Latest news with #ChloeCastillo
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Crews battling wind-driven fire in Southern California's high desert make progress
Firefighters made progress battling a wind-driven brush fire burning in steep, rugged terrain south of Apple Valley overnight. The Ranch fire, which has burned through 4,205 acres of vegetation, is now 10% contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection announced Wednesday morning. The fire destroyed at least two structures and multiple vehicles on Tuesday afternoon, according to video footage from OnSceneTV. Conditions on the ground for Wednesday are expected to be dry, with humidity topping off at 15% and wind gusts up to 30 mph on the ridge tops, Cal Fire spokesperson Chloe Castillo said. The winds are expected to pick up in the early afternoon and there is little chance for conditions to calm down overnight and into Thursday. The fire was first reported after 2 p.m. on Tuesday and quickly spread with shifting strong winds. Within two hours the fire spread over 1,500 acres. "The fire burned through a large amount of vegetation, with winds shifting from north east to southern winds and spreading the fire in both directions," Castillo said. Another factor that complicated the response to the fire was the low-lying smoke. The lack of visibility hampered the effectiveness of aircraft assisting firefighters, Castillo said. Evacuation orders for the high desert area were still in effect Wednesday morning. The evacuation zone stretches from Milpas Drive to High Road, about 8 miles southeast of Apple Valley. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
USA Today
01-04-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
Wildfires in California are threatening the world's oldest trees
Wildfires in California are threatening the world's oldest trees Show Caption Hide Caption Firefighters battle growing blaze in central California Firefighters worked through the night to battle a wildfire ablaze in central California. Firefighters in central California were working Tuesday to contain a wildfire near the Nevada border threatening a forest home to the oldest trees in the world, after making good progress on Monday, officials said. The Silver Fire broke out Sunday near Bishop, California, in Inyo County and has burned 1,589 acres. It was 50% contained as of Tuesday morning. Forward spread of the flames was successfully halted on Monday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Residents were still under evacuation orders as crews worked for more containment. "The fire still threatens structures, critical infrastructure, watersheds, endangered species, and cultural resources," the Cal Fire San Bernardino Unit said in a post to social media on Tuesday. Less than 15 miles from the fire, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest contains trees that are more than 4,000 years old. The Patriarch Tree is the world's largest bristlecone pine tree. The oldest tree in the world: Meet 'Methuselah,' a literal hidden gem. "The concern comes from the weather. The increased winds that are projected over the next day and today, it leaves concerns because of the fact that flareups can happen. There is still an active threat to the bristlecones," Cal Fire Public Information Officer Chloe Castillo told USA TODAY on Tuesday. The cause of the fire was still under investigation, according to Cal Fire. Photos of the fire the day it broke out show flames and dark smoke billowing up from an area of dry brush. The fire was located along Highway 6.
The Guardian
01-04-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
California wildfire threatening forest home of world's oldest tree
Firefighters have managed to make 'strong progress' containing a fire burning through eastern California near the world's oldest trees, but the blaze remains an active threat, officials said. Since igniting on Sunday afternoon, the Silver fire has scorched nearly 1,600 acres (647 hectares) in the eastern Sierra Nevada, and forced residents of about 800 homes to evacuate. Strong winds fanned the flames, which burned through dry grass and brush in Inyo county, threatening neighborhoods, endangered species and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. On Monday evening, Cal Fire's San Bernardino/Inyo/Mono unit, the agency managing the response to the blaze, announced that firefighters had stopped forward spread of the fire. By Tuesday morning, authorities reported that crews working overnight had made 'strong progress' on the fire, with containment at 50%, and announced that evacuation orders had been downgraded to warnings. Still, the fire continues to threaten structures, critical infrastructure and endangered species, Cal Fire said in a statement. It also remains an active threat to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, said Chloe Castillo, a Cal Fire public information officer. The forest features some of the oldest known trees, including Methuselah, a bristlecone pine that is almost 5,000 years old and the world's oldest living organism. Officials are keeping the evacuation warnings out of an abundance of caution because of high winds forecast in the fire zone, Castillo said. The fire sparked along Route 6 north-east of the Owens Valley town of Bishop, near the Nevada border. Inyo county has seen little rain recently and parts of the region are experiencing severe or extreme drought, according to the US Drought Monitor. Weather can be erratic in the area and the local vegetation, saltgrass, will burn even in snow, Castillo said. More than 200 personnel responded to the blaze, facing thick smoke that reduced visibility as strong winds grounded aerial resources, preventing tanker drops, the Cal Fire spokesperson said. Meanwhile, temperatures have dropped below freezing in the evenings. Firefighters have dealt with 'extreme cold. Extreme, extreme wind. Almost Santa Ana type winds where it is completely dead, and it just immediately takes a turn for the worse,' Castillo said. 'It's been a very tough firefight in the middle of very cold weather.' The area is expected to see snow on Tuesday evening, Castillo said, but the threat remains. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Al Bawaba
01-04-2025
- Climate
- Al Bawaba
Fresh wildfire erupted in California forcing evacuations
LOS ANGELES, 1st April, 2025 (WAM) -- A wildfire erupted in central California over the weekend quickly spread to over 1,000 acres (4.04 square kilometres) as of Monday and prompted evacuations in multiple counties. Also Read Death toll from wildfires in South Korea reaches 26 According to the Cal Fire, the blaze, dubbed Silver Fire, was ignited at 2:11 pm local time Sunday in Inyo County near the state border with Nevada and quickly grew to 1,000 acres in six hours. On Monday morning, the fire spread to 1,250 acres (5.06 square kilometres) with zero containment, Cal Fire said, noting strong winds and gusts reaching up to 35 mph (56.3 kph) fuelled the fire, which "created hazardous conditions, grounding some firefighting aircraft and complicating containment efforts." "The winds are very erratic," Cal Fire spokesperson Chloe Castillo said, "One minute they're pushing north, the next they're going east." Evacuations were ordered for about 800 homes in Laws of Inyo County, Chalfant in Mono County and the White Mountain Estates neighbourhoods, and a stretch of about 50 kilometres of US Highway 6 was closed.
Sharjah 24
01-04-2025
- Climate
- Sharjah 24
Wildfire in California prompts evacuations in multiple counties
According to the Cal Fire, the blaze, dubbed Silver Fire, was ignited at 2:11 pm local time Sunday in Inyo County near the state border with Nevada and quickly grew to 1,000 acres in six hours. The fire spread to 1,250 acres On Monday morning, the fire spread to 1,250 acres (5.06 square kilometres) with zero containment, Cal Fire said, noting strong winds and gusts reaching up to 35 mph (56.3 kph) fuelled the fire, which "created hazardous conditions, grounding some firefighting aircraft and complicating containment efforts." "The winds are very erratic," Cal Fire spokesperson Chloe Castillo said, "One minute they're pushing north, the next they're going east." Evacuations were ordered for about 800 homes in Laws of Inyo County, Chalfant in Mono County and the White Mountain Estates neighbourhoods, and a stretch of about 50 kilometres of US Highway 6 was closed.
