The Pack Fire sparked around midday Thursday and quickly grew to about 3,400 acres by Friday morning. Photo courtesy of Cal Fire
Nov. 14 (UPI) — A winter storm bearing down on Central California this week whipped up a wildfire, prompting evacuations, but also helped dissipate some of the flames in the form of heavy precipitation, experts said.
The Pack Fire in Mono County was sparked midday Thursday by strong, dry winds sweeping along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains. A low-pressure system featuring rain followed, the Los Angeles Times reported.
As of Friday morning, the fire consumed some 3,400 acres and was 5% contained near the communities of Long Valley and McGee Creek, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. Officials ordered evacuations for both communities and set up shelters at Mammoth Lakes Middle School and Tri-County Fairgrounds in Bishop.
CBS News reported the wildfire was situated near the Mammoth Mountain ski resort and damaged at least 15 homes in the McGee Trailer Park. Another 30 structures were under threat.
There were some concerns that heavy precipitation, while potentially bringing an end to the state’s wildfire season, could cause landslides in areas previously hit by wildfires. Burn scars make land prone to landslides due to a lack of vegetation holding the soil together.
Storms across California have more than 23 million people under flood watches Friday morning.
The storms made firefighting difficult Thursday, with strong winds grounding some firefighting aircraft. Cal Fire said wind gusts reached 50 mph.