Hot, dry weather gives Park Fire a push

Smoke from the Park Fire near Chico could make its way back into Western Nevada in the next few days after hot, dry conditions sent the fire into heavy fuels on its northeast flank.

The Park Fire officially exceeded 406,000 acres as of 7 p.m. Monday and Fire Information for Resource Management System mapping shows it actively burning less than a dozen miles southwest of Lassen Volcanic National Park. Firefighters have a line around about a third of the fire and expect to have it contained by Aug. 21.

“The wildfire in northern California was extremely active on Monday, so the … projections are picking up on the smoke that it put out,” said National Weather Service Reno Meteorologist Edan Weishahn on Tuesday morning. “Also, a new start west of the Sierra crest near Yosemite, the Middle Fire, is also popping up on the smoke forecasts.”

According to fire.airnow.gov, smoke from the Park Fire is blowing northeast into Oregon and then drifting south into Western Nevada.

“Areas of smoke and haze will impact portions of northeastern California in Lassen County and northwestern Nevada for Washoe County,” Weishahn said. “Smoke will drift as far south as Pyramid Lake and east towards Winnemucca by Wednesday morning.”

The Middle Fire burning west of Yosemite grew to around 1,000 acres since being first reported on Sunday, according to satellite mapping.

The Stockade Fire burning north of Pyramid Lake is holding steady at 18,000 acres with a line around two-thirds of its perimeter.

Air quality is in the mid-good range this morning in Carson Valley.