Devastating Oregon flat fire now spreads to over 22,000 acres, people free Wyoming, Northern California situation improves

The Flat fire in central Oregon grew to nearly 22,000 acres by Sunday afternoon, with thousands of homes under evacuation orders and warnings and the wildfire expected to expand amid hot, windy weather, officials said. The fire, which was burning 6 miles northeast of Sisters (pop. 2,957), started Thursday. The fire had zero percent containment as of Sunday afternoon, according to the Flat Fire Information Team, noting "there has been good progress in establishing" lines around some parts of the fire.

EJ Davis, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Forestry, said that breezy weather was expected Sunday afternoon with gusts up to about 20 mph. Davis said that there was a 15% chance of thunderstorms with gusts that could help spread embers from burning trees.

More than 3,900 homes in Deschutes and Jefferson counties were under some level of evacuation Sunday, she said.


The cause of the Flat fire is under investigation.

Sisters, which is 150 miles southeast of Portland, and the surrounding wilderness are popular in the summer for hiking, camping and fishing. Temperatures near the fire were expected to be in the mid-90s on Sunday. On Monday, temperatures will likely be in the low 90s.

The Flat fire is one of several burning in the West amid a spell of hot weather that is expected to persist through the weekend.

In Northern California, firefighters were gaining control of the 6,800-acre Pickett fire that started Thursday in the Napa Valley near Calistoga and threatened wineries. On Sunday afternoon, containment was at 11% in Napa County.

More than 1,200 responders were working to put out the blaze using firetrucks on the ground and "assets from California's aerial fighting fleet," Governor Gavin Newsom of California said Sunday.

In Southern California, moisture from a big storm that was over north central Mexico on Friday moved into the region and caused some thunderstorms over the mountains.

Lightning started several fires in the Angeles National Forest, though as of early Saturday afternoon none of them had grown into conflagrations.

And in Wyoming, people were forced to evacuate quickly from a campground and ranches when the Dollar Lake fire exploded Thursday in a popular recreation area, 40 miles north of Pinedale.

The blaze, which was about 9,800 acres with zero containment Sunday afternoon, sent out pyrocumulonimbus clouds -- towering clouds of smoke and thunderstorms -- on both Thursday and Friday.

FAQs

Q1. What do we know about wildfire in Oregon?
A1. More than 3,900 homes in Deschutes and Jefferson counties were under some level of evacuation Sunday.

Q2 What are pyrocumulonimbus clouds?
A2.Pyrocumulonimbus clouds have towering clouds of smoke and thunderstorms.