Monday morning firefighters on the Plumas National Forest are continuing to respond to lightning fires as they are discovered in the area following thunderstorm activity that started Saturday.
So far there have been nine confirmed lightning fires across the Beckwourth and Mount Hough Ranger Districts. The largest is approximately 1.6 acres. All but four of the fires are contained and all the fires are staffed. No communities or structures are threatened.
Yesterday’s storms were wet, with areas of heavy rain and flooding reported. There is a continued chance of thunderstorms today through Wednesday. The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch that includes the eastern half of the Plumas National Forest from noon through 9 p.m. today.
While the rain helps, it is expected that holdover lightning fires will become visible in the coming days, especially as a drier pattern is predicted later this week through the weekend.
“The Forest took a lot of lightning this weekend and we are prepared to respond to resulting fires as they are discovered,” said Plumas National Forest Fire Management Officer Martin Senter. “We need the public’s help by calling 911 to report suspected wildfires, but also to use caution and prevent human-caused wildfires.”
Holdover lightning fires can smolder for days and even weeks following a thunderstorm. It can take several days of dry and warm weather for these fires to become visible.
Firefighters will continue to monitor conditions and respond to lightning fires as they are discovered in the coming days.
“Our firefighters are doing a tremendous job, responding quickly and working to keep fires small,” Senter said. “Area residents and visitors can help firefighters by being careful with anything that can spark a wildfire so we can continue to focus on lightning fire location and response.”
For more information on the Plumas National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/plumas or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/USFSPlumas.
