California, Nevada face "dangerous situation" from fires, officials warn

A potentially grave situation is unfolding Wednesday as several huge wildfires prompt evacuations from Southern California communities, while residents in parts of Reno, Nevada are facing a similar fate.

Threat level: The most immediate threats for SoCal communities were the uncontained Bridge and Airport fires, which were affecting air quality and forcing evacuations, while critical fire weather was forecast for much of western Utah and Nevada — where the huge Davis Fire is poised to grow.

• Nevada officials warned in a video posted to X Tuesday that residents in western Reno needed to be prepared to evacuate as a change in fire weather Wednesday was expected to create a "particularly dangerous situation" that was "a step above a red flag warning".
• Such a warning is rarely issued, with the last one from that NWS forecast office dating back to 2019. Strong westerly winds will threaten to spread the fire to downwind communities on Wednesday, according to forecasts.
• "It is paramount to heed instructions from emergency officials and complete evacuations to a safer area as soon as possible if located in the evacuation order zones," NWS Reno forecasters wrote in a forecast discussion. 

Context: A storm system approaching the Pacific Northwest that was moving farther inland and bringing a cold front to some areas was forecast to produce "gusty winds throughout the Intermountain West" and lead to fire weather concerns, per the National Weather Service.

• In California, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said on X that what was unfolding with the Bridge, Airport and Line fires on Tuesday and Tuesday night was "remarkable." 
• He said climate conditions helped pave the way for the fast-growing blazes in a state that just experienced its hottest summer on record and a historically intense September heat wave. 
• Swain singled out the grave situation over the Bridge Fire in particular, where the Bernardino County Sheriff's office on X Tuesday evening urged residents to evacuate "immediately" as the blaze entered the town of Wrightwood after exploding in size. 
• According to the Associated Press, more than a dozen people were injured by the fires and evacuations, including multiple firefighters. 

State of play: The Bridge Fire that ignited in the Angeles National Forest Sunday grew from some 4,000 acres to over 34,000 acres in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties within hours Tuesday, per Cal Fire.
As of Wednesday morning, the fire was at 47,904 acres, with 0% containment, according to Cal Fire.

• The Airport Fire has razed more than 19,000 acres in Orange and Riverside counties, while the still-dangerous Line Fire was burning across nearly 34,659 acres at 14% containment Tuesday. 
• Videos shared on social media Tuesday night showed walls of flames overtaking fire camera sites located upon California hilltops. 
• This fire has been burning within the area where homes and businesses border forested areas, known to firefighters as the wildland-urban-interface.

Zoom out: National Interagency Fire Center data shows 67 large fires burning in the U.S. — including 10 in California, two in Nevada, 25 in Oregon and 22 in Idaho.

• While conditions were expected to ease in California with the arrival of cooler, less dry conditions, the NWS said "continued wildfire activity over the Great Basin will further add to the smokey skies noticeable throughout the northern Plains, Midwest, and parts of the Ohio/Tennessee valleys."

Between the lines: Climate change is increasing the severity of record wildfires and making heat waves far more likely and intense, research shows.

• Swain said the Bridge Fire is "yet another in a long list of recent examples" of California wildfires doing seemingly "impossible" things, running "clear across San Gabriel Mountains in a single day."
• He noted the "worst weather/climate sequence" for SoCal wildfire is very wet conditions (as over past 2 years) followed by record-breaking heat (as we've seen recently) and vegetation drying," adding: "This did not come out of the blue."

In photos: Wildfires threaten communities across U.S                            . West

Plumes of smoke rise from wildfires in San Bernardino County mountains, including the Bridge Fire, as seen from Kenneth Hahn Park in Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles, Source: Getty Images

Firefighters with the Mill Creek Hotshots monitor fire activity during the Line Fire in Big Bear, California, Source: Getty Images

A firefighting helicopter and the moon are seen over the Bridge Fire near Glendora, California, Source: David McNew / Getty Images

The Davis Fire, south of Reno, Source: U.S. Forest Service-Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest/Facebook