Cal Fire reports first wildfire death of 2024 season – Santa Cruz Sentinel

A firefighting helicopter flies over the Lake Fire in the Los Padres National Forest on July 6, 2024 near Los Olivos, California, as evacuation warnings have been issued for the area. The wildfire in Santa Barbara County has burned over 13,000 acres of land during a prolonged heat wave affecting much of California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

By Janie Har and Rio Yamat | Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A wildfire that authorities say was fueled by strong winds has caused the first death of the 2024 season in California.

Mendocino County officials said they found human remains in a woman’s home that burned down in a fire that broke out Monday.

The coroner is working to identify the body, but it may be that of a 66-year-old woman whose family reported her missing. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, confirmed the discovery of the remains.

Authorities in western states warned of a rising risk of wildfires amid a sustained heat wave this week that dried out the landscape, set temperature records and put lives in danger.

In Arizona, at least nine homes were destroyed by the blaze known as the Watch Fire on the San Carlos Apache Reservation about two hours east of Phoenix, but no injuries or deaths were reported, said Robyn Broyles, a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

As of Friday, the fire was 0% contained, she said. Nearly 5.2 square kilometers have burned so far in an area of ​​the reserve covered by dense bushes and poplars.

Officials said the fire broke out on Thursday afternoon and spread to the downtown area of ​​the reservation, which is home to about 10,200 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Meanwhile, California’s top fire official said this week that the state has been called out to more than 3,500 wildfires so far this year, ravaging a total of nearly 330 square miles – five times the average wildfire area through July 10 in each of the past five years.

“We are not just in a fire season, we are in a fire year,” Joe Tyler, director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said at a news conference. “Our winds and the recent heat wave have exacerbated the problem and destroyed thousands of acres of land, so we have to be extra cautious.”

Amid sweltering heat and single-digit humidity, California emergency crews battled numerous wildfires Thursday, including a stubborn 53-square-mile blaze that prompted evacuation orders for about 200 homes in the mountains of Santa Barbara County northwest of Los Angeles. The blaze was 16 percent contained.

California’s fires began in earnest in early June, after two consecutive wet winters lifted the state out of drought but produced abundant grass that has since dried out. A lightning strike in June ignited some of the fires, a danger that could resurface with thunderstorms in the Sierra Nevada this weekend, meteorologists said.

In Oregon, firefighters continued to battle the Larch Creek Fire on Thursday, which had expanded to at least 17 square miles of grassland since Tuesday. Lower temperatures and easing winds aided their efforts, but local fire danger remained extreme. One firefighter was treated for heat-related injuries.

In Oregon and Washington, authorities have imposed fire bans and other restrictions to prevent sparks. Campfires, the use of chainsaws and target shooting are prohibited in most areas. In Central Oregon, the use of chainsaws and lawn mowing are limited to certain hours, followed by a one-hour fire watch.

In Hawaii, Haleakala National Park on Maui was closed as firefighters battled a blaze on the mountain’s slopes. Visitors who drove up in more than 150 vehicles on Wednesday to see the famous sunset were unable to drive down until around 4 a.m. Thursday because firefighters had blocked the narrow roads.

None of the homes were under immediate threat, but some residents were told to prepare for possible evacuations. Wind speeds of 40 mph (64 kph) were a concern for firefighters, said Chris Stankis, spokesman for the Maui Fire Department. “The winds are a little stronger than our typical trade winds,” he said.

The fire is several miles from an area where 26 buildings burned in Maui’s deadly wind-driven wildfires last August. “But residents who lost their homes are scared,” said Yuki Lei Sugimura, who represents the area on the Maui County Council. “It’s like PTSD.”