UPDATE: A fire weather watch issued for Carson City and surrounding counties was upgraded Sunday afternoon to a Red Flag Warning due to projected gusty winds and low humidity, according to the National Weather Service. The warning is from noon to 8 p.m. Monday.
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Firefighters with the aid of improved weather conditions were able to bring the containment lines around the Crozier Fire near Placerville, Calif., to 18 percent as of Sunday morning, while northern California’s largest fire, the Park Fire, is 37 percent contained.
Meanwhile, closer to home, critical fire weather conditions due to gusty winds and low relative humidity has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Fire Weather Watch that was upgraded to a Red Flag Warning for Monday afternoon and evening for western Nevada including Carson City and surrounding counties, and portions of eastern Lassen, Alpine and northern Mono counties in California.
The period of greatest concern will be from noon to 8 p.m., forecasters note. These conditions can cause fires to rapidly grow in size and intensity. The weather service advises to avoid any outdoor activities that can cause sparks. Winds will be out of the southwest to west 20 to 25 mph with gusts 30 to 35 mph.
Northern California fire update
The Crozier Fire, which started August 6 and has brought smoke into the Lake Tahoe Basin, Carson City, Carson Valley and Reno areas, was 1,938 acres as of Sunday morning. The cause is under investigation.
With improved weather conditions crews were able to increase the percentage of containment, bringing that number to 18 percent, while also holding the fire to the existing boundary.
The fire continues to burn in steep, rugged terrain, burning out the dry and dead fuels. Crews are actively engaged in building containment lines around the fire, reinforcing lines, and mop-up.
Cooler weather and higher humidity is expected this week, which will aid firefighting efforts.
According to CalFire, there are 4,017 structures threatened, with 1,543 firefighting personnel on scene.
As for smoke concerns, the National Weather Service advises that impacts Sunday on wind models show generally similar to those observed Saturday, with some areas of smoke and haze moving into northern Lassen County and the Sierra Front this afternoon and evening. Note that impacts are highly dependent on continued fire activity on the Crozier and Park Fires. For up-to-date air quality information, visit fire.airnow.gov.
Meanwhile, containment continues to grow on the Park Fire, burning in four northern California counties.
Carson City Fire Department was part of the firefighting effort, with an engine and a command team. They returned after 14 days.
As of the latest CalFire update, the fire is 37 percent contained and is 429,188 acres. It is the fourth-largest in the state’s history. More than 5,760 firefighters are working the wildfire, caused by arson, which started July 24 near Chico, Calif.
