WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Friday approved wide-ranging legislation aimed at helping communities in the West cope with increasingly severe wildfires and drought — fueled by climate change — that have caused billions of dollars of damage to homes and businesses in recent years.

The measure combines 49 separate bills and would increase firefighter pay and benefits; boost resiliency and mitigation projects for communities affected by climate change; protect watersheds; and make it easier for wildfire victims to get federal assistance.

"Across America the impacts of climate change continue to worsen, and in this new normal, historic droughts and record-setting wildfires have become all too common,'' said Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., the bill's chief co-sponsor. Colorado has suffered increasingly devastating wildfires in recent years, including the Marshall fire last year that caused more than $513 million in damage and destroyed nearly 1,100 homes and structures in Boulder County.

"What once were wildfire seasons are now wildfire years. For families across the country who have lost their homes due to these devastating wildfires and for the neighborhoods impacted by drought, we know that we need to apply a whole-of-government approach to support community recovery and bolster environmental resiliency," Neguse said. "This is a bill that we believe meets the moment for the West."

The bill was approved, 218-199, as firefighters in California battled a blaze that forced evacuation of thousands of people near Yosemite National Park and crews in North Texas sought to contain another fire.

One Republican, Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, voted in favor of the bill, while Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader was the only Democrat to oppose it.

The bill now goes to the Senate, where Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has sponsored a similar measure.

Both the House and Senate bills would permanently boost pay and benefits for federal wildland firefighters. President Joe Biden signed a measure last month giving them a hefty raise for the next two years, a move that affects more than 16,000 firefighters and comes as much of the West braces for another difficult wildfire season.

Pay raises for the federal firefighters had been included in last year's $1 trillion infrastructure bill, but the money was held up as federal agencies studied recruitment and retention data to decide where to deliver them. The raise approved by Biden was retroactive to Oct. 1, 2021, and expires Sept. 30, 2023.

The House bill would make the pay raises permanent and sets minimum pay for federal wildland firefighters at $20 per hour, or nearly $42,000 a year. It also raises eligibility for hazardous-duty pay and boosts mental health and other services for firefighters. The bill is named after smokejumper Tim Hart, who died fighting a wildfire in New Mexico last year.

"The West is hot — hotter than ever — it is dry and when it is windy, the West is on fire,'' said Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash. "And we are seeing this every year because of climate change. That's why this bill is so important.''

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the bill "a major victory for Californians — and for the country.'' The Oak Fire, the largest wildfire so far this year, "is ravaging our state,'' she said. "At the same time, countless of our communities regularly suffer lack of rainfall that can kill crops and further fuel fires."

The House bill would deliver "urgently needed resources" to combat fires and droughts, "which will only increase in frequency and intensity due to the climate crisis,'' Pelosi said. The bill includes $500 million to preserve water levels in key reservoirs in the drought-stricken Colorado River and invest in water recycling and desalination.

Republicans denounced the measure as "political messaging," noting that firefighters' hourly pay has already been increased above $20 in most cases. The House bill does not appropriate additional money for the Forest Service or other agencies, and without such an increase, the Forest Service says it would have to lay off about 470 wildland firefighters.

Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas, the top Republican on the House Natural Resources Committee, called it "egregious" that Democrats would seek to enact provisions that could lead to firefighter layoffs in the midst of a devastating wildfire season.

"Democrats are finally waking up to the wildfire and drought crises, exacerbated by years of forest mismanagement and a lack of long-term water storage. Unfortunately, Democrats' proposals are anything but solutions,'' Westerman said. He accused Democrats of failing to follow science showing the need to manage forests before fires begin, and said Democrats "fail to construct the kind of long-term infrastructure needed to make communities resilient to drought'' while prioritizing "liberal talking points" about climate change.

Neguse called that accusation outrageous and noted that many of the bills included in the wildfire/drought legislation are Republican proposals.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said the bill was important to the whole country — not just the West, where wildfires and drought are a daily reality.

"We are one nation indivisible and if one part of us is burning, we are all burning," Hoyer said.

Besides boosting firefighter pay, the bill enhances forest management projects intended to reduce hazardous fuels such as small trees and underbrush that can make wildfires far more dangerous. It also establishes grant programs to help communities affected by air pollution from wildfires and improve watersheds damaged by wildfire.

Republicans called the thinning projects — which also include prescribed burns and removal of vegetation — meaningless without waivers of lengthy environmental reviews that can delay forest treatment by years.

The White House said in a statement that it supports efforts to address climate change, wildfires and drought, but wants to "work with the Congress to ensure the many provisions in the (bill) avoid duplication with existing authorities and administration efforts."

NEW YORK —

On air quality maps, purple signifies the worst of it. In reality, it's a thick, hazardous haze that's disrupting daily life for millions of people across the U.S. and Canada, blotting out skylines and turning skies orange.

With weather systems expected to barely budge, the smoky blanket billowing from wildfires in Quebec and Nova Scotia and sending plumes of fine particulate matter as far away as North Carolina and northern Europe should persist into Thursday and possibly the weekend.

That means at least another day of a dystopian-style detour that's chased players from ballfields, actors from Broadway stages, delayed thousands of flights and sparked a resurgence in mask-wearing and remote work — all while raising concerns about the health effects of prolonged exposure to such bad air.

Video below: Poor air quality can have negative health effects

The weather system that's driving the great Canadian-American smokeout — a low-pressure system over Maine and Nova Scotia — "will probably be hanging around at least for the next few days," U.S. National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Ramsey said.

"Conditions are likely to remain unhealthy, at least until the wind direction changes or the fires get put out," Ramsey said. "Since the fires are raging — they're really large — they're probably going to continue for weeks. But it's really just going be all about the wind shift."

Across the eastern U.S., officials warned residents to stay inside and limit or avoid outdoor activities again Thursday, extending "Code Red" air quality alerts in some places for a third straight day as forecasts showed winds continuing to push smoke-filled air south.

The smoke has moved over Greenland and Iceland since June 1, and was expected to reach Norway on Thursday, the Norwegian Climate and Environmental Research Institute said, but wasn't expected to be a health concern.

In Washington D.C., the roads were unusually clear as many stayed home and about half the people on the streets wore their pandemic-era masks. The local D.C. government canceled all outdoor activities at public schools and local senior centers, closed all public parks, suspended work by city road construction and paving crews, and delayed trash collection.

The poor air quality also forced the closing of the National Zoo, a popular tourist attraction in the nation's capital. Zoo officials said they were taking the action "for the safety of our animals, our staff and our guests."

In suburban Philadelphia, officials set up an emergency shelter so people living outside can take refuge from the haze.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a briefing Thursday in Albany that "this continues to be a public health crisis," with the worst air quality since at least the 1960s.

"This is not over. We might get a little respite, but I don't want people to let down their guard and to become complacent about this because we have to be prepared for the winds to shift. This is the unknown," Hochul said.

Video below: NY governor issues warning about air quality

The message seemed to be getting through. Hochul said state officials have not noticed a spike in people going to emergency rooms, though there were a few hospitals New York City reporting more patients coming in.

More than 400 blazes burning across Canada have left 20,000 people displaced. The U.S. has sent more than 600 firefighters and equipment to Canada. Other countries are also helping.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to President Joe Biden by phone Wednesday. Trudeau's office said he thanked Biden for his support and that both leaders "acknowledged the need to work together to address the devastating impacts of climate change."

Canadian officials say this is shaping up to be the country's worst wildfire season ever. It started early on drier-than-usual ground and accelerated quickly. Smoke from the blazes has been flowing into the U.S. since last month but intensified with recent fires in Quebec, where about 100 were considered out of control Wednesday.

The smoke was so thick in Canada's capital, Ottawa, that office towers just across the Ottawa River were barely visible. In Toronto, Yili Ma said her hiking group canceled a planned hike this week, and she was forgoing the restaurant patios that are a beloved summer tradition in a nation known for hard winters.

"I put my mask away for over a year, and now I'm putting on my mask since yesterday," Ma lamented.

Eastern Quebec got some rain Wednesday, but Montreal-based Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault said no significant rain is expected for days in the remote areas of central Quebec where the wildfires are more intense.

In the U.S., federal officials delayed some flights bound Thursday morning for New York's LaGuardia Airport; Newark, New Jersey; and Philadelphia because smoke was limiting visibility. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that it will likely need to take steps to manage the flow of air traffic into Washington, D.C., and Charlotte, North Carolina, as well.

Major League Baseball's Yankees, Phillies and Nationals had their games postponed. Hochul said air quality could affect the Belmont Stakes scheduled for Saturday in the New York City area.

On Broadway, "Hamilton" and "Camelot" canceled Wednesday performances and "Prima Facie" star Jodie Comer left a matinee after 10 minutes because of difficulty breathing. The show restarted with an understudy, show publicists said.

It was not to be at Central Park's outdoor stage, either. Shakespeare in the Park canceled its Thursday and Friday performances of "Hamlet," saying 'tis not nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of wretched air.

With the stench of smoke permeating Yankee Stadium and wafting through its walkways, Major League Baseball postponed games in New York and Philadelphia on Wednesday night because of poor air quality caused by Canadian wildfires.

Video above: Smoke pours into Cassville, NY, from wildfires in Canada

A National Women's Soccer League game in New Jersey and an indoor WNBA game set for Brooklyn were also called off Wednesday amid hazy conditions that have raised alarms from health authorities.

The New York Yankees' game against the Chicago White Sox was rescheduled as part of a doubleheader starting at 4:05 p.m. on Thursday, and the Philadelphia Phillies' game against the Detroit Tigers was reset for 6:05 p.m. on Thursday, originally a day off for both teams.

“These postponements were determined following conversations throughout the day with medical and weather experts and all of the impacted clubs regarding clearly hazardous air quality conditions in both cities," MLB said in a statement.

The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for New York City, saying: "the New York State Department of Health recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects." In Philadelphia, the NWS issued a Code Red.

The Yankees and White Sox played through a lesser haze on Tuesday night. A day later, stadium workers and fans arriving early to the ballpark wore face masks for protection in a scene reminiscent of the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was business as usual for me coming in. I got in around 12, 12:30, and didn't really think too much of it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I actually walked outside about 2 o'clock and was like — like everyone else, like — whoa.”

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol thought MLB made the right decision postponing the game.

“These are health issues, right? So this has got to be it. We’ve been through everything — snow, rain, hail. I don’t think I’ve been through something like this,” he said. “Today at one point, it was pretty bad out there. We walked out of the dugout and it was kind of orange. They did the right thing. They got all the information.

“I’m assuming if Major League Baseball is comfortable setting up a doubleheader tomorrow, they have some type of information that it should be better than what it is today, or at least safe.”

In Philadelphia, the Phillies beat the Tigers 1-0 on Tuesday night in a game played in hazy conditions with the smell of smoke in the air. Afterward, manager Rob Thomson and his Phillies players said the conditions didn't affect them.

About a half-hour before Wednesday's postponement, Thomson said he thought the game would be played. But the Philadelphia skyline could not be seen from the ballpark in the afternoon, and the smoky smell remained.

Minor league teams nearby also changed plans. The Yankees' Triple-A affiliate at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Pennsylvania, and the Mets' top farm club in Syracuse, New York, postponed their games for the second consecutive night.

The Mets' High-A affiliate in Brooklyn completed a game Wednesday against Greenville that began at 11 a.m.

The WNBA called off a game between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty, saying the decision was made to “protect the health and safety of our fans, teams and community.” A makeup date wasn't immediately announced.

Even inside Barclays Center at the morning shootaround, reporters could smell smoke in the arena.

The NWSL postponed Orlando's match at Gotham in Harrison, New Jersey, from Wednesday night to Aug. 9.

“The match could not be safely conducted based on the projected air quality index,” the NWSL said.

At nearby Belmont Park, the New York Racing Association said training went on as planned Wednesday ahead of Saturday's Triple Crown horse race. However, NYRA canceled training Thursday morning at Belmont and Saratoga Race Course upstate “due to poor air quality conditions forecast to impact New York State overnight and into Thursday morning.”

NYRA said a decision about Thursday’s live racing program, scheduled to begin at 3:05 p.m., will be made Thursday morning “following a review of the air quality conditions and forecast.”

