Facts Of The Day 7/14

Extreme Heat

• Recent high temperatures have scorched wheat and fruit crops across the Pacific Northwest.

Wildfires

• 68 large active wildfires have burned 1,038,003 acres across AZ, AK, CA, CO, ID, MN, MT, NM, UT and WA. So far this year, more than 2 million acres have burned nationally.
• 10 new large fires were reported across AZ, CA, ID, MT, and OR, and 3 large fires were reported contained on Tuesday.
• Nationally, almost 5 times the area of New York City has been burned so far this year due to wildfire.
• The agency responsible for coordinating wildfire response in Oregon and Washington announced it was employing its highest fire preparedness level starting on Wednesday.
• Air quality alerts have been issued in a number of western states, including Yellowstone National Park, due to wildfire smoke.
• The California Independent System Operator issued three alerts between Friday and Tuesday calling for reduced power use to reduce strains on the state’s grid.
• In California, the River Fire doubled in size overnight Monday to burn 9,500 acres. The fire was 15% contained as of Tuesday, and authorities declared a local state of emergency due to the fire on Tuesday morning. 8 structures have been destroyed, and a further 600 remain threatened by the fire.
• The Beckworth Complex Fire is the largest wildfire on record this year in California. As of Tuesday, the fire had burned 92,988 acres and was 66% contained.
• The Town of Doyle has been ravaged by the Beckworth Complex Fire on Saturday, marking the second time the area has faced wildfires in less than a year.
  • Evacuations due to the fire have impacted 3,061 people and 1,199 residences are threatened.
  • Winds on Wednesday afternoon into Thursday night could spread flames, hampering firefighting efforts.
  • Flames from the fire surrounded Frenchman Lake, a popular reservoir in the area, with possible impacts on tourism.
• Two fires in California were reported contained on Monday night – the Tennant Fire burned 10,580 acres in Klamath National Forest and the Juniper Fire burned 1,011 acres in Modoc National Forest.
• The Bootleg Fire in southern Oregon burned 201,923 acres and was 0% contained as of Wednesday. The blaze, the largest wildfire currently burning in the nation, created a ‘firenado’ near the California border, and the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for areas in southwest Oregon due to the fire.
  • Officials estimate full containment of the fire by November 30.
• In Oregon, one new fire, the Grandview Fire, has burned 5,723 acres and was 5% contained as of Tuesday.
• One new wildfire was reported in Idaho on Tuesday. The Snow Creek Fire sparked in Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, burning 161 acres with 0% containment as of Tuesday.
• On Tuesday, Idaho Governor Brad Little warned the state could face its worst wildfire season on record.
• Smoke from wildfires in Canada created thick haze over parts of Minnesota.
• Dry air and lightning sparked several wildfires in northern Minnesota’s Superior National Forest.

• Two new wildfires were reported in Montana on Tuesday – The Dry Cabin Fire, which has burned 300 acres in Lolo National Forest, and the Grass Pass Complex Fire, which has burned 733 acres in the same area.

Hurricanes

• Forecasters at Colorado State University raised both their prediction for named tropical storms this Atlantic hurricane season from 17 to 20 and the number of expected hurricanes from 8 to 9. 4 major hurricanes are still expected.

• Insurance industry losses from Hurricane Elsa’s impacts in the United States are estimated to stand between $240 and $290 million.

Climate Studies

• A July 2021 study found that climate change has made hurricanes more deadly, but not more frequent.
• A July 2021 study led by the Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) Centre for Climate Justice determined that climate change and the COVID-10 pandemic can no longer be seen as separate crises.
• A July 2021 analysis published by Lancet Medical Journal found major gaps in scientific evidence on climate health research for mental health, undernutrition, and maternal and child health.
• A July 2021 study found that President Biden’s proposed clean electricity standard would reap $1 trillion in health benefits and save thousands of lives.

• A July 2021 study by researchers at the University of Georgia found that climate change could increase the costs of reproduction in plants.