Wildfires update: Winds fan flames of ‘unprecedented disaster’ in California
Helicopter crews struggled Tuesday against dangerous smoke and flames Tuesday as they worked to rescue hikers, campers and other people trapped in remote locations of the Sierra Nevada by the destructive Creek fire.
The blaze exploded to more than 100,000 acres over the Labor Day weekend, moving too fast to prevent easy escape for people enjoying the holiday at many recreation areas. In Northern California, high and dry winds are expected to fan the flames until Wednesday.
California has already set a record with 2 million acres burned this year, and the worst part of the wildfire season is just beginning. The previous record was set just two years ago and included the deadliest wildfire in state history, which swept through the community of Paradise and killed 85 people.
U.S. Forest Service Supervisor Dean Gould told reporters that the Creek fire was an “unprecedented disaster,” adding it was “in a class by itself.”
It was not immediately clear how many people remained trapped in remote areas Tuesday. On Monday night, the Fresno Fire Department said rescuers tried to get to people at Lake Edison and China Peak, but “rescue efforts were unsuccessful (as) military pilots tried valiantly to land, but heavy smoke conditions prevented a safe approach.”
Damage to property and homes has been more difficult to assess. The fire is burning so dangerously and intensely that crews that normally count destroyed houses and buildings have been told to stand down for their own safety.
Fueled by millions of dead trees, the Creek fire has raced through mountain communities like Big Creek and vacation getaways like Huntington Lake and Shaver Lake, confounding firefighters with unpredictable behavior. Its smoke plume reached nearly 50,000 feet into the air, causing lightning strikes.
“These trees, being so dry and brittle, tend to explode when they catch on fire, which would tend to cause spotting ahead of it,” U.S. Forest Service spokesman Alex Olow said.