“NYRA utilizes external weather services and advanced on-site equipment to monitor weather conditions and air quality in and around Belmont Park," spokesman Patrick McKenna said Wednesday. "Training was conducted normally today, and NYRA will continue to assess the overall environment to ensure the safety of training and racing throughout the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.”

New York’s NFL teams, the Giants and Jets, both had Wednesday off from offseason workouts. The Giants had been planning to practice inside Thursday, and the Jets said they are also likely to work out indoors Thursday.

Youth sports in the area were also affected, with parents quick to voice concern about their children's safety outdoors.

In a statement Wednesday, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association said schools should understand that all schedules were subject to change.

“NJSIAA is closely monitoring air quality data across New Jersey and local/state health advisories. As start times for athletic events draw near, we will make decisions for each venue and sport based on currently available information,” the organization said.

It’s not the first time in recent years that wildfires forced changes to the MLB schedule. A two-game series in Seattle between the Mariners and Giants was moved to San Francisco in September 2020 because of poor air quality caused by West Coast wildfires.

About an hour after Wednesday night's game at Yankee Stadium was postponed, two fans visiting on vacation from Vancouver, British Columbia, were still lingering.

“It’s just circumstances. What do I say? It makes me disappointed because this is one of the highlights of the trip," said Malcolm, who was in town with his daughter and didn't want to give his last name.

“I have a heart condition. That’s the only reason I’m wearing two masks and whatever. And my personal thought is that, why wasn’t it canceled two days ago? Because we knew about all this two days ago. But having said that, I don’t want the players running around and putting out in this, too. It can’t be good for them.”

___

AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum, AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg, AP Pro Football Writer Dennis Waszak Jr., AP Sports Writers Tom Canavan, Pete Iacobelli and Stephen Whyno and AP freelance writers Larry Fleisher and Aaron Bracy contributed to this report.

