Trees Grove , a group of six old-growth giant sequoias and the northernmost giant sequoia grove in California. The U.S. Forest Service conducted defensive burning operations and cleared fuel around the grove while treating
6305-417: The fire heats both the surrounding air and woody material through convection and thermal radiation . First, wood is dried as water is vaporized at a temperature of 100 °C (212 °F). Next, the pyrolysis of wood at 230 °C (450 °F) releases flammable gases. Finally, wood can smolder at 380 °C (720 °F) or, when heated sufficiently, ignite at 590 °C (1,000 °F). Even before
6402-676: The fire impacted structures in Foresthill. Local and regional infrastructure was affected: the Georgetown Divide Public Utility District declared a local emergency after the fire affected its water service infrastructure, including damaged canals and flumes. The Placer County Water Agency, which operates the Middle Fork Project (a water supply and hydroelectric power generation system, and California's eight-largest public power project), sued PG&E after alleging that
6499-489: The fire in the vicinity of Volcanoville and Quintette. The fire remained active on the 11th, particularly once the inversion lifted again, but did not spread rapidly. Firefighters began to remove trees and brush from old fire lines from the 2013 American Fire and the 2014 King Fire, in anticipation of reusing them as containment lines. By the evening of September 12, containment rose to 16% as firefighters continued to strengthen containment lines near Foresthill and Volcanoville, on
6596-455: The fire is not known, but the possible role of Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) equipment is the subject of multiple civil lawsuits and a Forest Service investigation. The Mosquito Fire was one of 7,477 wildfires in California in 2022, which burned a combined 331,358 acres (134,096 ha). In early September California experienced a record-breaking heat wave , which peaked on September 6. Climate scientist Daniel Swain described
6693-696: The fire started showed that the power line remained hung on the steel transmission pole, with no signs of contact with a tree. Singh said the company filed the report out of an abundance of caution. In California, utilities are required to submit reports related to any incident that is attributable or allegedly attributable to their facilities when they pass specific thresholds for impacts. PG&E had previously been found liable for several major wildfires in Northern California. The 2021 Dixie Fire , California's single largest wildfire, began in Butte County when
6790-420: The fire to remain under an inversion of its own smoke. On September 10, those temperatures and higher relative humidities continued to moderate fire behavior, but increasing winds pushed the fire further north and northeast and prompted more evacuations, primarily between the fire and the Sierra crest. By the morning of September 11, fire crews had achieved 10% containment, primarily on the southwest flanks of
6887-405: The fire was fanned by outflow winds from nearby thunderstorms, and crews reported being challenged by the gusty winds and an increased rate of spread. As the fire began to spot ahead, evacuations were ordered for Michigan Bluff and surrounding roads. The fire jumped the North Fork of the Middle Fork American River and continued to spread, reaching 100 acres (40 ha) before midnight and producing
6984-545: The fire, Cal Fire monitored the burn area for erosion and debris flows while performing mitigation work. The Forest Service conducted its regular post-fire analysis of the burned area, concluding that about 66% of the fire footprint had a low or very low soil burn severity, 25% had a moderate soil burn severity, and 9% of the fire footprint had a high soil burn severity. High soil burn severity areas are more prone to increased runoff rates and erosion, creating higher probabilities for downstream flooding and debris flows. Eric Nicita,
7081-452: The flames of a wildfire arrive at a particular location, heat transfer from the wildfire front warms the air to 800 °C (1,470 °F), which pre-heats and dries flammable materials, causing materials to ignite faster and allowing the fire to spread faster. High-temperature and long-duration surface wildfires may encourage flashover or torching : the drying of tree canopies and their subsequent ignition from below. Wildfires have
7178-421: The flammable material present, its vertical arrangement and moisture content, and weather conditions. Fuel arrangement and density is governed in part by topography , as land shape determines factors such as available sunlight and water for plant growth. Overall, fire types can be generally characterized by their fuels as follows: Wildfires occur when all the necessary elements of a fire triangle come together in
7275-441: The force of tornadoes at speeds of more than 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph). Rapid rates of spread, prolific crowning or spotting, the presence of fire whirls, and strong convection columns signify extreme conditions. Intensity also increases during daytime hours. Burn rates of smoldering logs are up to five times greater during the day due to lower humidity, increased temperatures, and increased wind speeds. Sunlight warms
