Something Never Before Seen

To my knowledge tonight is the first time this pattern and large-scale aerial coverage of Red Flag Warning has ever been seen over California any time of year let alone during the Dead of Winter. Most odd is the presence of such fire conditions in the Northern Sierra Nevada Range and in the temperate rainforests of Northwest California all the way out to the coastline itself. Typically the former is receiving feet of snow this time of year and the latter is receiving feet of rain this time of year.

I was initially unable to secure this image but thanks to USFS Region 5 Predictive Services and Wildland Fire Meteorologist Brenda Belongie of the United States Forest Service in North Ops (Northern California region) we can all view this incredible image. So incredible was this scene that Ms. Belongie saved it for her own edification for which we are all thankful! In an email exchange she told me:

  "Red Flag Warnings issued in January last occurred in the north…..like, uh, never. THAT’s the barn burning, unprecedented part about it up here at least, and it’s very rare if ever been done before in January for the south. Also like you, I don’t recall ever seeing the state under a Red Flag Warning from north to south border, even in the dead (middle) of fire season. And I’ve been around awhile in this business."