December 11, 08:56 AM EST UNK 1 WSW EAST GRAND RAPIDS Kent County, MI REPORT FROM MPING: TREES DOWN ROOF DAMAGE. (GRR) December 11, 08:43 AM EST 63 2 S HOLLAND Allegan County, MI ASOS STATION KBIV W MICH REGIONAL ARPT. (GRR) December 11, 07:39 AM CST UNK 1 NE COALMONT Grundy County, TN TREES DOWN NEAR COALMONT IN GRUNDY COUNTY. (OHX) December 11, 06:55 AM CST UNK 5 ESE HARVEST Madison County, AL TREE DOWN ALONG BOB WADE LANE IN HARVEST. (HUN) December 11, 07:54 AM EST UNK 1 W FURNACE Powell County, KY TREE DOWN ON POWER LINE AND BLOCKING FURNACE JUNCTION ROAD. (JKL) December 11, 07:19 AM EST UNK 3 S BIG SOUTH FORK NATI Scott County, TN A FEW TREES DOWN. (MRX) December 11, 06:15 AM CST UNK 4 NW ELKMONT Limestone County, AL TREES REPORTED DOWN IN ELKMONT NEAR THE STATE LINE ALONG HIGHWAY 127. (HUN) December 11, 06:02 AM CST UNK TOWN CREEK Lawrence County, AL TREE DOWN SOUTH OF TOWN CREEK. (HUN) December 11, 05:50 AM CST UNK 4 NW ROGERSVILLE Lauderdale County, AL BATTING CAGE IN FRONT YARD HAD BEEN LOFTED AND CAUSED 200-300 YARD DEBRIS PATH. (HUN) December 11, 05:45 AM CST UNK 5 SSW KILLEN Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN ON LAKEWOOD DR. (HUN) December 11, 05:44 AM CST UNK 3 SW TUSCUMBIA Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN. (HUN) December 11, 05:40 AM CST UNK 1 N TUSCUMBIA Colbert County, AL POWER POLE BLOWN DOWN OUTSIDE OF EMA OFFICE. (HUN) December 11, 05:40 AM CST UNK 2 S FLORENCE Lauderdale County, AL ROOF PARTIALLY LIFTED ON STRUCTURE IN DOWNTOWN FLORENCE. (HUN) December 11, 05:37 AM CST UNK 7 ESE CHEROKEE Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN. (HUN) December 11, 05:37 AM CST UNK 1 SE SHEFFIELD Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF AVALON AVE. AND COX BLVD. (HUN) December 11, 05:37 AM CST UNK 1 NNW TUSCUMBIA Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN AT THE INTERSECTION OF S BLACKWELL RD AND E WHEELER AV. (HUN) December 11, 05:36 AM CST UNK 1 SW TUSCUMBIA Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN. (HUN) December 11, 06:36 AM EST UNK 5 ENE LIMAVILLE Portage County, OH TREE DOWN ON ROAD. (CLE) December 11, 06:35 AM EST UNK BIG SOUTH FORK NATIONAL Scott County, TN FEW TREES DOWN JUST EAST OF THE PARK. (MRX) December 11, 05:34 AM CST UNK 1 SSW TUSCUMBIA Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN ON FRANKFURT RD. (HUN) December 11, 05:34 AM CST UNK SHEFFIELD Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN. (HUN) December 11, 05:33 AM CST 59 2 SSW FLORENCE Lauderdale County, AL EMERGENCY MANAGER MEASURED A 59 MPH WIND GUST IN DOWNTOWN FLORENCE... AL. (HUN) December 11, 06:31 AM EST UNK 2 NW KENT Portage County, OH TREE DOWN NEAR ROAD. (CLE) December 11, 05:30 AM CST UNK TUSCUMBIA Colbert County, AL POWERLINES DOWN IN TUSCUMBIA. (HUN) December 11, 05:30 AM CST UNK 1 NNE SHEFFIELD Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF N NASHVILLE AV AND E 8TH ST IN SHEFFIELD. (HUN) December 11, 05:30 AM CST UNK FLORENCE Lauderdale County, AL TREE DOWN ON HOME ON WOODLAND HILLS DR. (HUN) December 11, 05:30 AM CST UNK 2 SSW UNDERWOOD-PETERSV Lauderdale County, AL HOMES DAMAGED ON AUGUSTA STREET. (HUN) December 11, 05:27 AM CST UNK 1 WSW SHEFFIELD Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF GUNTERSVILLE ST AND WILSON DAM AVE. (HUN) December 11, 05:27 AM CST UNK 2 SSW FLORENCE Lauderdale County, AL TREE DOWN NEAR SAVANNAH HIGHWAY AND BEVERLY RD IN FLORENCE. (HUN) December 11, 05:27 AM CST UNK 1 SSE UNDERWOOD-PETERSV Lauderdale County, AL TREE ON VEHICLE. (HUN) December 11, 05:15 AM CST UNK 2 ESE CHEROKEE Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN ON BARNES LANE. (HUN) December 11, 05:15 AM CST UNK 4 ENE CHEROKEE Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN ON MULBERRY LANE IN CHEROKEE... AL. (HUN) December 11, 05:12 AM CST 75 2 NW PLANO Warren County, KY THE BOWLING GREEN KENTUCKY MESONET MEASURED A WIND GUST OF 75MPH. (LMK) December 11, 05:00 AM CST UNK 2 E MANTACHIE Itawamba County, MS LARGE TREE DOWN ON RIVER RD. NEAR MANTACHIE. (MEG) December 11, 05:00 AM CST UNK LAWRENCEBURG Lawrence County, TN SEVERAL TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN ACROSS LAWRENCE COUNTY. (OHX) December 11, 04:45 AM CST UNK LIVINGSTON Overton County, TN TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN IN AND AROUND LIVINGSTON AND RICKMAN. (OHX) December 11, 04:31 AM CST UNK 4 NNE MARIETTA Prentiss County, MS TORNADIC DEBRIS SIGNATURE NORTHEAST OF MARIETTA. (MEG) December 11, 04:22 AM CST UNK 8 NE RED BOILING SPRING Clay County, TN TREES DOWN NEAR OLD CLEMENTSVILLE ROAD... DAMAGE TO CHICKEN HOUSES. (OHX) December 11, 05:17 AM EST UNK 3 NE RICHMOND Madison County, KY TREES DOWN BLOCKING ROADWAY. (LMK) December 11, 03:48 AM CST 59 SMYRNA AIRPORT Rutherford County, TN SMYRNA AIRPORT AWOS MEASURED A PEAK WIND GUST OF 51 KNOTS / 59 MPH. (OHX) December 11, 03:36 AM CST UNK 2 NNW LA VERGNE Rutherford County, TN TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN INCLUDING A TREE ON A HOUSE ON PEARCY STREET. (OHX) December 11, 03:35 AM CST UNK HENDERSONVILLE Sumner County, TN DUE TO HIGH WINDS... MULTIPLE STREETS WERE BLOCKED BY DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES. (OHX) December 11, 03:30 AM CST UNK NASHVILLE Davidson County, TN TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN ACROSS NASHVILLE AREA. AROUND 80...000 CUSTOMERS LOST POWER. (OHX) December 11, 03:30 AM CST UNK MOUNT JULIET Wilson County, TN NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN. SOME STRUCTURE DAMAGE WAS ALSO REPORTED. (OHX) December 11, 04:30 AM EST UNK 1 NW RICHMOND Madison County, KY TREE DAMAGE... TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (LMK) December 11, 04:30 AM EST UNK 4 W REDHOUSE Madison County, KY DOWNED POWER LINES AND NUMEROUS PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (LMK) December 11, 04:30 AM EST UNK 3 W REDHOUSE Madison County, KY DOWNED TREE BLOCKING ROADWAY NEAR EXIT 95 ON I-75. (LMK) December 11, 03:28 AM CST 78 NASHVILLE INTL AIRPORT Davidson County, TN NASHVILLE INTL AIRPORT ASOS MEASURED A PEAK WIND GUST OF 78 MPH. THIS IS THE THIRD HIGHEST WIND GUST EVER MEASURED AT THE AIRPORT. (OHX) December 11, 04:23 AM EST UNK 1 N PEYTONA Shelby County, KY TREES/WIRES DOWN IN THE BAGDAD/WADDY AREA. (LMK) December 11, 03:20 AM CST UNK 3 NNW BRENTWOOD Williamson County, TN NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN. (OHX) December 11, 03:20 AM CST UNK 4 NW NASHVILLE Davidson County, TN TREES... POWER LINES... AND SIGNS WERE BLOWN DOWN ALONG CLARKSVILLE PIKE. (OHX) December 11, 03:15 AM CST UNK 7 NW BELLE MEADE Davidson County, TN TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN AND STRUCTURE DAMAGE WAS REPORTED ALONG OLD HICKORY BLVD AND TIDWELL HOLLOW RD. (OHX) December 11, 03:05 AM CST UNK 5 NNE PEGRAM Cheatham County, TN MULTIPLE TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN ON CARS ON INDIAN SPRINGS RD AND POND CREEK ROAD. (OHX) December 11, 03:00 AM CST UNK KINGSTON SPRINGS Cheatham County, TN SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURE DAMAGE WAS REPORTED TO HOMES AND BUSINESSES. NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN... BLOCKING ROADS THROUGHOUT KINGSTON SPRINGS. (OHX) December 11, 02:45 AM CST UNK 3 S DICKSON Dickson County, TN AT LEAST 12 STRUCTURES ON MURRELL RAD AND CROSSROAD COWARN ROAD HAD HEAVY DAMAGE. SOME PEOPLE WERE TRAPPED IN THE STRUCTURES. (OHX) December 11, 03:35 AM EST UNK 2 SSE FLAHERTY Hardin County, KY A FEW TREES AND POLES DOWN ON SALT RIVER RD. (LMK) December 11, 03:34 AM EST 59 3 ESE FAIRLAND Shelby County, IN ASOS STATION KGEZ SHELBYVILLE. (IND) December 11, 02:32 AM CST UNK 2 SW CAVE CITY Barren County, KY DOWNED TREES AND LINES BLOCKING ROAD ON HERBERT TURNER ROAD JUST OFF 31W. (LMK) December 11, 03:22 AM EST UNK 2 NNW HOBSON Taylor County, KY EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORT OF COLLAPSED STRUCTURE WITH PEOPLE TRAPPED ON FEATHER CREEK RD NORTH OF CAMPBELLSVILLE IN NORTHERN TAYLOR COUNTY. (LMK) December 11, 02:20 AM CST UNK LOBELVILLE Perry County, TN TREES DOWN ON POWER LINES. POWER OUTAGES REPORTED THROUGHOUT PERRY COUNTY. (OHX) December 11, 02:15 AM CST UNK 6 N LOBELVILLE Humphreys County, TN NUMEROUS TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN... BLOCKING THE ROAD. (OHX) December 11, 02:10 AM CST 60 PARSONS Decatur County, TN (MEG) December 11, 03:06 AM EST UNK 2 S ADA Hardin County, OH ROOF BLOWN OFF AND HALF A BUILDING COLLAPSED. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (ILN) December 11, 02:05 AM CST 74 CANMER Hart County, KY THE MUNFORDVILLE KENTUCKY MESONET STATION REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 74MPH. (LMK) December 11, 02:57 AM EST UNK 1 N BALL STATE UNIVERSI Delaware County, IN REPORT FROM MPING: 1-INCH TREE LIMBS BROKEN SHINGLES BLOWN OFF. (IND) December 11, 02:53 AM EST 59 3 WSW WHITEHALL Monroe County, IN ASOS STATION KBMG BLOOMINGTON. (IND) December 11, 02:53 AM EST 59 3 NNE BALL STATE UNIVER Delaware County, IN ASOS STATION KMIE MUNCIE. (IND) December 11, 01:45 AM CST UNK 3 W LEXINGTON Henderson County, TN WIDESPREAD DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWERLINES ALONG HIGHWAY 412 JUST WEST OF LEXINGTON. (MEG) December 11, 01:45 AM CST UNK 4 N LEXINGTON Henderson County, TN SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO HOMES AND MOBILE HOMES NEAR THE TIMBERLAKE INDUSTRIAL PARK. TREES WERE UPROOTED. (MEG) December 11, 02:36 AM EST 61 6 NW FORTVILLE Hamilton County, IN NOBLESVILLE NEAR THE MUSIC CENTER RELAYED VIA TWITTER. (IND) December 11, 02:34 AM EST 76 GALLUP Henry County, OH (IWX) December 11, 02:22 AM EST 65 4 SSE ZIONSVILLE Marion County, IN AT 79TH AND GEORGETOWN. (IND) December 11, 01:20 AM CST 75 2 NW PLANO Warren County, KY CORRECTS PREVIOUS TSTM WND GST REPORT FROM 2 NW PLANO. THE BOWLING GREEN KENTUCKY MESONET MEASURED A WIND GUST OF 75MPH. (LMK) December 11, 01:15 AM CST UNK BOWLING GREEN Warren County, KY MULTIPLE REPORTS OF DAMAGED OR COLLAPSED STRUCTURES DUE TO TORNADO. PEOPLE TRAPPED. DAMAGE TO THE CORVETTE PLANT WITH FIRE ON ITS ROOF. (LMK) December 11, 01:15 AM CST UNK 3 SE SOUTHEAST MEMPHIS Shelby County, TN UTILITY POLE DOWN ON CASTLE HEIGHTS DR. (MEG) December 11, 01:01 AM CST UNK 9 NE RUSSELLVILLE Logan County, KY TREES DOWN... POWER OUTAGES... STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS AND MOBILE HOMES. REPORT NUMBER 2 FROM THE AREA WITH SAME DAMAGE. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (LMK) December 11, 01:01 AM CST UNK 10 NE RUSSELLVILLE Logan County, KY TREES DOWN... POWER OUTAGES... STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS AND MOBILE HOMES. (LMK) December 11, 01:00 AM CST UNK 2 SE MIDTOWN MEMPHIS Shelby County, TN TREE DOWN ON CAR ON GREER ST IN ORANGE MOUND. (MEG) December 11, 01:50 AM EST UNK 2 NNW HIGHGROVE Spencer County, KY SOCIAL MEDIA PICTURES SHOWS STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO TWO DIFFERENT BUILDINGS... TREES BLOWN ACROSS OLD LOUISVILLE ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (LMK) December 11, 01:50 AM EST UNK 2 WNW NEW WHITELAND Johnson County, IN ELECTRIC POLES AND SOME TREES DOWN IN THE COUNTY. TRANSFORMER FIRE IN SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY. (IND) December 11, 01:36 AM EST 60 HARTFORD CITY Blackford County, IN TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (IWX) December 11, 01:30 AM EST UNK 4 WSW MOUNT WASHINGTON Bullitt County, KY MANY TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN FROM SHEPHERDSVILLE TO MT. WASHINGTON. (LMK) December 11, 01:30 AM EST UNK 1 SSE SUMMITVILLE Madison County, IN SEVERAL TREES AND SOME POWER POLES DOWN ACROSS MAINLY NORTHERN MADISON COUNTY. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (IND) December 11, 12:24 AM CST 61 6 NW CLARKSVILLE Montgomery County, TN CLARKSVILLE OUTLAW FIELD ASOS MEASURED A PEAK WIND GUST OF 53 KNOTS / 61 MPH. (OHX) December 11, 12:15 AM CST UNK 1 WSW LAFAYETTE Christian County, KY POSSIBLE TORNADO JUST SOUTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE. (PAH) December 11, 01:15 AM EST UNK 1 E FRANKFORT Clinton County, IN REPORT FROM MPING: 3-INCH TREE LIMBS BROKEN POWER POLES BROKEN. (IND) December 11, 01:15 AM EST UNK 5 N ELWOOD Madison County, IN SEVERAL TREES DOWN AROUND NORTHERN PARTS OF COUNTY... POWER POLES DOWN AS WELL. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (IND) December 11, 12:14 AM CST UNK 5 N DOVER Stewart County, TN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS HAS RECEIVED REPORTS OF DAMAGE AND INJURIES ON LINK ROAD AND WALKER RIDGE. 700 POWER OUTAGES WERE REPORTED ACROSS NORTHERN STEWART COUNTY. (OHX) December 11, 01:12 AM EST UNK EKRON Meade County, KY REPORTS OF MANY POWER LINES DOWN... TREES DOWN... AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO CENTRAL - SOUTHEAST MEADE COUNTY. (LMK) December 11, 12:05 AM CST UNK 9 NNE DOVER Stewart County, TN *** 1 INJ *** MULTIPLE TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN. MULTIPLE STRUCTURES DAMAGED CONCENTRATED IN THE 2300 BLOCK OF HIGHWAY 120 IN BIG ROCK. 1 MINOR INJURY REPORTED. (OHX) December 11, 12:05 AM CST UNK 2 SE MIDTOWN MEMPHIS Shelby County, TN TREE DOWN ON HOME ON SPOTTSWOOD AVE (MEG) December 11, 01:01 AM EST UNK 1 E LADOGA Montgomery County, IN LARGE BRACHES AND TREES DOWN. