Forecasting California's 2021 WildFire Season

Factors contributing to the 2021 wildfire season forecast:

 

> California is in a long-term drought, with vegetation and soils being very dry. 

> The Sierra snowpack’s water content has decreased 28% from normal levels at this time of year.

> Temperatures are expected to be above average through summer.

> America’s natural environment is experiencing hotter, drier conditions. When there are longer dry spells that means vegetation is poised to burn.

> Climate change is increasing the incidences of lighting throughout the atmosphere which means the surface is becoming hotter and less stable. This boosts the risk of thunderstorms which commonly cause wildfires.

> Drought-stressed trees are becoming more vulnerable to bark beetle infestations. This creates dead fuel in the environment that accumulates in forests which makes fires burn hotter and spreads more rapidly.

> Rising temperatures entail more precipitation from rain rather than snow. This results in the snowpack melting earlier in the year which causes the fire season to start much sooner.

> Human populations are increasingly moving toward unpopulated wildland areas which increases the likelihood of fires starting in these areas.

The Need To Invest In A Used Industrial Standby Generator

AccuWeather released similar ominous forecasts and data points. Due to a considerable lack of precipitation in recent months, the stage has been set for a dangerous fire season ahead. 75% of the western United States is currently experiencing drought conditions. When coupled with the climate’s very dry conditions, wildfire activity could consume millions of acres in the 2021 season ending around October.

AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Samuhel forecasts a drought-fueled season could be devastating to the power grid. According to Samuhel, this year’s fire season is forecasted to burn 9.5 million acres of land across the western US. That means you should be prepared before the fire season starts by investing in a used industrial standby generator to keep your community and family safe in these trying times. 

These forecasts are not inclusive to California. In 2020 Colorado’s wildfire season burned more than 625,000 acres and Oregon eclipsed 1-million acres of damage in the same year. The prevalent dry conditions across America means the wildfire season in Washington, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona will be intense in 2021.
 
According to Samuhel, “unfortunately, in a nutshell, it looks like it’s going to be another busy season. We’re seeing a lot of drought. Almost half of the country is experiencing drought and the bulk of that is to the west.”

Safety precautions across power utilities can leave hundreds of thousands of people without power since public safety shutoffs take place to reduce the threat of wildfires igniting in new areas as conditions worsen. In such situations it’s important to have a used industrial generator installed at your facility to ensure operations, and revenue, keep performing when the grid goes down.  

Lighting & Wind Threats Loom

Lighting strikes were the main culprit in last year's wildfire season. Four of the six largest California wildfires last season were due to lighting strikes. This same threat is present for the 2021 season.

When you couple lighting strikes with strong winds, you have a recipe for wildfire disaster. “Wind is the fire’s number one friend.” Lighting strikes, fueled by high winds and dry conditions, entails the 2021 wildfire season is going to be busy and prolonged. Be prepared before your power goes down by investing in an used industrial generator from Generator Source!
 

PG&E Warms More Blackouts Coming For California’s Wildfire Season

PG&E Corp has reported they are likely to proactively turn off power to their Northern California customers during the anticipated wildfire season in 2021. PG&E is working tirelessly to trim trees away from power lines, inspect power line pools, all in preparation for the looming fire season. The chief risk officer disclosed in a recent interview their new shut-off criteria linked with dry weather conditions, may result in more shut offs than in 2020. This will especially be true if the country is experiencing high winds. Generator Source recommends you literally take the power back in your own hands by investing in a used industrial standby generator today! Please contact our team to discuss your next used industrial generator investment.
 

Sources

Los Angeles Times

AccuWeather

PG&E

Kyle Smith | 6/22/2021 9:44:46 AM | 0 comments