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Soot & smoke likely to plague South County for many days
wild fire
Even Turlock Irrigation District operations in the eastern- and western-most areas of service territory that are in a high fire threat area — like the Diablo Grande area where a fire burned 2,422 acres June 25-27 — are not anticipated to require the use of a Public Safety Power Shutoff program, according to a TID spokesperson.

Fire officials are warning the wildfire burning in the Diablo Range southwest of Manteca could burn for many more days.

Given California is still dealing with hundreds of wildfires — including 23 considered major — sparked by 11,000 lightning strikes in 72 hours, firefighting crews are stretched thin.

The Santa Clara Unit (SCU) Lightning Complex fires burned 102,000 acres as of 9 p.m. Wednesday. They are only 5 percent contained.

The 159 square miles burned is 3½ times larger than the land mass of the City of San Francisco.

Soot fell Wednesday on Manteca, Ripon, Lathrop and other areas in the Northern San Joaquin Valley while reddish smoke clouds obscured the skies. Cal Fire warned such conditions could continue for days and possibly more than a week.

The largest of the fires that started Sunday morning is in Del Puerto Canyon west of Patterson and Interstate 5.

There are 20 separate fires within Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. The complex is broken into three zones; the Deer Zone, Calaveras Zone, and Canyon Zone.   

There are no current evacuation warnings or orders for the Tracy area or within San Joaquin County.  The fire is expected to grow to the south and east over the next 48-hours. 

And while there is no immediate threats to rural residents in the southwest portion of San Joaquin County, Tracy area fire units are pre-planning potential impact areas and are developing contingency plans for areas within the authority’s jurisdiction. 

Officials warn smoke will remain in the area for the foreseeable future and that individuals who are sensitive to respiratory issues should avoid outdoor activities.

Residents are encouraged to visit the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services website at SJReady.org to receive emergency alert notifications.  Residents can sign up by providing their preferred contact information to receive notifications.  This notification system provides residents with critical information for emergency situations such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, and evacuations of neighborhoods.   

 

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com