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (IND) December 11, 12:00 AM CST UNK 9 NE DOVER Stewart County, TN *** 1 INJ *** MULTIPLE TREES AND POWERLINES WERE BLOWN DOWN. LOCAL RESPONDERS REPORTED MULTIPLE STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED MAINLY IN THE 2300 BLOCK OF HIGHWAY 120 IN BIG R (OHX) December 10, 11:49 PM CST UNK 2 SE BEDA Ohio County, KY DISPATCH REPORTS LOTS OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO AREAS NORTH OF HARTFORD... KY. (LMK) December 10, 11:48 PM CST UNK 3 WNW JEFFERSON Marion County, TX POWERLINE DOWN ON A TREE CAUSING THE TREE TO CATCH ON FIRE. (SHV) December 10, 11:48 PM CST 64 3 SSW DE SOTO Jackson County, IL MEASURED BY CARBONDALE AIRPORT ASOS. (PAH) December 10, 11:45 PM CST UNK 1 W HARDINSBURG Breckinridge County, KY REPORTS OF TREE DOWN ON 992. (LMK) December 10, 11:38 PM CST UNK 2 E ROSSTON Nevada County, AR SMALL TREES DOWN ALONG HWY 278 TOWARD THE OUACHITA COUNTY BORDER. (SHV) December 10, 11:35 PM CST 62 EDGAR COUNTY AIRPORT Edgar County, IL AWOS STATION KPRG EDGAR COUNTY AP. (ILX) December 10, 11:32 PM CST UNK CLOVERPORT Breckinridge County, KY REPORT OF LARGE TREE DOWN IN CLOVERPORT ON 105. (LMK) December 10, 11:31 PM CST UNK COFFEEN Montgomery County, IL REPORT OF TREES DOWN AND A DAMAGED MACHINE SHED. (LSX) December 10, 11:31 PM CST UNK 2 WNW TREMONT Tazewell County, IL THE DOME WAS BLOWN OFF THE SALT STORAGE BUILDING AT THE TAZEWELL COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT. (ILX) December 11, 12:25 AM EST UNK 4 ENE NEW MARKET Montgomery County, IN POWER LINES DOWN. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (IND) December 11, 12:18 AM EST 68 GOLDEN HILL White County, IN (IWX) December 10, 11:08 PM CST UNK DRESDEN Weakley County, TN *** 1 INJ *** TORNADO WITH AT LEAST 1 PERSON INJURED IN DRESDEN WITH 6 BUILDINGS DAMAGED. (MEG) December 10, 11:06 PM CST UNK BEECHER CITY Effingham County, IL POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN. (ILX) December 11, 12:06 AM EST UNK 4 SW SPENCER Owen County, IN AT LEAST 4 TREES DOWN PROMPTED IN67 CLOSED BETWEEN CARP AND FREEDOM. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (IND) December 11, 12:06 AM EST UNK 1 ENE GRAND JUNCTION Van Buren County, MI DELAYED REPORT FROM MPING: 3-INCH TREE LIMBS BROKEN POWER POLES BROKEN. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (GRR) December 11, 12:05 AM EST UNK 1 ENE ARLINGTON Rush County, IN REPORTS OF TREES DOWN AROUND THE COUNTY. REPORTS BEGAN TO COME IN TO DISPATCH AFTER MORRISTOWN LOST POWER AROUND MIDNIGHT. (IND) December 10, 10:57 PM CST UNK 3 NNE MORTONS GAP Hopkins County, KY SEMI AND CARS FLIPPED OFF INTERSTATE 69 NEAR EARLINGTON. (PAH) December 10, 10:56 PM CST 60 2 ENE REMINGTON Jasper County, IN MESONET STATION IN048 1.7 E REMINGTON (INDOT). (LOT) December 10, 10:55 PM CST 100 4 N DYER Gibson County, TN QUARTER SIZED HAIL NEAR DYER... TENNESSEE... WITH ABOUT 30-40 MPH WINDS. (MEG) December 10, 11:55 PM EST UNK KINGMAN Fountain County, IN GRAIN BINS BLOW OVER TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (IND) December 10, 10:53 PM CST 59 LAWRENCEVILLE AIRPORT Lawrence County, IL ASOS STATION KLWV LAWRENCEVILLE AP. (ILX) December 10, 10:52 PM CST UNK 1 NNW MORTONS GAP Hopkins County, KY POSSIBLE RAIN WRAPPED TORNADO BETWEEN MORTONS GAP AND EARLINGTON. (PAH) December 10, 10:52 PM CST UNK 2 NNW MORTONS GAP Hopkins County, KY TRAIN CARS KNOCKED OFF TRACK NEAR THE COMMUNITY OF BARNSLEY. (PAH) December 10, 10:51 PM CST 59 1 SE COLES COUNTY AIRPO Coles County, IL ASOS STATION KMTO COLES COUNTY MEM AP. (ILX) December 10, 10:47 PM CST UNK KENTON Gibson County, TN REPORT OF MULTIPLE POWER LINES DOWN... TREES DOWN... AND IMPASSABLE ROADS. (MEG) December 10, 10:45 PM CST 100 3 NNE NASH Bowie County, TX CORRECTS PREVIOUS HAIL REPORT FROM 3 NNE NASH. LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS CALLS REGARDING QUARTER+ SIZED HAIL ACROSS THE NW PORTION OF TEXARKANA. (SHV) December 10, 10:40 PM CST UNK DAWSON SPRINGS Hopkins County, KY MAJOR DAMAGE WITH BUILDINGS LEVELED... MULTIPLE INJURIES. (PAH) December 10, 10:38 PM CST UNK FILLMORE Montgomery County, IL REPORT OF POWERLINES DOWN. (LSX) December 10, 10:38 PM CST UNK NOKOMIS Montgomery County, IL REPORT OF A TREE DOWN. (LSX) December 10, 10:38 PM CST UNK WHEATFIELD Jasper County, IN COUPLE LARGE TREES DOWNED IN THE AREA... AS WELL AS SEVERAL DOWNED MEDIUM TO LARGE TREES SCATTERED ABOUT THE COUNTY. (LOT) December 10, 10:37 PM CST UNK 4 ENE NEWBERN Dyer County, TN TORNADIC DEBRIS SIGNATURE NOTED NORTHEAST OF NEWBERN. (MEG) December 10, 10:35 PM CST UNK 2 NW RENO Bond County, IL TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN. (LSX) December 10, 10:35 PM CST UNK TAYLOR SPRINGS Montgomery County, IL REPORTS OF DENSE STYROFOAM MATERIAL SCATTERED ACROSS TAYLOR SPRINGS AS WELL AS NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES. (LSX) December 10, 10:35 PM CST 69 2 WNW RENSSELAER Jasper County, IN AWOS STATION KRZL RENSSELAER AIRPORT. (LOT) December 10, 10:29 PM CST 65 4 W RENSSELAER Jasper County, IN MESONET STATION IN005 2.7 W COLLEGEVILLE (INDOT). (LOT) December 10, 10:23 PM CST UNK 1 SSW OGDEN DUNES Porter County, IN TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN NEAR STAGE COACH ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (LOT) December 10, 10:22 PM CST 59 LAWRENCEVILLE AIRPORT Lawrence County, IL CORRECTS TIME ON PREVIOUS TSTM WND GST REPORT FROM LAWRENCEVILLE AIRPORT. ASOS STATION KLWV LAWRENCEVILLE AP. (ILX) December 10, 10:17 PM CST 72 DEMOTTE Jasper County, IN (LOT) December 10, 10:16 PM CST 65 SIDNEY Champaign County, IL (ILX) December 10, 10:05 PM CST UNK 5 SE REDFORD Reynolds County, MO REYNOLDS COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED AT LEAST 2 MOBILE HOMES DESTROYED ON CR 428... A PERMANENT HOME WITH ITS ROOF LOST ON CR 442... POWER LINES DOWN ALONG CRS 440... 428. (LSX) December 10, 10:04 PM CST UNK 3 NW MATTOON Coles County, IL A HOUSE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED WITH PEOPLE TRAPPED INSIDE. (ILX) December 10, 10:02 PM CST UNK 3 SE COLES Coles County, IL A MACHINE SHED WAS DESTROYED AND NUMEROUS POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN NEAR 800 NORTH AND 200 EAST. (ILX) December 10, 10:00 PM CST UNK 3 WNW MATTOON Coles County, IL A SEMI WAS BLOWN OVER NEAR THE RURAL KING DISTRIBUTION CENTER. (ILX) December 10, 10:00 PM CST UNK 2 W CROWN POINT Lake County, IN MULTIPLE POWER POLES AND TREES DOWN ALONG FATHKE ROAD IN CROWN POINT. POSSIBLE TORNADO BASED ON SUBTLE TORNADO DEBRIS SIGNATURE ON RADAR. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (LOT) December 10, 09:53 PM CST UNK 2 WSW GAYS Moultrie County, IL FS PLANT WAS DESTROYED ALONG RT 16 WEST OF GAYS. (ILX) December 10, 09:52 PM CST UNK 2 W GAYS Moultrie County, IL TREES DOWN AND POWER POLES BENT ALONG RT 16 JUST NORTHEAST OF WINDSOR. SILOS BLOWN DOWN AND HOUSES DAMAGED BETWEEN WINDSOR AND GAYS. (ILX) December 10, 09:50 PM CST UNK 1 ENE WINDSOR Shelby County, IL TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN AND POWER POLES WERE BENT ALONG RT 16 JUST NORTHEAST OF WINDSOR. (ILX) December 10, 09:48 PM CST UNK DONOVAN Iroquois County, IL COUPLE LARGE TREES DOWNED ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN. (LOT) December 10, 09:45 PM CST 100 3 NNE NASH Bowie County, TX LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS CALLS REGARDING QUARTER+ SIZED HAIL ACROSS THE NW PORTION OF TEXARKANA. (SHV) December 10, 09:45 PM CST UNK 2 WNW BENTON Marshall County, KY A MOBILE HOME ON JACKSON SCHOOL ROAD WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. A NEARBY GARAGE WAS SWEPT OFF ITS FOUNDATION. POSSIBLE TORNADO. (PAH) December 10, 09:35 PM CST 100 1 NE PRESCOTT Nevada County, AR CORRECTS PREVIOUS HAIL REPORT CORRECTION FROM 1 NE PRESCOTT. LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS MULTIPLE CALLS REGARDING QUARTER SIZED HAIL AROUND THE CITY OF PRESCOTT. (SHV) December 10, 09:34 PM CST UNK CHEBANSE Kankakee County, IL TWO SEMIS BLOWN ON TO THEIR SIDES ON I-57 NEAR MILE MARKER 302. TIME ESTIMATED BASED ON RADAR. (LOT) December 10, 09:30 PM CST UNK 3 WNW ROBERTSVILLE Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE OVER THE ROADWAY AT STATE HWY O AND ROUTE MM. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 09:30 PM CST UNK GIBSON CITY Ford County, IL ROOF PARTIALLY BLOWN OFF A RESIDENTIAL BUILDING AND A COUPLE TREES DOWNED. (LOT) December 10, 09:28 PM CST UNK SAINT CLAIR Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNT DISPATCH REPORTED POWER LINES DOWN AT 75 SOUTH MAIN STREET IN ST. CLAIR. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 09:27 PM CST UNK MAYFIELD Graves County, KY MAJOR DAMAGE REPORTED IN MAYFIELD. NO FURTHER DETAILS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. (PAH) December 10, 09:27 PM CST UNK 1 S MINOOKA Grundy County, IL LARGE TREE DOWNED. TIME ESTIMATED. (LOT) December 10, 09:24 PM CST 107 4 NNE WINGO Graves County, KY MESONET STATION PRYB MAYFIELD KY 6 SW. (PAH) December 10, 09:15 PM CST UNK TRUMANN Poinsett County, AR MULTIPLE BUILDINGS DAMAGED IN TRUMANN. (MEG) December 10, 09:15 PM CST 58 3 WNW SCOTT CITY Scott County, MO ASOS STATION KCGI CAPE GIRARDEAU MO. (PAH) December 10, 09:15 PM CST 58 3 NNE PONTIAC Livingston County, IL AWOS STATION KPNT PONTIAC AIRPORT. (LOT) December 10, 09:13 PM CST UNK 2 SSW UNION Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED TREES DOWN ACROSS NORTH BEND LOOP SW OF UNION. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 09:10 PM CST UNK PARIS Logan County, AR STORM SPOTTER ESTIMATED 60 MPH WINDS AND NOTED POWER OUTAGES IN THE CITY. (LZK) December 10, 09:09 PM CST UNK GERALD Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED PHONE LINES DOWN IN GERALD ACROSS WEST 6TH STREET. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 09:09 PM CST UNK 5 SW UNION Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED TREES AND POWER LINES WERE DOWN ALONG CAMP MO-VAL ROAD WSW OF UNION. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 09:08 PM CST UNK 1 ESE COFFEEN Montgomery County, IL MONTGOMERY COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED TREE LIMBS IMPEDING TRAFFIC ALONG ILLINOIS ROUTE 185 NEAR ROCKY FORD ROAD AND ALONG HAPPY LANE AND MERRY LANE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM R (LSX) December 10, 09:06 PM CST UNK 1 ESE COFFEEN Montgomery County, IL BOND COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED TREE ON HWY 185 JUST SOUTH OF COFFEEN. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 09:05 PM CST UNK 3 SSW COFFEEN Montgomery County, IL TDS EVIDENT FROM KLSX. (LSX) December 10, 09:05 PM CST 60 CAULKSVILLE Logan County, AR (LZK) December 10, 09:05 PM CST UNK 4 S COFFEEN Montgomery County, IL BOND COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE DOWN ON MOUNT MORIAH AVENUE JUST WEST OF RED BALL TRAIL. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 09:03 PM CST 58 2 NE OZARK Franklin County, AR FIRE CHIEF REPORTS WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 58MPH. (TSA) December 10, 09:01 PM CST UNK CAYCE Fulton County, KY DAMAGE REPORTED IN CAYCE TO A CAFE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. (PAH) December 10, 08:58 PM CST 150 WILLOW SPRINGS Howell County, MO (SGF) December 10, 08:55 PM CST 175 4 S HICKMAN Fulton County, KY (PAH) December 10, 08:52 PM CST 60 1 NNW CAPITAL AIRPORT Sangamon County, IL ASOS STATION KSPI SPRINGFIELD CAPITAL AP. (ILX) December 10, 08:50 PM CST UNK 3 NNE LATHAM Logan County, IL POWER POLES WERE SNAPPED ALONG 600 STREET JUST WEST OF 2400 AVENUE. (ILX) December 10, 08:48 PM CST 100 ARKADELPHIA Clark County, AR (LZK) December 10, 08:45 PM CST UNK CENTRAL CITY Muhlenberg County, KY DAMAGE TO HARDWARE STORE ON WEST EVERLY BROS. BLVD. (PAH) December 10, 08:45 PM CST 125 BLEVINS Hempstead County, AR PUBLIC REPORT OF SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN QUARTER SIZE HAIL FROM A CONVENIENCE STORE IN BLEVINS. (SHV) December 10, 08:40 PM CST UNK 6 SW BONO Craighead County, AR NUMEROUS LIMBS DOWN IN THE BONO AREA. UTILITY POLES SNAPPED 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TOWN. POSSIBLE TORNADO. (MEG) December 10, 08:40 PM CST UNK 4 W STAUNTON Macoupin County, IL MACOUPIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED POWER LINES DOWN ON SCHOOL HOUSE ROAD EAST OF DORCHESTER ROAD WEST OF STAUNTON. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 08:39 PM CST UNK 1 SW CENTRAL CITY Muhlenberg County, KY DEBRIS FROM HOMES AND BILLBOARDS ALONG THE WEST KENTUCKY PARKWAY JUST WEST OF CENTRAL CITY. (PAH) December 10, 08:38 PM CST UNK SAMBURG Obion County, TN SAMBURG FIRE STATION TOOK DIRECT HIT WITH PEOPLE TRAPPED IN DAMAGE. (MEG) December 10, 08:38 PM CST UNK 2 WSW CENTRAL CITY Muhlenberg County, KY POWER FLASHES JUST NORTH OF THE WEST KENTUCKY PARKWAY JUST WEST OF CENTRAL CITY. POWER IS OUT. (PAH) December 10, 08:38 PM CST 65 GOODFIELD Woodford County, IL POWER OUTAGES HAVE OCCURRED. (ILX) December 10, 08:36 PM CST UNK 1 NW BUFFALO Sangamon County, IL SEVERAL POWER POLES BLOWN DOWN IN THE SAME DIRECTION. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (ILX) December 10, 08:35 PM CST 100 1 NE PRESCOTT Nevada County, AR LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS MULTIPLE CALLS REGARDING QUARTER SIZED HAIL AROUND THE CITY OF PRESCOTT. (SHV) December 10, 08:33 PM CST UNK 1 S BUNKER HILL Macoupin County, IL MACOUPIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED TREE DOWN ON HWY 159. