(KRON) — Firefighters are working to contain wildfires across Northern California after a series of thunderstorms battered the region with 18,000 lightning strikes within a 24-hour period, Cal Fire announced Saturday afternoon.
Firefighters from around the state responded to the region in hopes of “keeping all fires as small as possible,” Cal Fire said.
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While dry lightning strikes are often a major wildfire hazard during the dry summer months, these thunderstorms brought heavy precipitation to the region. Many of the state’s northeastern mountains saw more than half an inch of rain in the past 72 hours, according to National Weather Service data.
“With the tremendous amount of lightning strikes, it was very fortunate that they were accompanied by a lot of precipitation which contributed to a reduced size and number of wildfires,” Cal Fire said. “State and federal fire agencies are working in cooperation to ensure each fire gets dealt with as it is discovered.”
Rain totals across Northern California in the past 72 hours. (National Weather Service)
Current drought conditions in the Western U.S. (U.S. Drought Monitor)
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Northern California is also dealing with mild drought conditions compared to the rest of the West. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, most of Northern California is experiencing either no drought or abnormally dry conditions.
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