As California Battles 1,000+ Wildfires, Another Lightning Storm Forecast For Thursday

[hatrack]

CBS/ AP) Thousands of firefighters from at least three states battled more than 1,000 wildfires set by an electrical storm that unleashed nearly 8,000 lightning strikes across Northern California - a rare example of "dry lightning" that brought little or no rain but plenty of sparks to the state's parched forests and grasslands. Janet Upton, a CalFire information officer, told CBS News Early Show anchor Russ Mitchell that the number of fires in the northern part of the state is now up to 1,022.

The weekend storm was unusual not only because it generated so many lightning strikes over a large geographical area, but also because it struck so early in the season and moved in from the Pacific Ocean. Such storms usually don't arrive until late July or August and typically form southeast of California.

"You're looking at a pattern that's climatologically rare. We typically don't see this happen at this time of summer," said John Juskie, a science officer with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. "To see 8,000, that's way up there on the scale."

Mitchell reports that another lightning storm is forecasted (sic)for the area on Thursday. "This is nothing short of a natural disaster, with these storms and these fires," said Upton. "The hope is that the lighting storm we're expecting in the next couple of days comes with a little bit more rain than we saw last weekend."

EDIT

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/25/national/main4207012.shtml

[Greyskye]

1. oh crap.

Just when the smoke was starting to thin out a little bit this morning. :(

[DJ13]

2. I dont think its thinning

Its just moved farther south.

Here in the central San Joaquin Valley its worse today than yesterday.

Really thick.

[damntexdem]

3. Uh oh, next thing the Department of Hoaxland Security will stamp weather reports "top secret."

Can't let any terrorists know when California is at risk for fires.

[phantom power]

4. It's probably hard to contain 1000 wildfires simultaneously, isn't it.

:wow:

[XemaSab]

7. Unless you treat it as ONE BIG fire and let them all burn together....

:P

[phantom power]

8. Always simplify!

[XemaSab]

9. Just set up a perimeter around California

bulldoze it, set a backfire, and you're good to go. :thumbsup:

[diane in sf]

5. It's been smelling like smoke here in SF for days

[XemaSab]

6. Saw the Salt Lake Fire Department go by me the other day outside Chico

The air quality is pretty good in most of the valley, but it's BAD in Redding... I was only outside for a few minutes and my throat is burning.

And yay! More lightning coming!

We're running low on doggie valium after last weekend's storm, but the beer seemed to work well too... :P

1,022 fires? Looks like I might want to leave town for a couple months.