7372-450: The ground during the day which creates air currents that travel uphill. At night the land cools, creating air currents that travel downhill. Wildfires are fanned by these winds and often follow the air currents over hills and through valleys. Fires in Europe occur frequently during the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Wildfire suppression operations in the United States revolve around
7469-448: The ground nearby, on fire and atmospheric processes. Radar showed that the pyrocumulonimbus cloud contained updrafts with speeds in excess of 30 meters per second. The Mosquito Fire continued to generate a pyrocumulonimbus cloud after sunset, in what scientists said was an indication of the vast amount of heat the fire was putting out. During this time, scientists recorded a "very strong fire-generated vortex", both visually and on radar, on
7566-679: The heat wave as "the worst September heat wave on record" for Northern California. Vegetation moisture levels in the northern Sierra Nevada had already been nearing record lows, and the heatwave exacerbated the trend. On September 2, the National Interagency Fire Center had issued a "Fuels and Fire Behavior Advisory" for most of Northern California, warning of elevated fire weather concerns with "conditions conducive to long range spotting, rapid fire growth, and high resistance to control." A California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) fire behavior analyst later compared
7663-490: The infrared signature of carbon dioxide produced by fires. Additional capabilities such as night vision , brightness detection, and color change detection may also be incorporated into sensor arrays . The Department of Natural Resources signed a contract with PanoAI for the installation of 360 degree 'rapid detection' cameras around the Pacific northwest, which are mounted on cell towers and are capable of 24/7 monitoring of
7760-470: The involvement of humans include lightning , volcanic eruptions , sparks from rock falls, and spontaneous combustions . Sources of human-caused fire may include arson, accidental ignition, or the uncontrolled use of fire in land-clearing and agriculture such as the slash-and-burn farming in Southeast Asia. In the tropics , farmers often practice the slash-and-burn method of clearing fields during
7857-479: The last 5% of containment line, hampered by the extremely difficult terrain of the river canyons, but ultimately declared the fire 100% contained on October 22, 46 days after it began. The fire was officially declared controlled on November 10. The total cost of fighting the Mosquito Fire was estimated by the National Interagency Fire Center at $ 181.1 million. No deaths were reported as a result of
7954-451: The northern and southern flanks respectively. On September 13, remaining tropical moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Kay left the area and was replaced by persistent southwest winds. Though firefighters achieved 18% containment by the morning, the winds allowed smoke to clear and the inversion to break, leading to an uptick in fire activity. The entire eastern flank of the fire was highly active, and new evacuation orders were issued for
8051-655: The preceding years, emerging from bankruptcy in July 2020. In late September 2022, two civil lawsuits were filed against PG&E in the San Francisco Superior Court, both alleging that the fire was ignited by the company's utility infrastructure and a failure to safely operate/maintain it. Both suits were filed on behalf of affected property owners. In December 2022, the Placer County Water Agency filed another lawsuit, seeking damages from PG&E related to
8148-480: The preemptive methods aimed at reducing the risk of fires as well as lessening its severity and spread. Prevention techniques aim to manage air quality, maintain ecological balances, protect resources, and to affect future fires. Prevention policies must consider the role that humans play in wildfires, since, for example, 95% of forest fires in Europe are related to human involvement. Wildfire prevention programs around
8245-404: The risk and alter the behavior of wildfires dramatically. Years of high precipitation can produce rapid vegetation growth, which when followed by warmer periods can encourage more widespread fires and longer fire seasons. High temperatures dry out the fuel loads and make them more flammable, increasing tree mortality and posing significant risks to global forest health. Since the mid-1980s, in
8342-595: The southeast flank of the Mosquito Fire. This cyclonic vortex within the rotating column of smoke was connected to the ground, had a circulation extending up to approximately 10,000 feet (3,000 m), and generated winds equivalent in strength to an EF-1 tornado . Similar vortices have occurred in multiple California wildfires, including the 2020 Creek Fire , the 2020 Loyalton Fire , and the 2018 Carr Fire . Officials warned of "great potential" for continued fire spread. On September 9, firefighting conditions improved with slightly cooler temperatures and low winds, causing
8439-481: The spread of the Mosquito Fire to that of the 2014 King Fire , which burned 97,717 acres (39,545 ha) in the same region. Both fires were driven primarily by the extreme dryness of the vegetation in their respective years. The Mosquito Fire was first reported on September 6 at approximately 6:27 p.m. PDT , above Oxbow Reservoir and near Mosquito Ridge Road (for which the fire was named). Firefighting aircraft arrived by 6:47 p.m., and they reported that
