The Fawn Fire continues to burn north of Redding, fueled by high winds and dry conditions. A red flag warning is in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday, indicating weather with a high potential to create and spread new fires. NSPR's Alec Stutson spoke with Cal Fire Public Information Officer David Clark about what residents can expect in the coming days.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
On the status of the fire
Over the last 24 hours we've had an increased wind event, which means that we've had gusts up to 35 miles an hour blowing over the Fawn Fire landscape. We've also had a decrease in temperatures and an increase in relative humidity, which has been aiding the firefighters in firefighting efforts. But we still have this expected wind event that is blowing through right now, and will continue until (Tuesday) evening .
On how rainfall and cloud cover affect firefighting efforts
Yesterday (Monday) at approximately three to four o'clock in the afternoon, we had a small precipitation event — some small rains and also cloud cover. However that does not really change the aspects of our firefighting operation. Although it aids firefighters as far as extinguishing (some of) the fire, we don't want the public to get the false sense of security since we have some cloud cover and some rain, that the fire is over. It is far from over and the fire fight is still on.
On the status of the northern and southern fronts of the fire
At the south flank of the fire we have containment lines established. The area that is closest to the densely populated areas around the southern side are in a safe area when it comes to the firefighting capabilities and our cruisers on the ground.
It's a completely different story on that north eastern flank of the fire. Although it is the most active part of the fire, it is also the least densely populated area of the fire. It's more of a remote, wild, unpopulated area. However we do have crews that are active in that area, patrolling and mopping up any hot spots and any smoke in the area, to prevent any new (fire) starts because of the wind event occurring today (Tuesday).
On what residents should expect during a red flag warning
A red flag warning is typically when the winds are increased, the temperatures increase, the relative humidity decreases. This means that temperatures are very hot, dry and also very windy. That means we have conditions right for a new ignition or a new start. With that prediction, we have a lot of crews that are in the area that are mopping up and also patrolling for any hotspots or any heat sources in the area. We have plenty of firefighting forces that are out there. We're just trying to see if we can wait mother nature out and get through this wind event successfully.
On working in communities surrounding the fire
We'd like to remind the public that we really appreciate your patience in allowing us to come into this community and restore this community back to a sense of normalcy. And with that being said, we also like to remind the public to make sure they stay informed of local weather, and also fire activity in the area. Finally, have a go-bag packed just in case fire activity increases around your home, and be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice.
