Drenching rain, snow helps push Dixie Fire to 100 percent containment, debris flows follow
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Mon, 10/25/2021 - 10:40am
The U.S. Forest Service is reporting Monday that the Dixie Fire, the state's largest wildfire in 2021, is now 100 percent contained, largely due to the drenching rain and snow from the atmospheric river weather system arriving this weekend.
The Dixie Fire, which has been mapped a staggering 963,309 acres, started on July 13, 2021 and burned for 103 days, according to CalFire.
While the torrent of rain and snow showers did cap off the containment, the damage continued as the thrust of precipitation caused flash flooding, debris flows and rock slides.
A Flash Flood Warning and Debris Flow Warning were issued for the Dixie Fire burn scar. Hazards experienced were debris flows such as rocks, mud, vegetation, and other loose materials. Hit especially hard was a rock flow and mudslide that impacted Highway 70 from Jarbo Gap to Greenville.
Among affected areas for debris flows and flash flooding were Chester, Almanor, Lake Almanor West, Prattville, Belden, Caribou, Highway 89, Highway 36 and Highway 70.
The weather system continued Monday morning and will be exiting later tonight into Tuesday.
The Dixie Fire burned on the Plumas National Forest, Lassen National Forest, Lassen Volcanic National Park, and in five counties: Butte, Lassen, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama. It was combined with the Fly Fire, which started on July 22, which eventually merged into one fire.
The fire destroyed 1,329 residential, commercial and other structures, damaged 95 structures and had one confirmed firefighter fatality and injured three firefighters. The cause is under investigation.
The drought, combined with hot weather, strong winds, and exceptionally dry vegetation, resulted in very active fire behavior that allowed the fire to grow to become the second largest wildfire in California history, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