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 08:33 PM CST 60 1 NNW CAPITAL AIRPORT Sangamon County, IL CORRECTS TIME ON PREVIOUS TSTM WND GST REPORT FROM 1 NNW CAPITAL AIRPORT. ASOS STATION KSPI SPRINGFIELD CAPITAL AP. (ILX) December 10, 08:32 PM CST UNK 3 NNW PRESCOTT Nevada County, AR LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTING TREES DOWN JUST OUTSIDE THE PRESCOTT CITY LIMITS ALONG HIGHWAY 19 NORTH. (SHV) December 10, 08:30 PM CST UNK 1 W CASH Craighead County, AR BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN NEAR CASH. (MEG) December 10, 08:30 PM CST 100 9 SE CABOT Lonoke County, AR (LZK) December 10, 08:30 PM CST 100 CABOT Lonoke County, AR (LZK) December 10, 08:29 PM CST UNK 2 ESE MITCHELL Madison County, IL TRACTOR-TRAILER OVERTURNED ON I-270 WB NEAR MILEPOST 7 WITH CABLES ACROSS THE ROADWAY. (LSX) December 10, 08:27 PM CST UNK 2 S POAG Madison County, IL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED A PARTIAL ROOF COLLAPSE AT AN AMAZON WAREHOUSE SOUTHWEST OF EDWARDSVILLE. MULTIPLE PEOPLE ARE TRAPPED AT THIS TIME. (LSX) December 10, 08:25 PM CST UNK CHATHAM Sangamon County, IL POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN NEAR RT 4 AND COTTONWOOD DRIVE SOUTH OF THE WALGREENS. (ILX) December 10, 08:25 PM CST 72 2 NW TREMONT Tazewell County, IL MEASURED AT THE TAZEWELL COUNTY EOC. (ILX) December 10, 08:24 PM CST 64 1 ESE LITTLE ROCK AFB Pulaski County, AR LITTLE ROCK AFB MEASURED 64 MPH WIND GUST. (LZK) December 10, 08:20 PM CST UNK 3 SSW WELDON SPRING St. Louis County, MO FENCE BLOWN DOWN NEAR CHESTERFIELD MALL. (LSX) December 10, 08:19 PM CST UNK 2 N GREEN VALLEY Tazewell County, IL A FARM IRRIGATION UNIT WAS FLIPPED INTO A DITCH ON GOEKEN ROAD JUST EAST OF RT 29. (ILX) December 10, 08:16 PM CST UNK 4 NW GREEN VALLEY Tazewell County, IL SIDING WAS DAMAGED ON A HOUSE AND NUMEROUS POWER POLES WERE BLOWN DOWN ALONG WEIR ROAD BETWEEN JACOB AND WAGONSELLER ROAD. (ILX) December 10, 08:10 PM CST 125 WARD Lonoke County, AR (LZK) December 10, 08:09 PM CST UNK JERSEYVILLE Jersey County, IL JERSEY COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A METAL SIGN AND TREE LIMB DOWN ACROSS THE ROAD AT STATE HWY 16 IN JERSEYVILLE. TIME ESTIMATED USING RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 08:06 PM CST UNK DIAZ Jackson County, AR DAMAGE TO SOME ROOFS AT WHITE RIVER APARTMENTS IN DIAZ. (LZK) December 10, 08:05 PM CST UNK 2 SE DEERING Pemiscot County, MO LARGE TORNADO REPORTED ON THE GROUND SOUTHEAST OF DEERING. (MEG) December 10, 08:05 PM CST UNK 6 W ASHDOWN Little River County, AR TREES REPORTED DOWN BETWEEN FOREMAN AND ASHDOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 32. (SHV) December 10, 08:04 PM CST UNK 1 NW CREVE COEUR St. Louis County, MO LARGE TREE UPROOTED... FELL ON TO APARTMENT BUILDING. (LSX) December 10, 08:02 PM CST UNK 5 NE WELLSVILLE Montgomery County, MO TDS EVIDENT FROM KLSX. (LSX) December 10, 08:02 PM CST 68 3 E KAMPVILLE St. Charles County, MO ST. CHARLES...MO (SET) ASOS REPORTS GUST OF 59.0 KNOTS FROM W @ 0202Z KSET 110205Z AUTO 28026G59KT 3/4SM +TSRA BR BKN029 BKN070 OVC090 17/15 A2945 RMK AO2 PK WND 28059/ (LSX) December 10, 08:00 PM CST 100 1 NE GIBSON Pulaski County, AR (LZK) December 10, 08:00 PM CST 100 1 E BALLWIN St. Louis County, MO QUARTER SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN BALLWIN. (LSX) December 10, 08:00 PM CST UNK 1 W GREENFIELD Greene County, IL GREENE COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN AT SHEFFIELD STREET AND BROOKLEY STREET IN GREENFIELD. TIME ESTIMATED USING RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:56 PM CST 70 4 W CHESTERFIELD St. Louis County, MO ST. LOUIS/SPIRIT...MO (SUS) ASOS REPORTS GUST OF 61.0 KNOTS FROM SW @ 0156Z KSUS 110156Z 22028G61KT 1/2SM R08R/2800VP6000FT +RA FG SQ SCT026 BKN070 OVC100 17/16 A2947 R (LSX) December 10, 07:54 PM CST UNK 3 NW PHILADELPHIA Cass County, IL AT LEAST ONE HOME WAS DAMAGED...WITH MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO SURROUNDING BUILDINGS. (ILX) December 10, 07:53 PM CST UNK 1 ESE GRAY SUMMIT Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE OVER HOGAN ROAD IN PACIFIC. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:50 PM CST UNK 2 SSW WELDON SPRING St. Louis County, MO REPORT OF APPROXIMATELY 20 VEHICLES WITH DEBRIS DAMAGE ON EASTBOUND 64 EAST OF BOONE BRIDGE. (LSX) December 10, 07:50 PM CST UNK 3 NNW LITERBERRY Cass County, IL TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN. (ILX) December 10, 07:49 PM CST 58 HIGHLANDVILLE Christian County, MO DIME SIZE HAIL WAS ALSO REPORTED. (SGF) December 10, 07:47 PM CST UNK 2 NW PACIFIC Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE DOWN ON THORNTON ROAD AT SKYLINE DRIVE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:45 PM CST UNK 1 NNE DEFIANCE St. Charles County, MO *** 1 FATAL... 2 INJ *** SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURE DAMAGE IN DEFIANCE. ONE CONFIRMED FATALITY AND 2 INJURIES. (LSX) December 10, 07:45 PM CST UNK CARROLLTON Greene County, IL A COUCH WAS BLOWN ONTO HWY 67 AT CHURCH ST. IN CARROLLTON. TIME ESTIMATED USING RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:44 PM CST UNK 3 NNW MOSELLE Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED POWER LINES DOWN AT DENMARK ROAD AT FAIRWAY DRIVE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:43 PM CST UNK 1 WNW BERDAN Greene County, IL GREEN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A HAY WAGON WAS BLOWN ONTO HWY 67 BETWEEN WHITE HALL AND CARROLLTON. TIME ESTIMATED USING RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:42 PM CST UNK 2 SSW HORNERSVILLE Dunklin County, MO TORNADO REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. (MEG) December 10, 07:42 PM CST UNK 1 S HORNERSVILLE Dunklin County, MO NUMEROUS DAMAGE ON COUNTY ROAD 655. (MEG) December 10, 07:40 PM CST UNK 2 W DEFIANCE St. Charles County, MO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO HOME AT HIGHWAY F AND STUB ROAD. (LSX) December 10, 07:40 PM CST UNK 4 ENE PANOLA Latimer County, OK ROOF DAMAGE TO MOBILE HOME. TIME ESTIMATED VIA RADAR. (TSA) December 10, 07:40 PM CST UNK 1 NNW WEST BRANSON Stone County, MO FOUR HOMES DAMAGED TO THE NORTHWEST OF WEST BRANSON. (SGF) December 10, 07:40 PM CST UNK 1 NW DEFIANCE St. Charles County, MO BUILDING COLLAPSE AS WELL AS REPORTS OF MULTIPLE HOMES DAMAGED AND DEBRIS IN THE AREA. (LSX) December 10, 07:40 PM CST UNK WINFIELD Lincoln County, MO LINCOLN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED STREET LIGHTS WERE BLOWN OVER AT 2 LOCATIONS IN WINFIELD. TIME ESTIMATED USING RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:40 PM CST UNK WINFIELD Lincoln County, MO MULTIPLE STREET LIGHTS BLOWN OUT ACROSS THE CITY. (LSX) December 10, 07:38 PM CST UNK 3 N SAINT CLAIR Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE DOWN ON HWY 47 AT EASTVIEW DRIVE SOUTH OF UNION. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:38 PM CST UNK 1 SW UNION Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED POWER LINES DOWN AT KOELLING AVENUE AND WEST SPRINGFIELD AVENUE IN SW UNION. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:36 PM CST UNK 4 NNE STANTON Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A LARGE TREE BLOCKING THE ROADWAY ALONG ST. LOUIS INN ROAD WSW OF ST. CLAIR. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:32 PM CST UNK 2 N LEACHVILLE Mississippi County, AR TORNADO REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. (MEG) December 10, 07:30 PM CST UNK MEREDOSIA Morgan County, IL SEVERAL LARGE TREE BRANCHES WERE BLOWN DOWN. ESTIMATED WIND GUSTS OF 65-75 MPH. (ILX) December 10, 07:29 PM CST 100 1 W MARTHASVILLE Warren County, MO QUARTER SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN THE CITY OF MARTHASVILLE. (LSX) December 10, 07:25 PM CST 100 MOUNTAIN PINE Garland County, AR (LZK) December 10, 07:24 PM CST UNK NW MONETTE Craighead County, AR TORNADO REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. (MEG) December 10, 07:22 PM CST UNK 4 SW NOSER MILL Franklin County, MO LARGE TREE DOWN AT EVERGREEN LOOP AND 3 OAKS ROAD... SOUTH OF LESLIE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:22 PM CST UNK 1 N GERALD Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE ACROSS HIGHWAY Y NORTH OF GERALD AT WHEELER ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:20 PM CST 100 WINTHROP Little River County, AR QUARTER SIZE AND SLIGHTLY LARGER REPORTED NEAR AND SOUTH OF WINTHROP. (SHV) December 10, 07:12 PM CST 100 5 W FOREMAN Little River County, AR QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED JUST EAST OF THE OK LINE AND WEST OF FOREMAN. (SHV) December 10, 07:12 PM CST UNK GRIGGSVILLE Pike County, IL TRANSFORMER BLOWN AND POWER LINES DOWN IN THE CITY OF GRIGGSVILLE. (LSX) December 10, 07:11 PM CST UNK 2 N PERRY Pike County, IL PIKE COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED 3-4 TREES DOWN AT THIS INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAYS 104 AND 107... KNOWN AS PERRY JUNCTION. ILLINOIS DOT WAS CALLED OUT FOR REMOVAL. TIME ESTI (LSX) December 10, 07:08 PM CST UNK 4 NNW BAY Craighead County, AR TORNADO REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. (MEG) December 10, 07:06 PM CST UNK 1 SW MIDDLETOWN Montgomery County, MO UNKNOWN STRUCTURAL DAMAGE NEAR MIDDLETOWN RELAYED TO OUR OFFICE WITH PUBLIC REPORTS OF A FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR HIGHWAY 161 AND ROUTE A. (LSX) December 10, 07:02 PM CST UNK 5 NE WELLSVILLE Montgomery County, MO CORRECTS PREVIOUS TORNADO REPORT FROM 5 NE WELLSVILLE. TDS EVIDENT FROM KLSX. (LSX) December 10, 07:02 PM CST 58 2 NW VICHY Maries County, MO MEASURED AT THE KVIH ASOS. (SGF) December 10, 06:59 PM CST 175 EVERTON Dade County, MO (SGF) December 10, 06:58 PM CST UNK 6 W BLAND Osage County, MO STRONG WINDS HAVE BROUGHT DOWN TREE BRANCHES. (LSX) December 10, 06:57 PM CST UNK EL DARA Pike County, IL PIKE COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED SEVERAL TREES DOWN ALONG COUNTY HIGHWAY 4 NEAR EL DARA. TIME ESTIMATED USING RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:53 PM CST UNK 2 W GASCONADE Gasconade County, MO GASCONADE COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED TREES DOWN ALONG HWY 100 BETWEEN MORRISON AND GASCONADE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:42 PM CST UNK 1 W ASHBURN Pike County, MO PIKE COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED 4 TREES BLOCKING MISSOURI HIGHWAY 79 NEAR THE INTERSECTION WITH ROUTE TT. TIME ESTIMATED VIA RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:37 PM CST UNK 1 NE FULTON Callaway County, MO CALLAWAY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A TREE DOWN ON A HOUSE IN FULTON. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:37 PM CST UNK 1 WNW KINGDOM CITY Callaway County, MO CALLAWAY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A DOWNED TREE BLOCKING THE ROAD AT OLD U.S. HWY 40 AND STATE HWY FF NEAR KINGDOM CITY. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:35 PM CST UNK 1 ESE LOOSE CREEK Osage County, MO OSAGE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED HOME DAMAGE ALONG LOOSE CREEK HIGHWAY. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:35 PM CST UNK 5 N RUSH HILL Audrain County, MO AUDRAIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE DOWN ON HWY J NEAR THE HWY B INTERSECTION. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:34 PM CST UNK 2 SSE LOOSE CREEK Osage County, MO OSAGE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A TRAMPOLINE WAS BLOWN INTO THE SIDE OF A HOUSE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:32 PM CST UNK 1 S LAKE MYKEE Callaway County, MO CALLAWAY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A TREE DOWN BLOCKING THE ROADWAY AT STATE HWY AA AND PLATINUM ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:32 PM CST UNK 2 WNW KINGDOM CITY Callaway County, MO TREE DOWN ON ROADWAY ON ROUTE FF. (LSX) December 10, 06:32 PM CST UNK 5 N RUSH HILL Audrain County, MO TREE DOWN AT THE INTERSECTION OF J AND B. TIME ESTIMATED USING RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:31 PM CST UNK 3 N WESTPHALIA Osage County, MO TREE DOWN BLOCKING BOTH LANES OF HIGHWAY 63 APPROX 1 MILE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 50. (LSX) December 10, 06:30 PM CST UNK 2 N WESTPHALIA Osage County, MO OSAGE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A ROOF OFF A BUSINESS AT 674 HWY 63. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:28 PM CST UNK 2 W WESTPHALIA Osage County, MO OSAGE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 133 INTO WESTPHALIA. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:26 PM CST UNK 1 W WESTPHALIA Osage County, MO OSAGE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A ROOF OFF A BUILDING AT COUNTY ROAD 503 AND HIGHWAY 133. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:22 PM CST UNK 3 WSW GROVESPRING Wright County, MO MOBILE HOME MOVED OFF ITS FOUNDATION NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY M AND DD. (SGF) December 10, 06:20 PM CST 200 BOGATA Red River County, TX WIND GUSTS ESTIMATED AT 62 MPH AND HAIL FROM ONE TO UP TO TWO INCH ESTIMATED HAIL SIZE. (SHV) December 10, 06:19 PM CST 60 4 NE ASHLAND Boone County, MO COLUMBIA...MO (COU) ASOS REPORTS GUST OF 52.0 KNOTS FROM SW @ 0019Z KCOU 110032Z 20014G22KT 2SM VCTS +RA BR FEW024 BKN043 OVC080 14/13 A2943 RMK AO2 PK WND 22052/0019 R (LSX) December 10, 06:10 PM CST UNK 3 S RICHLAND Pulaski County, MO TREES DOWN FROM SOUTH OF RICHLAND TO SOUTH OF CROCKER. (SGF) December 10, 06:00 PM CST UNK LINN CREEK Camden County, MO CARPORT DAMAGED ALONG WITH SEVERAL TREES. (SGF) December 10, 05:59 PM CST UNK AUGUSTA Woodruff County, AR POSSIBLE TORNADO. THE WOODRUFF COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF AUGUSTA. SEVERAL HOMES WERE DAMAGED... WITH TREES AND POWER LINES BLOWN DOW (LZK) December 10, 05:59 PM CST UNK 4 S COLUMBIA Boone County, MO TREE DOWN OVER ROADWAY ON ROCK QUARRY AND GANS ROAD. (LSX) December 10, 05:52 PM CST 70 STRAFFORD Greene County, MO (SGF) December 10, 05:40 PM CST 60 2 W GALLOWAY Greene County, MO TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (SGF) December 10, 05:40 PM CST UNK 4 SE GLIDEWELL Greene County, MO 2 UTILITY POLES SNAPPED. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (SGF) December 10, 05:25 PM CST UNK 2 NE NEMO Hickory County, MO UNCONFIRMED REPORT OR A ROOF REMOVED FROM A HOME AND BARN. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (SGF) December 10, 04:56 PM CST 100 3 E FARMERSVILLE Collin County, TX SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGE OF MEASURED 1 INCH HAIL. TIME ESTIMATED VIA RADAR. (FWD) December 10, 03:35 PM CST 100 1 NE PRESCOTT Nevada County, AR CORRECTS PREVIOUS HAIL REPORT FROM 1 NE PRESCOTT. LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS MULTIPLE CALLS REGARDING QUARTER SIZED HAIL AROUND THE CITY OF PRESCOTT. (SHV)

