Evacuation warnings vs. orders, forward progress and acreage: California wildfire terms to know

REMOTE AREAS. YEAH. WELL NOW WE TELL YOU ABOUT A NEW SYSTEM WE ’VE WORKING ON. R3KC IT WILL HELP HOMEOWNERS ASSESS THEIR DAILY THREAT LEVEL WHEN IT COMES TO FIRES METEOROLOGIST. EILEEN JAVORA SHOWS US HOW IT WORKS. DURING FIRE SEASON. IT IS CRUCIAL TO KNOW THE DS.AY YOU NEED TO BE READY AND ARTLE WHEN THE WEATHER IS PRIME FOR FIRE CONDITIONS GUSTYORTH N WINDS LOW HUMIDITY. YOU MAY BE FAMILIARITH W HEARING US TALK ABOUT RED FLAG WARNINGS, AND THESE ARE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WHEN WEATHER EVENTS WHICH MAY RESTUL IN ACTIVE FIRE BEHAVIOR WILL OCCUR WITHIN 24 HOURS THE TYPE OF WEATHER PATTERNS TTHA CAUSE A DRE FLAG WARNING INCLUDE LOW HUMIDITY STRONG WINDS DRIVE FUELS AND THE POSSIBILITYF O DRY LIGHTNING OR ANY COMBINATION OF THE ABOVE. NOW THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS LAUNCHED A HIGHER LEVEL ALERT CALLED A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION OR PDS. YOU’RE GOING TO SEE IT HIGHLIGHTED ON OUR MAPS IN A MAGENTA COLOR. THE PDS DESIGNATION WILL ONLY BE USED FOR RARE EVENTS WITHIN AN EXISTING RED FLAG WARNING ALREADY IN PLACE TO ISSUE A PDF SUSTAINED WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH ABOV30E AN HOUR HUMIDITY AND SINGLE DIGIT RANGE DURING THE DAYRE A VERY LOW NIGHTTIME HUMIDITY. WE KNOW THESE CRITICAL WEATHER AND DRY CONDITIONSAN C LEAD TO RAPID OR DRAMATIC SPREAD SHOULD THE WILDFIRE START WREHE IT MAY BE UNSTOPPABLE TEAK A SITUATION LIKE THE CAMPFIRE. THAT COULD BE A GOOD EXAMPLE OF CONDITIONS. WHERE FIGHTING BACK THE FIRE BECOMES NEARLY IMPOSSIEBL AND EEFLIN. THE FIRE IS ETH ONLY OPTION. IN FACT TAKE A LOOK AT THE STRONG WORDING IN THE OFFICIAL ACTION STATEMENT DURING A PDS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH EXTREMELY LOW HUMIDITY AND HIGH WDSIN NEW FIRES WILL GROW RAPIDLY OUT OF CONTROL IN SOME CASES PEOPLE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EVACUATE SAFELY IN TIME SHOULD A FIRE APPROACH. WE KNOW THESE INSTANCES WILLE B RARE BUT WHEN A PDS IS ISSUED. BASICALLY IT’S SAYING BE READY TO GO. WE SHOULD NOTE NOT ALL FIRES HAPPEN DURING RED FLAG WARNINGS. IN FACT THE CALDORND A DIEIX FIRES LAST YEAR DIDN’T START ON FIRE WARNING DAYS ALWAYS BE PREPARED AND HAVE A COURSE OF ACTION DURING FIRE SEASON. AND ONE NEW TOOL THE KCRA WEATHER TEAM WILL BE USING TO KEEP YOU INFORMED AS FIRE CONDITIONS CHANGES I THE FIRE THREAT INDEX. THIS WILL GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE FIRE RISK ON ANY GIVENAY D IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF OUR REGION SO YOU CAN PLAN AHEAD USINGUR O KNOWLEDGE OF FUEL MOISTURE LEVELS, OR HOW DRY THE TREES GRASS AND BSHRU ARE HUMIDITY AND WIND WE CAN ASSESS FIRE DANGER AND WE CAN THEN DETERNEMI THE INDEX OF FIRE CONCERN AND REAT IT FROM LOW TO EXTREME WHIT THE HIGHEST LEVEL LIKELY FOR TSEHO DAYS WITH PDS WARNINGS. BE SHOWINGOU Y THESE ON-AIR AS THE WEATHER WARRANTS AND YOU’LL BE ABLE TO FIND THEM ONLINE AT KCRA.COM UNDER THE WEATHER TAB. AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT FIRE THREAT INDEX IS A IS LEAN JUST MENTIONED THAT SOME OFUR O BIGGEST FIRES START NOT IN RED FLAG WARNING SO YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE OF JUST WHO THE FIRE THREAT IS ON ANY GIVEN DAY WHETHER OR NOT THERE’S A RED FLAG WARNING. WE HAD THE CAMPFIRE STARTED WITHOUT AED R FLAG WARNING. WE HAD THE BIGGEST FIRES LAST YEAR STARTED WITHOUT RED FLAG WARNING. WELL, IT’S GOOD THAT THEY’RE NOW GO

