Today we hear from Zeke Lunder, fire analyst and founder of The Lookout, about the similarities between the Park Fire and the massive Dixie Fire that hit the North State three years ago
I’d say definitely any change in the weather and in the stability of the atmosphere is a major watch out because we’ve got so much fire on the ground on the north flanks of the [Park Fire].— Zeke Lunder, fire analyst and founder of The Lookout
“I think it’s really interesting to look at the parallels between the Park Fire and the Dixie Fire,” Lunder told NSPR.
Like the Park Fire, the Dixie Fire made a huge run at the start, then went fairly dormant, but Lunder said that fire ended up going on “an enormous kind of rampage" where it burned from Butte Meadows to Juniper Lake in a matter of days.
Fire activity on the Park Fire has slowed, but a changing weather pattern has officials concerned. Hotter temperatures, low relative humidity and increased winds out of the south are all expected tomorrow and through the weekend.
Thunderstorms could also occur, though the National Weather Service says at this point, thunderstorms should be wet with only a small chance of dry lightning strikes that could cause new fire starts.
This is part of NSPR’s daily special coverage about the Park Fire. Find all of our special coverage on our website, tune in to NSPR weekdays at 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., or subscribe to our Headlines podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and the NPR App.