Air pollution and the loss of homes and lives are some of the devastating impacts of wildfires. But now, small towns are beginning to see a new trend, as wildfires begin to claim one of our most important resources: water.

“This district is a big part of my life,” said Rick Rogers, the district manager for San Lorenzo Valley Water District. “This community is; these people in this community.”

With bars and restaurants dating back to the 1900s and surrounded by trees over 1,000 years old, many people move to this small mountain town to slow down.

“That’s why we wanted to be here,” said Boulder Creek resident Susan Leftwich.

But life was disrupted last month when the inching flames evacuated the entire community.

“Took out communities of 20, 30 homes in the Riverside Grove community,” recalled Rogers. “We were hard hit.”

Home after home annihilated by the unforgiving Complex Fire.

“Ah, the last four weeks have been hard,” described Leftwich.

Up until a few days ago, Leftwich didn’t know if she had a home to come back to.

“When we came around the corner and saw it, it was awesome,” she said.

But they would soon learn the havoc wildfires bring even when your home is sparred.

“There was no electricity until yesterday, and it’s been four weeks,” Leftwich said. “The water is, don’t drink don’t boil.”

With the same force that wiped out neighborhoods, the flames claimed one of the town’s most precious resources.

“Pipeline was in great shape; the only thing that really could impact that pipeline was fire and it did,” Rogers said.

The fire burned 100 percent of the city’s 7.5-mile water pipeline and ravaged its entire pristine watershed.

“You assume water is, you turn on your faucet and there’s water, that’s not always true,” Leftwich said.

Rogers says they’re navigating the disaster with help from a community that’s already been through this.

“Paradise was 12-18 months, but they had a lot worse contamination. They were one of first agencies to find out about this type of contamination,” Rogers said.

Water damage is a growing concern for cities across the burning western part of the U.S. Rogers and other experts believe as the country faces bigger fires that burn hotter and longer, pipelines will suffer more than they ever have in the past.

Testing and repairs will continue in the months ahead, but Rogers is hopeful the water will be safe to drink in a few weeks.

Still dealing with smoke damage, rotted food, and a lack of clean water, Leftwich and her husband are staying in San Jose in the meantime.

Homeowners now live day to day, hopeful a sense of normalcy will be restored.

FALL RIVER, MA — Wildfires aren't just breaking records in the western United States.

Dave Celino, the Chief Fire Warden in Massachusetts, says its happening in the East too.

"This year, through June, we've accounted for almost 850 wildfires that's burned almost 1,600 acres,” Celino says during a walk in Fall River State Forest.

In fact, Celino says Massachusetts had its largest fire in 20 years earlier this year.

If you add up all the fires from Minnesota to Maine, places that you may think fire danger is always low, new records are being set as well.

In the Eastern Region of the U.S., the Forest Service reports 107,000 plus acres have burned this year.

That's 2,500 more than the 10-year average.

Why don’t you hear more about the fires?

“It’s what your perception is of a catastrophic event," Celino said.

Celino says fires in his area of the country tend to be small, they aren’t burning large swaths of land like the ones in the West.

But just because they are small, doesn’t make them any less destructive. More people live on the edges of those forests.

"The fires that concern us in the Northeast are those five, ten-acre fires," Celino said.

"People live on the edge of these wildlands, we cannot instantly call five air tankers in," Celino said.

"I can’t even get one air tanker in."

PUSH FOR RESOURCES

Celino and others would like more resources to prevent fires as opposed to just responding them, fearing forests around the country remain primed for a disaster.

"It’s a complex issue, there is nothing simple about it," Brad Simpkins with the U.S. Forest Service says.

"Prescribed burning is one tool in the tool box," Simpkins added.

Prescribed burning is when fires are intentionally set to an area of land to make it less flammable.

Simpkins says a lack of time and money are preventing more prescribed burns from taking place.

In Massachusetts, around 16,000 acres have been identified as needing a prescribed burn but crews can only get to around 2,000 or so a year.

"It takes specialized training for people to run a prescribed burn and the same people that do a lot of the burning are the same people responding for wildfires," Simpkins said.

CONGRESS CONSIDERING ACTION

This is where Congress comes in and where a debate over forest funding is unfolding.

"We have not invested in forests, and with climate change, conditions are getting drier," Senator Michael Bennet (D-C.O.) said.

Bennet is an influential voice on the subject.

Senator Bennet is Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry's Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources.

He and other Democrats are pushing to include $40 billion in their upcoming multi-trillion spending bill to address forest mitigation, watershed protection and prescribed burning.

In recent days though, it’s become clearer that the spending bill will need to become smaller in order to pass.

Bennett believes fire mitigation will survive the cuts.

"I think it has a very good chance of getting through, Bennet said.

While the country waits on Washington, back in the forests of Massachusetts, Simpkins says thousands of men and women in the country will continue combating fires when called upon, and records will continue to be broken.

"Any one state, California, Montana wherever can’t handle those issues by themselves," he said.

The world's largest tree has been wrapped in foil to protect it against flames from an out-of-control fire burning in California's scenic Sequoia National Park.The base of the General Sherman Tree has been wrapped in aluminum-based burn-resistant material, according to Sequoia and Kings National Parks.The tree is 275 feet tall, and over 36 feet in diameter at the base, making it taller than the Statue of Liberty from its base to the torch.The KNP Complex Fire, which is made up of The Paradise Fire and the Colony Fire, has charred 9,365 acres, so far. Lightning on Sept. 9 caused the initial fire and prompted Sequoia National Park to close its doors to visitors.Park crews are preparing the Giant Forest, which is home to over 2,000 sequoias, by removing fire fuel and wrapping the trees."Crews continue to apply protection wrapping (foil) to iconic sequoia trees and historic structures," according to Sequoia and Kings National Parks.Even though crews are hard at work trying to protect these sequoias, they have already been hit hard by wildfires in recent years. "Two-thirds of all giant sequoia grove acreage across the Sierra Nevada has burned in wildfires between 2015 and 2020," the National Park Service says.Sequoias that were killed during last year's Castle Fire could have ranged from hundreds to 3,000 years old, the service added.Officials sounded optimistic though, reporting minimal fire growth Thursday despite some activity picked up late in the afternoon as the temperature increased and humidity levels dropped.Giant sequoias aren't known to be the world's oldest trees, but "they are known to reach ages of up to 3,400 years," according to the National Park Service.And even though giant sequoias adapt to periodic fire, the bark usually protects the trees against significant damage and can insulate them against a fire's heat, NPS said. Over time, however, it may be difficult for the trees to heal after centuries of fire scars.

SONOMA COUNTY, Calif. — As unprecedented drought conditions plague much of the West, reservoirs are running dry. Communities reliant on these sources for drinking water are tightening restrictions to preserve adequate supplies.

“This is the first time it’s been this severe," said Tom Colbert of Healdsburg, California. "It’s disheartening. We’ve had friends move out of California because of the drought and the wildfires.”

Located in California's Wine Country, the city implemented water restrictions in June to maintain its drinking water supply through 2021.

The mandate cut water use by 40 percent, limiting individuals to 74 gallons a day. It also banned the use of sprinklers and drip irrigation.

“One of the things that’s made this community very special is the vegetation: the trees, the grasses, the bushes. We want to keep them alive. We don’t want to run the risk of having them dry," said Colbert.

The neighborhood has been bringing in recycled water to preserve the landscaping. Colbert is among a dedicated group of volunteers distributing the supply each week.

“Some, like the Redwoods, require 1,000 gallons of water a week," said Colbert.

A free resource offered by the city, residents are responsible for sourcing or purchasing their own storage tanks, totes, or barrels.