8536-480: The storm, but the ensuing precipitation tamped down fire activity. This allowed fire crews to finish gaining containment around the fire perimeter on the southern, western, and northern sides, leaving the wide eastern flank as the only remaining open fire front. This effort, along with the storm, allowed several thousand people to return to their homes as evacuation orders were lifted or reduced. Concerns that heavy rain could cause flash flooding and ash/ debris flows in
8633-399: The techniques used can be as simple as throwing sand or beating the fire with sticks or palm fronds. In more advanced nations, the suppression methods vary due to increased technological capacity. Silver iodide can be used to encourage snow fall, while fire retardants and water can be dropped onto fires by unmanned aerial vehicles , planes , and helicopters . Complete fire suppression
8730-789: The trees with water, and the fire was eventually stopped four miles from the grove. The Mosquito Fire led to evacuations in several communities in Placer County and El Dorado County. By September 11, at least 11,260 people were under evacuation orders. That number included residents of Michigan Bluff , Foresthill, and Todd Valley in Placer County, and Volcanoville and Georgetown in El Dorado County. At least eight people were arrested in evacuation areas for crimes "against evacuated properties" (one person in Placer County and seven in El Dorado County). One person apprehended for burglary posed as
8827-936: The use of planes, helicopter, or UAVs can provide a wider view and may be sufficient to monitor very large, low risk areas. These more sophisticated systems employ GPS and aircraft-mounted infrared or high-resolution visible cameras to identify and target wildfires. Satellite-mounted sensors such as Envisat 's Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer and European Remote-Sensing Satellite 's Along-Track Scanning Radiometer can measure infrared radiation emitted by fires, identifying hot spots greater than 39 °C (102 °F). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's Hazard Mapping System combines remote-sensing data from satellite sources such as Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) for detection of fire and smoke plume locations. However, satellite detection
8924-411: The wildfires. While direct emissions of harmful pollutants can affect first responders and residents, wildfire smoke can also be transported over long distances and impact air quality across local, regional, and global scales. The health effects of wildfire smoke, such as worsening cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, extend beyond immediate exposure, contributing to nearly 16,000 annual deaths,
9021-519: The world may employ techniques such as wildland fire use (WFU) and prescribed or controlled burns . Wildland fire use refers to any fire of natural causes that is monitored but allowed to burn. Controlled burns are fires ignited by government agencies under less dangerous weather conditions. Other objectives can include maintenance of healthy forests, rangelands, and wetlands, and support of ecosystem diversity. Strategies for wildfire prevention, detection, control and suppression have varied over
9118-466: The years. One common and inexpensive technique to reduce the risk of uncontrolled wildfires is controlled burning : intentionally igniting smaller less-intense fires to minimize the amount of flammable material available for a potential wildfire. Vegetation may be burned periodically to limit the accumulation of plants and other debris that may serve as fuel, while also maintaining high species diversity. While other people claim that controlled burns and
9215-707: Was also closed. Smoke from the Mosquito Fire routinely led to hazardous air qualities in many nearby regions in Northern California and Nevada, including the Lake Tahoe Basin and the cities of Folsom and Auburn . Air quality indices of more than 1,000 were recorded in the Sierra foothills south of Interstate 80 , near the fire. Some events, such as the Great Reno Balloon Race , were affected. On at least one day, schools throughout Washoe County were forced to close as local health officials declared an air quality emergency. Major businesses and facilities, such as
9312-678: Was cooperating with the Forest Service's investigation in addition to conducting its own. Wildfire A wildfire , forest fire , or a bushfire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation . Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a bushfire ( in Australia ), desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, peat fire, prairie fire, vegetation fire, or veld fire. Some natural forest ecosystems depend on wildfire. Wildfires are different from controlled or prescribed burning , which are carried out to provide
9409-762: Was organized in South Africa's Kruger National Park to validate fire detection products including the new VIIRS active fire data. In advance of that campaign, the Meraka Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in Pretoria, South Africa, an early adopter of the VIIRS 375 m fire product, put it to use during several large wildfires in Kruger. Since 2021 NASA has provided active fire locations in near real-time via
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