Watch: Rescue workers save dog and puppies from park fire
A Rottweiler and her four puppies were airlifted to safety by helicopter after being trapped in a truck for three days during the raging Park Fire in California.
Gusty winds will pose a challenge for firefighters battling the Lower and Park fires in the northern part of the state, but a cooling trend later this week could help crews put out the fires, the National Weather Service said.
Light winds picked up Sunday afternoon. Highs reached 98 degrees in Redding and 94 degrees in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, areas near the 110-acre Lower Fire.
Southeast of Shasta County, stronger winds have picked up over the massive Park Fire, which firefighters in Tehama and Butte counties are trying to keep within containment lines.
The weather on Sunday and next week could affect firefighting efforts.
Note to readers: We are providing this story for free as an important public service. If you can, please support local journalism. Subscribe to the Record Searchlight/Redding.com.
Wind freshens over Lower Fire in Shasta near Redding
Winds blowing from the north picked up around noon Sunday, posing major challenges for firefighters trying to contain the Lower Fire, especially on its northern flank, said Katrina Hand, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
Winds are expected to reach 10 mph, with occasional gusts of up to 15 mph, Hand said. They are expected to ease Sunday evening but pick up again Monday afternoon.
There was also good news.
While the entire Redding area is extremely dry after the hottest July on record, a cooling trend this week should increase humidity, Hand said.
Afternoon highs in Redding and Whiskeytown will not rise above 95 degrees Fahrenheit until Tuesday.
According to the weather service, there was even a slight chance of drizzle in higher elevations of Shasta County on Monday.
From Wednesday to Friday, temperatures could rise by a few degrees to over 35 degrees, but it will be cooler at the weekend with highs of around 31 degrees, said Hand.
Gusty winds pose challenges for emergency services in containing the park fire
On Sunday the wind also picked up because of the Park Fire.
Winds were gusting up to 12 mph, with moderate gusts of up to 20 mph, potentially pushing the fire north and northeast, Hand said.
But cooler weather could also help emergency crews fight the fire later this week.
On the northeast flank of the fire near the Shasta County border, temperatures will be just above 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) at Paynes Creek along Highway 36 on Sunday afternoon.
Temperatures will drop to the 30s to 40s on Monday and stay in that range through Sunday. That will likely prevent more moisture that accumulates on dry ground at night from evaporating during the day, Hand said.
Jessica Skropanic is a reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and further on facebook.. Join Jessica in the Out! Still Cal Recovery Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, Please subscribe today. Thank you.
