The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch Wednesday warning Northern California residents that upcoming rain showers could lead to possible debris flows in the burn scar of the Park Fire later this week.
The advisory stated that basins downstream of the burn scar would be at risk if a flash flood were to occur. The flash flood watch will be in effect from 11 a.m. Friday to 11 a.m. Saturday, according to the weather service.
“Scattered showers/storms are expected which may cause debris flows consisting of rock, mud, vegetation, and loose material,” the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office posted on X. “Be prepared to evacuate if told by local officials!”
An uncommon weather system is forecast to hit Northern California from Thursday through Saturday morning. The weather pattern shift is expected to bring cooler temperatures with highs in the 70s and gusty winds, with possible rain and thunderstorms north of I-80, according to weather service forecasts. Areas that have been burned by the Park Fire could experience lightning and hail from thunderstorms.
As of Wednesday, the Park Fire has burned 429,460 acres and is 57% contained, up from 56% containment on Tuesday, according to Cal Fire. It has blazed through parts of Butte, Tehama, Shasta and Plumas counties and destroyed 637 structures.
Parts of the burn scar that could be impacted by flash flooding include Big Chico Creek, Mud Creek, Rock Creek, Pine Creek, Deer Creek, Mill Creek, Antelope Creek and Paynes Creek, the National Weather Service advised.
The Park Fire is still burning in largely unpopulated, forested areas of Northern California. Containment is expected to increase as the wildfire is kept inside control lines, Cal Fire said. Currently, all evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted.
During a Wednesday morning operational briefing, Cal Fire officials said it was a “really good night” with both heat signatures and drift smoke seeing significant reductions. However, Cal Fire said crews were preparing for stronger winds expected to arrive Thursday.
“The fuel bed surrounding the fire remains very dry and receptive to new ignitions and subsequent fire spread,” a Cal Fire official said.
Fire crews are continuing to remove hazardous trees, patrol spot fires and deepen mop-up operations to limit the blaze’s reach.
The Park Fire is California’s biggest wildfire this year and the fourth-largest on state record. It was sparked in Butte County, just east of Chico on July 24 in a suspected act of arson. The fire has been burning for 29 days as of Wednesday.
Crozier Fire contained
Cooler temperatures and only light breezes over the weekend helped fire crews fully contain the Crozier Fire, which has been burning since Aug. 6.
The Crozier Fire reached 100% containment Tuesday at 6 p.m., an increase from 91% Friday, according to Eldorado National Forest officials. The wildfire burned 1,938 acres northeast of Placerville in El Dorado County over two weeks.
All evacuation orders and warnings for the wildfire had been lifted by Thursday afternoon.
Cal Fire’s last situation report on Friday detailed that the Crozier Fire was “smoldering in rugged terrain on the interior of the perimeter.” Over the last few days, firefighters contained the blaze by mitigating tree hazards along roads and increasing the fire perimeter.
Fire crews have now moved on to fire suppression and repair, which includes “fixing the physical barriers that prevented the fire from moving and putting the natural landscape back together to make it safe for recreation,” Stephanie Meckler, the public information officer for Eldorado National Forest, said.
The Crozier Fire started northwest of Slate Mountain. It grew to about 244 acres after the first few hours and subsequently tripled its size by the next morning. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to Cal Fire.
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