Weekend storms could be a mixed blessing for crews battling California’s largest wildfire, but they also hold the potential for dangerous and deadly conditions that experts say will be extremely difficult to address.
In the midst of a series of storms that could be significant in their impact on the Kincade fire, fire officials have stressed that the fire is being fought from the ground. The crew on the ground is fighting the blaze, which has burned more than 5,000 acres in the last week, from a helicopter and from various fixed-wing and rotary aircraft.
One reason the Kincade has so far escaped major damage is that its origin is relatively remote from the fire itself, meaning it hasn’t reached a critical height of elevation, which could easily have made it more vulnerable to high winds and high intensity fires as it burned across steep terrain.
But the storms that will bring intense winds to the area also bring the potential for more intense fire damage to the already-burning Kincade in the days and weeks ahead, according to public information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and National Interagency Fire Center spokesman Ed Simons.
“The winds are going to be very strong and if a wildfire does break out in the area it’s going to be extremely dangerous,” Simons said Thursday afternoon. “You’re going to have to have a tough job ahead of you.”
Officials have also said the fire is not expected to reach the state’s maximum acreage, which could result in a mandatory evacuation zone extending across multiple counties. But that hasn’t stopped some residents of the area from considering moving to higher ground.
“There’s a lot of concern,” said Scott Wysocki, a member of the Kincade Fire Management Team. “They know that there’s a lot of damage that could be done down the road. They’re very aware of that. We’re just trying to keep them informed and keep everyone updated.”
The Kincade Fire, which has been burning since early in the year, has burned an area roughly equivalent to the state of Connecticut, with an estimated 3,800 structures destroyed as of Monday and another 3,000 damaged, according to the latest update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
An aerial view of the Kincade Fire from Oct.
