All evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted for the Silverado and Blue Ridge fires, while some road closures remain place.
The smoke advisory for the area impacted by both fires has been extended to Friday, the South Coaast AQMD (Air Quality Management District) tweeted Thursday.
Cal Fire noted Thursday: “The winds have decreased significantly across the state; however high pressure will continue to bring warm and dry conditions through next week. Some areas will experience locally breezy winds, especially in the mountains and canyons.
“Even with cooler weather, California has not received significant rainfall leading to continued heighten[ed] fire danger. The public is urged not to let their guard down,” Cal Fire warned.
Firefighters continue to battle 22 wildfires in California, as of Thursday. Here are the latest updates on some of the current fires across the state.
Silverado Fire
Location: Orange County. Size: 13,390 acres. Containment: 51 percent.
Acreage of the Silverado Fire remained the same, while containment nearly doubled from Wednesday.
“Decreased winds and increased humidity have stopped fire growth. Crews will mop-up and patrol this evening mitigating hot spots that may threaten the fire perimeter,” according to Cal Fire’s latest report Thursday.
Road closures remain in place for Highway 133 northbound from I-5 to Highway 241 as well as for Highway 241 northbound from Alton Parkway to Highway 261.
Blue Ridge Fire
Location: Orange County. Size: 14,334 acres. Containment: 39 percent.
The Blue Ridge Fire also saw no further growth, while containment nearly doubled from Wednesday due to reduced winds and an increase in humidity. No road closures are in place, Cal Fire noted Thursday.
Creek Fire
Location: Fresno and Madera counties. Size: 379,571 acres. Containment: 70 percent.
The northeastern edge of the Creek Fire remains most active, while areas southwest of the blaze were expected to see the greatest smoke impacts, including in the North Fork and Prather areas and communities nearby, according to latest report Thursday from the Incident Information Management System of the National Wildfire Coordination Group (NWCG).
“Heavy fuel loading and extremely low relative humidity will lead to active fire behavior. Significant smoke production is expected… as the terrain-driven upslope-down-valley wind pattern prevails, nightly inversions will allow smoke to accumulate throughout the weekend,” the NWCG noted Thursday.
“In DIV [division] M, where fire has been burning most actively, it will continue and will have the greatest potential to spread where opportunity exists to burn upslope/updrainage where fuels and slope align,” the NWCG warned.
Blue Jay Fire
Location: Mariposa County. Size: 6,915 acres. Containment: 50 percent.
The Blue Jay Fire, located in the Yosemite National Park Wilderness area, was reported to be burning mostly in its northern portion, with smoke dispersing to the east, according to the latest NWCG report Thursday.
The blaze is “creeping and smoldering through compact litter and duff, heavy fuels on the forest floor, and in pockets of accumulated dead and down logs, with some isolated single tree torching and short range spotting along the active perimeter. Smoke is rising to tree height and dispersing,” the NWCG noted.
Rattlesnake Fire
Location: Tulare County. Size: 7,241 acres. Containment: 40 percent.
The Rattlesnake Fire, which has been burning in the southeast portion of Sequoia National Park since August, saw growth with no increase in containment since Wednesday. However, “there are no current threats to life or property,” the NWCG noted Thursday.
“The fire is burning in steep inaccessible terrain with sparse ground fuels and pockets of dead and down trees. Smoke from regional wildfires in California may impact the area reducing visibility,” the NWCG warned.
Other fires
Slater/Devil fires in Siskiyou County: 156,832 acres, 85 percent containedSQF Complex Fire in Tulare County: 170,071 acres, 75 percent contained. Red Salmon Complex Fire in Humboldt County: 144,139 acres, 78 percent contained. Devil Fire in Siskiyou County: 8,885 acres, 67 percent contained.
For the latest up-to-date information on these fires and others in the state, visit the Cal Fire website.