“The City of Healdsburg is currently achieving a 55% reduction in water use and has been doing so for nearly two months,” said Healdsburg Mayor Evelyn Mitchell. “The City adopted high levels of conservation early in the summer because we knew storage in Lake Mendocino was an issue. We are hopeful the entire watershed will band together to achieve significant conservation as the timing of this year’s rain is uncertain.”

But in recent days, water levels dropped below 20,000 acre-feet of storage, falling short of a water conservation goal established to maintain adequate downstream flows for fisheries and human health and safety needs for municipal users.

"We don’t know what’s going to happen," said Colbert.

The ongoing climate threat is leading to creative conservation throughout the state.

“The heat has gotten intense. Intense, intense, especially this summer," said Rebecca Taylor, stylist and owner of Honey Hair Lab in Rancho Cucamonga. "And it never rains. I don’t remember the last time it truly properly rained.”

When she moved from Florida to California, Taylor became hyperaware of how precious each drop of water was. From rinsing hair to washing towels, salons use hundreds of gallons of water each week.

Adapting to the changing climate, she now uses single-use, biodegradable towels. Sustainably sourced, she says EasyDry towels are super absorbent and more practical. Fully biodegradable, the towels return to nature within 12 weeks.

“I don’t have to do laundry; I don’t have to use water," said Taylor. "I know I can make little things different in my routine. It’s worth a try, right?”

Wildfires tearing across the Mediterranean have killed dozens of people and reduced entire villages to ash. Some leaders have emphasized the role of arsonists in the devastation, while others have been accused of using climate change as a cover for their own poor disaster management. The result is a confusing message of who and what is to blame.

Fires have raged in Greece, Northern Macedonia, Turkey, Algeria, Italy and Cyprus in recent days. Firefighters in the U.S., too, have been battling blazes across 15 states as the Dixie Fire, California's second-largest ever, continues to grow. Last month, parts of Siberia and British Columbia both experienced the largest fires in years.

Italian minister for ecological transition Roberto Cingolani acknowledged the role of climate change in the disaster, but he made a point recently of emphasizing that 70% of the countries fires were caused by humans — either accidentally or on purpose.

In Algeria, where 65 people, including 25 soldiers, died because of wildfires in recent days, interior minister Kamel Beldjoud struck a similar tone.

"We've known about wildfires for a long time. Dozens at the same time is definitely a criminal act," he told Al-Nahar TV Tuesday.

Conversely, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has been accused of blaming the role of climate change in the fires to deflect criticism for poor forest management and disaster preparedness.

After backlash, he was forced to clarify that he meant climate change was "the explanation, but not an excuse, or an alibi." He reasserted, however, that his government has "done everything that was humanly possible, but in many cases, this did not seem to be enough in the unequal battle with nature."

What's the role of climate change?

Questions are now being raised around who and what is to blame for the fires. Climate change, arsonists, or both?

While there are many factors that influence wildfires, it is climate change that is making them bigger and more frequent and is causing them to happen in places where they previously weren't very common.

Hikmet Ozturk, a forestry expert with the Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, an NGO, said that while 95% of fires in Turkey are caused by people, the spread of the fires is worsened by climate change.

"Typical weather conditions in the summer for the area is hot and dry, which means the risk of fires is already high, and climate change raises that risk," he said.

A landmark report published Monday by the UN's International Panel on Climate Change said that 38 weather conditions that promote wildfires have become more probable in southern Europe over the last century. Globally, the heat waves and droughts worsening fires have increased too.

It found that between 1979 and 2013, "the global burnable area affected by long fire-weather seasons doubled, and the mean length of the fire-weather season increased by 19%," even though at the global scale, the total burned area decreased between 1998 and 2015 due mostly to changes in land use.

"In summary, there is high confidence that concurrent heat waves and droughts have increased in frequency over the last century at the global scale due to human influence. There is medium confidence that weather conditions that promote wildfires (fire weather) have become more probable in southern Europe, northern Eurasia, the US, and Australia over the last century," the report said.

In other words, these longer and more intense heat waves and droughts in many places on the planet mean there is more fuel available because vegetation is dry and available to burn for longer.

"With higher temperatures, more fuel will be dry and the relative humidity of the air will be lower. Both of these factors contribute to faster moving and more intense wildfires, with larger flames and more energy, making them harder to fight by firefighters on the ground," said Thomas Smith, an assistant professor in Environmental Geography at the London School of Economics.

The role of people

Smith said the answer to the question of what's to blame — climate change, arson or forest management — isn't straightforward.

"Neither of the polarized views that are emerging are correct," he said, adding that wildfires are complex phenomenons caused by many different factors, from weather that is influenced by climate change to vegetation, natural ignitions and human activities.

People are responsible for starting many of the most devastating wildfires. Arsonists might be looking to cause damage, but others have been deliberately staring fires too.

In the Amazon, farmers and loggers have long been known to set fires to clear land for grazing and crops. Others are started by neglected power infrastructure or by an accident -- like the deadly El Dorado fire in California last year that was allegedly sparked by a gender reveal party gone wrong.

But in most cases, the human influence goes way beyond the striking of a match.

Smith said that recent changes in land management play a big role in some areas where fire has always been part of the natural cycle — for example in the U.S. West.

"For thousands of years that land was probably being managed by the traditional owners, the indigenous population. Using fire has always been part of that landscape," he said.

"But those practices have been abandoned over the last 150 years or so and that has led to a change in the amount of fuel that's on the ground. The ecosystem gets a bit more biomass, a bit more fuel heavy, and then when you do have these fires, they tend to be more destructive, because there's more stuff to burn because the land hasn't been frequently managed using fire."

The fact that climate change is making wildfires more ferocious doesn't mean people aren't to be blamed. The opposite is true — the IPCC has concluded that it's now "unequivocal" that humans have caused the climate crisis in the first place.

So as fires continue to burn across large swaths of the world, people have to face up to the truth — wildfires are made worse by the climate crisis. The climate crisis was caused by people.

As drought- and wind-driven wildfires have become more dangerous across the American West in recent years, firefighters have tried to become smarter in how they prepare.

They’re using new technology and better positioning of resources in a bid to keep small blazes from erupting into mega-fires like the ones that torched a record 4% of California last year, or the nation’s biggest wildfire this year that has charred a section of Oregon half the size of Rhode Island.

There have been 730 more wildfires in California so far this year than last, an increase of about 16%. But nearly triple the area has burned — 470 square miles (1,200 square kilometers).

Catching fires more quickly gives firefighters a better chance of keeping them small.

That includes using new fire behavior computer modeling that can help assess risks before fires start, then project their path and growth.

When “critical weather” is predicted — hot, dry winds or lightning storms — the technology, on top of hard-earned experience, allows California planners to pre-position fire engines, bulldozers, aircraft and hand crews armed with shovels and chain saws in areas where they can respond more quickly.

With the computer modeling, “they can do a daily risk forecast across the state, so they use that for planning,” said Lynne Tolmachoff, spokeswoman for Cal Fire, California’s firefighting agency.

That’s helped Cal Fire hold an average 95% of blazes to 10 acres (4 hectares) or less even in poor conditions driven by drought or climate change, she said. So far this year it's held 96.5% of fires below 10 acres (4 hectares).

Federal firefighters similarly track how dry vegetation has become in certain areas, then station crews and equipment ahead of lightning storms or in areas where people gather during holidays, said Stanton Florea, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

In another effort to catch fires quickly, what once were fire lookout towers staffed by humans have largely been replaced with cameras in remote areas, many of them in high-definition and armed with artificial intelligence to discern a smoke plume from morning fog. There are 800 such cameras scattered across California, Nevada and Oregon, and even casual viewers can remotely watch wildfires in real time.

Fire managers can then "start making tactical decisions based on what they can see,” even before firefighters reach the scene, Tolmachoff said.

Fire managers also routinely summon military drones from the National Guard or Air Force to fly over fires at night, using heat imaging to map their boundaries and hot spots. They can use satellite imagery to plot the course of smoke and ash.

“Your job is to manage the fire, and these are tools that will help you do so” with a degree of accuracy unheard of even five years ago, said Char Miller, a professor at Pomona College in California and a widely recognized wildfire policy expert.

In California, fire managers can overlay all that information on high-quality Light Detection and Ranging topography maps that can aid decisions on forest management, infrastructure planning and preparation for wildfires, floods, tsunamis and landslides. Then they add the fire behavior computer simulation based on weather and other variables.

Other mapping software can show active fires, fuel breaks designed to slow their spread, prescribed burns, defensible space cleared around homes, destroyed homes and other wildfire damage.

“It’s all still new, but we can see where it’s going to take us in the future when it comes to planning for people building homes on the wildland area, but also wildland firefighting,” Tolmachoff said.

Cal Fire and other fire agencies have been early adopters of remote imaging and other technologies that can be key in early wildfire detection, said John Bailey, a former firefighter and now professor at Oregon State University.

Some experts argue it’s a losing battle against wildfires worsened by global warming, a century of reflexive wildfire suppression and overgrown forests, and communities creeping into what once were sparsely populated areas. Climate change has made the West hotter and drier in the past 30 years, and scientists have long warned the weather will get more extreme as the world warms.

Yet, firefighters' goal is to replicate the outcome of a fire that started Monday in the canyon community of Topanga, between Los Angeles and Malibu.

It had the potential to swiftly spread through dry brush but was held to about 7 acres (3 hectares) after water-dropping aircraft were scrambled within minutes from LA and neighboring Ventura County.

What firefighters don’t want is another wildfire like the one that ravaged the Malibu area in 2018. It destroyed more than 1,600 structures, killed three people and forced thousands to flee.

In another bid to gain an early advantage, California is buying a dozen new Sikorsky Firehawk helicopters — at $24 million each — that can operate at night, fly faster, drop more water and carry more firefighters than the Vietnam War-era Bell UH-1H “Hueys” they will eventually replace.

It will also soon receive seven military surplus C-130 transport aircraft retrofitted to carry 4,000 gallons (15,140 liters) of fire retardant, more than three times as much as Cal Fire’s workhorse S-2 air tankers.

For all that, firefighters’ efforts to outsmart and suppress wildfires is counterproductive if all it does is postpone fires in areas that will eventually burn, argued Richard Minnich, a professor in Riverside who studies fire ecology.

“No matter how sophisticated the technology may be, the areas they can manage or physically impact things is small,” he said. “We’re in over our heads. You can have all the technology in the world — fire control is impossible.”

Working with wildfires is more realistic, he said, by taking advantage of patches that previously burned to channel the spread of new blazes.

Timothy Ingalsbee, a former federal firefighter who now heads Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology, also said firefighters need to adopt a new approach when confronting the most dangerous wind-driven wildfires that leapfrog containment lines by showering flaming embers a mile or more ahead of the main inferno.

It's better to build more fire-resistant homes and devote scarce resources to protecting threatened communities while letting the fires burn around them, he said.

“We have these amazing tools that allow us to map fire spread in real time and model it better than weather predictions," Ingalsbee said. “Using that technology, we can start being more strategic and working with fire to keep people safe, keep homes safe, but let fire do the work it needs to do — which is recycle all the dead stuff into soil.”

Associated Press writers Keith Ridler in Boise, Idaho, and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this story.

The 2021 fire season is already setting records.

The current wildfire preparedness level of 4 is the highest it has been this early in the season, and researchers are finding it is due to climate change.

“It’s really clear now that our systems are changing and fire activity responding very acutely to a warming climate,” said Phil Higuera, a professor of fire ecology at the University of Montana.

In the last 2,000 years, wildfires in the high Rocky Mountains of the Western United States burn nearly twice as often as before and they are burning more often in higher elevations that have historically been more resistant to them, according to recent research Higuera has done.

He says over 70% of the total area burned since 1984 occurred last year in 2020.

“All of that canopy cover leads to much hotter temperatures in the burned area, even compared to adjacent forests and so that can kind of exacerbate that drought stress,” said Higuera.

Four of California’s five largest fires ever burned in 2020 and the three largest in Colorado’s history burned last year as well.

“Millions of people who don’t live in the mountains or close to areas close to where these wildfires burn can be exposed to some of the hazards that result from wildfires, and in particular, wildfire smoke,” said Higuera.

The increased fire activity has a chance to affect future generations as well.

