N. California Arson Fires Near Containment as Readings Sizzle

With most of Northern California broiling under a weeklong siege of 100-degree-plus temperatures, about 2,400 firefighters struggled to gain full control over two arson fires that have destroyed at least six homes, consumed nearly 12,500 acres of brush and timberland.

Authorities estimated the total timber and property losses, plus the costs of fighting the blazes, at $4.3 million, although they said the figure would likely increase.

The fires near Railroad Flat in Calaveras County are expected to be contained later today behind 18 miles of fire breaks dug by firefighters brought in from throughout the state, officials said. The firefighting effort has been hampered by hot gusty winds and triple-digit temperatures.

Smoking Outside Banned

Trying to limit fire danger in state forest areas, forestry officials banned burning and campfires in Northern and Central California and for the first time prohibited all smoking on public land outside of cars or buildings.

Anyone caught lighting up out of doors is subject to a fine of $1,000, though the ban obviously is difficult to enforce.

“We just hope the public will pay attention,” said Brian Weatherford, deputy chief of fire control in the Forestry Department’s Central California region.

Meanwhile, Department of Forestry arson investigators mounted a major effort to arrest the arsonist suspected of igniting the Railroad Flat fires and as many as 14 others in the Mother Lode.

The arsonist has struck in Calaveras, Amador and El Dorado counties and is believed responsible for scorching more than 11,000 acres during the last month in what authorities promise will be the worst fire season in years.

“This person is setting fires in places that are very dangerous that will immediately become large fires,” Weatherford said. “They are well placed to be dangerous, right below subdivisions, so the fires will burn uphill right into the houses. This person appears to be trying to create a catastrophe.”

A reward of $6,000 has been offered for information leading to the conviction of the arsonist.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, the weather remained temperate Thursday with fog and wind in San Francisco and cool breezes elsewhere.

But inland, the weeklong heat wave continued, and demand for energy hit all-time highs, ranging from 17 million kilowatts to 18.5 million kilowatts at peak periods, said Ron Rutkowski, spokesman for Pacific Gas & Electric, which serves 4 million customers in Central and Northern California.

Water for Salmon Spawning

At Lake Shasta in far Northern California, the Bureau of Reclamation began water releases in an effort to cool the Sacramento River, which had become too warm for salmon spawning. To do that, they had to bypass energy-generating turbines.

While the cooler water is expected to help future salmon runs, an estimated $2-million worth of energy will be lost this summer, spokesman Jason Peltier said.

“When water is too warm, the salmon spawn is not productive. They simply wouldn’t have a successful spawn,” said Mike Michalak, owner of the Fly Shop in Redding.

Although the temperature hit 113 degrees in Redding on Thursday, down from the record 118 degrees the day before, Michalak called it a “dry heat so it is not as miserable as it might be.”

National Weather Service forecaster Daryl Williams said there is “not much relief” in sight for the coming days, though by Monday Central Valley temperatures may dip into the 90s or low 100s.

Up and down the Central Valley, temperatures were anywhere from four to 18 degrees above normal, Williams said. In Red Bluff, the mercury hit 113 degrees Thursday.

“There is some tropical moisture that is coming from Mexico. There’s at least a chance of thunderstorms, especially in the southern Sierra,” Williams said.

In Fresno, the hot, dry conditions were expected to ease somewhat, but that did not allay concerns. The chance of thunderstorms in the nearby foothills raised fears about lightning-set fires.