Wildfires lead to ashy skies all over Placer and Sacramento County

Massive lightning complex fires trickle down their ashy rain on most of Northern California as LNU lightning complex rages on

Ciaran Henderson, Editor-in-Chief|August 19, 2020

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Ciaran Henderson
The smoke from nearby wildfires has filled the sky, causing the sun to be crimson red.

The sun shone a crimson red glow all day Wednesday, an eerie reminder of the power California wildfires can possess during long fire seasons throughout the state.

Dry lightning storms terrorized California Sunday night, causing multiple new fires to spark, uniting as the LNU lightning complex, spreading over Solano, Sonoma, and Napa County.

This complex, made up of seven large wildfires conjoined, that, as of Wednesday evening has left 44,000 plus acres of damage in its wake due to such freak thunderstorms on Sunday evening. The smoke from these flames has flowed down into the valley, leading to unsafe air qualities for cities like Sacramento and Roseville.

The smoke has carried ash that has been seen littering cars, buildings and other surfaces, furthering the terrible effects it is having in this area. As winds are shifting towards Placer and Sacramento Counties, it is more likely to grow worse throughout the night. 

The safest thing to do, as Roseville’s air quality dips to unhealthy levels, has been advised to continue to stay home. There are many threats to people’s health as a result of the fires, as caused by the cumulation of ash and smoke. Ingestion of and contact with ash can cause irritation, cause dry and irritated eyes, and other issues for those with preexisting conditions such as asthma.

Helpful Links:

https://cfpub.epa.gov/airnow/index.cfm?action=airnow.local_city&cityid=326 (Air Quality Index for our area)

https://doitgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=85ff2f5b85574767905e8157576b8c47&extent=-13609268.342%2C4621030.036%2C-13545061.2382%2C4655388.4802%2C102100 (map of the LNU complex, and the damage it has caused)

https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/8/18/lnu-lightning-complex-includes-hennessey-gamble-15-10-spanish-markley-13-4-11-16/ (CalFire information on the LNU complex fires)