California's Wildfires – An Update

California's Wildfires – An Update

Much has been made of California’s wildfires recently—and for good reason. There are three fires still burning in or near some of the state’s agricultural regions, having an effect on the state’s crops. Here is a quick update:

The Valley Fire in Lake and Napa Counties has consumed more than 76,000 acres and destroyed more than 1900 structures, including nearly 1400 homes. The fire is now about 80% contained, but the impact has been devastating to the communities involved. Some walnut orchards in Lake County have been burned or damaged, though there is no assessment yet of the total number of acres affected. More prominently, some of the finest vineyards in the world have been affected as well, although the revered vineyards of Napa County are located too far south to have been damaged.

The Butte Fire in Calaveras and Amador Counties has burned 71,000 acres and destroyed over 800 structures. The fire is 84% contained as of today. Calaveras and Amador Counties are located in the Sierra Nevada foothills and therefore not in prime agricultural areas. Nevertheless, some very fine vineyard land does exist in Amador County in what is called the Shenandoah Valley. There have been no reports of damage to these vineyards, but damage assessments are still being carried out.

The Rough Fire in Fresno County has burned more than 140,000 acres. The fire is only 29% contained even though it has been burning for nearly a month. It is located in some extremely steep and inaccessible terrain in the Sequoia National Forest. It has affected the world-famous Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, home to the largest trees in the world including the General Grant Tree and the General Sherman Tree. While these two trees were not burned, many of their ancient neighbors were. The National Forest Service claims that fire actually benefits this particular species—and, indeed, they often prove impervious to fire injury due to a type of resin in their genetic makeup that allows them to recover from fire in the same way a person can grow new skin after an abrasion or burn. This quality of the Sequoias is why they are among the oldest living species on Earth. The Rough Fire has impacted some agriculture in Fresno County, primarily because of smoke and ash which have been raining down on crops there for the past several weeks.

 All of these fires have been greatly exacerbated by the four-year drought that California is enduring. The forests are definitely stressed, extremely dry, and highly susceptible to lightning strikes or human carelessness