Wildfires each year are only getting larger and more intense in California, and while not everyone lives in wildfire territory, the impacts from the fires -- red skies, and smoke and ash in areas where it's not so common -- are becoming widespread.What this means is that even those outside of the immediate danger zone of a current wildfire are likely to want to know how what the status of the fire is, if it's raging at an explosive pace, or if crews are getting a handle on it.Fire management agencies use a wide range of terms to describe efforts in extinguishing a fire. Below, you will find some of the more commonly used words and phrases when discussing conditions and fire behavior.Size Fires are measured in size using acres. For reference, an acre is 43,560 square feet, which is slightly smaller than a football field.Rate of spread This is the speed at which a fire spreads. Fire agencies will typically categorize the rate from slow, moderate, rapid to dangerous.Containment A break or line where combustible material around the fire has been achieved, helping prevent the fire from spreading farther. Containment is measured by percentages.Forward progress The direction of a fire's travel. When fire agencies say forward progress has been stopped, it means crews have stopped the fire from spreading in a particular direction(s). This term is used specifically for wildfires and not structure fires.Control of fireFor vegetation fires, this means complete extinguishment of the fire. When in reference to structures, it means the fire is not completely out but there should now be no cause for concern of the fire flaring up or spreading.KnockdownThis means the fire has been more or less extinguished. Crews typically remain for a while longer for mop-up to ensure nothing flares up. This term is not generally used for large wildfires, where their level of control is measured by containment. Knockdown is generally used more for structure fires. Hotspot A particularly large or active part of a fire.Flare-up A sudden increase of intensity of a fire.Mop-up The process of cleaning up the remains of a fire that has been knocked down, cleaning out any possible hotspots. Evacuation warning When an evacuation warning is issued, that means fire behavior could threaten nearby homes and businesses. During a warning, evacuations aren't mandatory but they are encouraged.Evacuation order There is an immediate threat to livelihood. Evacuation is mandatory in this case. Defensible space The space around a home or building that has been treated or cleaned to prevent the spread of nearby fires. Prescribed burn Fires ignited for the purpose of managing fuels that could spark uncontrolled fires.Red flag warning Conditions that are favorable for fires to ignite. These could be strong winds or dry conditions and fuels, such as brush or vegetation.Hotshots An elite crew of firefighters who respond to especially dangerous fires.

What this means is that even those outside of the immediate danger zone of a current wildfire are likely to want to know how what the status of the fire is, if it's raging at an explosive pace, or if crews are getting a handle on it.

Fire management agencies use a wide range of terms to describe efforts in extinguishing a fire. Below, you will find some of the more commonly used words and phrases when discussing conditions and fire behavior.

Size

Fires are measured in size using acres. For reference, an acre is 43,560 square feet, which is slightly smaller than a football field.

Rate of spread

This is the speed at which a fire spreads. Fire agencies will typically categorize the rate from slow, moderate, rapid to dangerous.

Containment

A break or line where combustible material around the fire has been achieved, helping prevent the fire from spreading farther. Containment is measured by percentages.

Forward progress

The direction of a fire's travel. When fire agencies say forward progress has been stopped, it means crews have stopped the fire from spreading in a particular direction(s). This term is used specifically for wildfires and not structure fires.

Control of fire

For vegetation fires, this means complete extinguishment of the fire. When in reference to structures, it means the fire is not completely out but there should now be no cause for concern of the fire flaring up or spreading.

Knockdown

This means the fire has been more or less extinguished. Crews typically remain for a while longer for mop-up to ensure nothing flares up. This term is not generally used for large wildfires, where their level of control is measured by containment. Knockdown is generally used more for structure fires.

Hotspot

A particularly large or active part of a fire.

Flare-up

A sudden increase of intensity of a fire.

Mop-up

The process of cleaning up the remains of a fire that has been knocked down, cleaning out any possible hotspots.