After millions of years of fire activity in alpine forests, trees started to adapt by developing pinecones on their branches. At a certain temperature during a fire, they will burst and drop seeds into the ground which then grow into budding trees as a way to regenerate the forest.

The concern is with this increased fire activity that we are seeing new fires will burn these baby pine trees before they have had time to produce these cones, potentially wiping out forests down the road.

“There’s a lot of evidence that tree regeneration after fires is declining because of these stressful post-fire conditions,” said Kyra Wolf, a Ph.D. candidate who has helped Higuera with his research.

Further concern points to the possible carbon dioxide emitted during these fires, and the lessened number of trees to take it out of the atmosphere, leading researchers to the only possible road to reconciliation.

“Climate change needs to be addressed,” said Wolf. “There’s no way to really solve this wildfire problem without mitigating carbon emissions.”

Video above: California fires advance as heat wave covers West

The National Interagency Fire Center says 55 large fires have burned over 768,000 acres across 12 states.

The acreage — about 1,200 square miles — is comparable to four times the area of New York City.

From Jan. 1 to July 11 this year, over 1.8 million acres have burned in 33,491 fires, according to the NIFC, surpassing the previous year's tally for the same period.

The number of fires burned so far this year is the second-highest to 2011's 39,459 fires.

Fires in the Golden State have charred thousands of acres, more than doubling the amount burned for the same time frame last year.

At least 73,511 acres have burned in 4,599 fires from Jan. 1 through July 4, Cal Fire said last week. Comparatively, 31,111 acres burned in 3,847 fires in 2020.

"While wildfires are a natural part of California's landscape, the fire season in California and across the West is starting earlier and ending later each year," according to Cal Fire's website.

"Climate change is considered a key driver of this trend. Warmer spring and summer temperatures, reduced snowpack, and earlier spring snowmelt create longer and more intense dry seasons that increase moisture stress on vegetation and make forests more susceptible to severe wildfire. The length of the fire season is estimated to have increased 75 days across the Sierras and seems to correspond with an increase in the extent of forest fires across the state."

Below is a roundup of some key fires:

California

Beckwourth Complex Fire: 86,076 acres, 20% contained

The Complex comprises the Dotta Fire and Sugar Fire burning in the Plumas National Forest.

The Dotta Fire started June 30 on the Beckwourth Ranger District near Dotta Canyon.

The Sugar Fire started July 2 on the Beckwourth Ranger District west of Sugarloaf Peak.

Both fires were ignited by lightning.

This is the largest fire burning in the state, and it is not clear how many structures or homes have burned, if any.

Evacuations impacted 3,061 people and 1,199 residences are threatened according to fire information spokesperson Mike Ferris. A total of 2,326 personnel are battling the fire complex.

River Fire: 4,000 acres, 5% contained

The River Fire is burning near Yosemite National Park west of Highway 41 in Mariposa and Madera counties. The fire started July 11.

Mandatory evacuations are in place in parts of both counties and at least 251 firefighters are battling the blaze.

"Firefighting efforts have been hampered due to hot, dry, and windy conditions. The fire is burning in oak/grass woodland," according to Cal Fire.

More California fires on the radar

Juniper Fire: 1,011 acres, 70% contained in the Modoc National Forest. Started July 5.

Lava Fire: 25,409 acres, 75% contained, Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Started by lightning near Weed, California, on June 24.

Salt Fire: 12,650 acres, 70% contained; Shasta-Trinity National Forest. No growth over the weekend. Started June 30.

Tennant Fire: 10,580 acres, 95% contained; Klamath National Forest. Started June 28.

Willow Fire: 2,877 acres, 95% contained; Los Padres National Forest. Started June 17.

Arizona

Cedar Basin Fire: 714 acres, 0% contained

The fire was started July 9, by lightning about 14 miles northeast of Wikieup, Arizona, and 20 miles northwest of Bagdad, Arizona.

New Mexico

Johnson Fire: 88,918 acres, 75% contained

The Johnson Fire started May 20 and was caused by lightning, according to incident reports from the Gia National Forest.

Oregon

Bootleg Fire: 150,812 acres, 0% contained

The fire started July 6 on the Fremont-Winema National Forest in Klamath County.

The cause is still under investigation.

Officials estimate full containment of the fire near the California border by Nov. 30.

Hot, dry, windy weather is hampering firefighting efforts, creating life-threatening risks to area residents, according to an incident update.

The fire prompted a flex alert from California ISO for Monday. A flex alert is a request for users to conserve electricity when there is an anticipated shortage of energy supply.

The heat wave that recently hit the Pacific Northwest subjected the region’s vineyards to record-breaking temperatures nine months after the fields that produce world-class wine were blanketed by wildfire smoke.

But when temperatures began climbing close to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 Celsius) in late June, the grapes in Oregon and Washington state were still young, as small as BB's, many still shaded by leaf canopies that had not been trimmed back yet.

The good news for grape growers, wineries and wine lovers is the historic heat wave came during a narrow window when the fruit suffered little, if any, damage. Earlier or later in the growing season, it could have been disastrous.

The bad news is that extreme weather events and wildfires are apt to become more frequent because of climate change. A less intense heat wave again hit parts of the U.S. West just about a week after extreme temperatures gripped the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia on June 25 and lingered for several days, causing what could be hundreds of heat-related deaths.

This cool, rainy part of the country normally experiences plenty of sunny summer days but winemakers are worried about what's still ahead amid a historic drought tied to climate change: Extremely high temperatures could hit yet again, and wildfires are expected to be ferocious.

That includes Christine Clair, winery director of Willamette Valley Vineyards in the city of Turner, just outside Oregon's capital. She watched rare winds last September smother the Willamette Valley, famed for its delicate pinot noir, in smoke from nearby flames.

"Last year was our first experience in the Willamette Valley with wildfires and smoke impact from them. Though it was considered a once-in-a-100-year east wind event, we believe we are at risk annually now,” Clair said.

In recent years, wineries worldwide began hedging their bets against global warming and its fallout by moving to cooler zones, planting varieties that do better in heat and drought, and shading their grapes with more leaf canopy.

Similarly, in the wake of the Northwest heat wave, wineries plan to protect their crops from more blistering sunshine.

At Dusted Valley Vintners, in Walla Walla, Washington, less of the leaf canopy will be trimmed to keep the grapes shaded and prevent sunburn, co-owner Chad Johnson said.

Workers, who are restricted to morning work on very hot days, also will leave more grapes on the vine so the fruit ripens slower, Johnson said.

He has never seen conditions so early in the summer like those during the heat wave, with the thermometer climbing above 100 F (38 C) for several days in the eastern Washington town near the Oregon border.

“It is definitely unusual and unprecedented in my career since I’ve been making wine for 20 years here,” Johnson said.

June 29 was the hottest day in Walla Walla’s recorded history, reaching 116 F (47 C) and breaking the previous record by two degrees.

Climate change, Johnson noted, has become a major concern for him and other wine producers worldwide.

“If it's not this early horrible spring frost they’re having over in Europe this year, it's wildfires in the West, with the drought. It’s always something," Johnson said. "And it’s getting just more severe every year.”

The industry, meanwhile, has been totaling the damage from last year’s wildfires that covered California, Oregon and Washington state in thick smoke.

So many California growers worried about unpleasant “smoke taint” in the wine produced from their grapes that they tried to get the fruit tested to see if the crops were worth harvesting.

The few testing labs were so overwhelmed they couldn't meet demand. Some wineries opted not to risk turning some of their own grapes into bad wine and hurting their brand and stopped accepting untested grapes from growers.

“Without question the financial toll on California winegrape growers has proven to be unprecedented,” John Aguirre, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers, said in an email.

Industry estimates show California growers had losses of $601 million from wine grapes that went unharvested, Aguirre said.

“The risk of wildfires appears to be greater today than in the past and that is very, very troubling for many growers,” Aguirre said, noting that they also must contend with heat, drought, frost, excessive rain, pests and disease.

Wineries can do little to prevent wildfires outside their property, but if they become inundated with smoke, they can try to minimize damage. For example, they may turn some of the grapes with heavier smoke exposure into rosé instead of red wine. That limits contact with the skin of the grape during wine production and can lower the concentration of smoke aroma compounds.

A report on California’s harvest by the San Francisco-based Wine Institute said that despite the challenges, many winemakers are excited about the 2020 vintage.

Corey Beck, CEO and head of winemaking at Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Sonoma County, California, said he is optimistic based on small-batch fermentation trials.

“It was like, ‘Oh my god, these wines are terrific,’” Beck told the Wine Institute.

Willamette Valley Vineyards also had fermented small samples of grapes to gauge whether smoke would affect the resulting wine. Its Whole Cluster Pinot Noir 2020 vintage received good ratings from Wine Enthusiast magazine.

But winemaking has become so difficult and competitive that when people ask Johnson for advice about getting into the industry, he tries to dissuade them.

“The first thing I do is tell them that’s probably not a good idea," he said. “It’s really, really hard, and it’s getting harder and harder.”

At a time when wildfires are at their worst in U.S. history, there are fewer firefighters to try and stop them in their tracks.

The number of hotshot crews, the teams that go to the front lines of wildfires in our country, are dwindling as many parts of the country are experiencing unprecedented heat and drought.

“As far as we go with the federal firefighters, we’ve got a problem,” said Chuck Sheley, Vice President of the National Smokejumper Association.

Sheley was the only person who agreed to do an interview with us for this story.

“Everybody is terrified nowadays to speak to the press. That’s probably the reason why you can’t get any smokejumper to talk to you because they need to go through the public information officer,” said Sheley.

For 34 years, Sheley enveloped himself in a curtain of smoke, cutting fire lines. Now, he’s working at the National Smokejumper Association to peel back the curtain on why fewer men and women are joining his former profession.

“It’s tough to hire people now because you can go to the local McDonald’s and make $15 an hour, or you can jump out of an airplane and make $15 an hour and make a little overtime,” said Sheley.

According to Sheley, the wage gap between federal hotshots, many of whom are employed by the U.S. Forest Service, and private entities is massive.

In an email, the U.S. Forest Service told us the pay for federal hotshots is about half of what it is at the state level.

A CNN analysis of the pay structure digs deeper, showing that the pay discrepancy in California, a state with many of the country's wildfires, is in the range of $38,000 per year.

“Three years ago, or four years ago, I was at a meeting and the head of the smokejumpers was there and he said, ‘we’re 45 positions short this year,’ and I said ‘why?’ He gave me a list of 13 reasons why,” said Sheley.

That list included a lack of competitive wages, a lack of recruiting, and the locations.

“Who at 18, 19, or 20 years old can afford living at these wages? In other words, we’ve lost the local hiring ability, and this is a screwed-up situation in my estimation,” said Sheley.

With the national preparedness level for wildfires currently at a four, one stage below its highest level, the problem is developing into what Sheley would describe as a crisis with the peak wildfire months of July and August just getting underway.

“You’ve got to get off your butt and you’ve got to get out and get people. You can’t sit and wait for them to come to you. Otherwise, you’re not going to have a team,” said Sheley.

In its email to us, the U.S. Forest Service added, “we are working to evaluate options to modernize the firefighting workforce compensation structure, including job series, pay grade levels, and other changes.”

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Related video above: Experts fear worse climate disasters in future

As global temperatures rise, the once reliably frozen Arctic has seen a rash of massive wildfires in recent years.

And while biting winter cold and heavy snow are enough to eventually suppress most blazes, scientists say the right conditions can create fires that just will not die.

Like their undead namesakes, these so-called "zombie fires" are tough to kill.

Fed by fuel-rich soils in the Northern Hemisphere and subsisting on the meager oxygen available beneath the snow, zombie fires can smolder for months, long after flames above ground have been extinguished.

And sometimes, fires that have burned all winter long can ignite new blazes the following year after the snow has melted.

Sander Veraverbeke, an associate professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, first suspected this phenomenon was sparking wildfires several years ago. Scanning satellite images for an earlier study that examined the role of lightning in triggering Arctic fires, Veraverbeke said he noticed new fires were igniting near land that had burned the previous year.

"I saw that on the edges of the fire scars from the year before, flames were popping up again in spring and new forest fires were starting on the edge. And to me, that was really intriguing," he said.

Veraverbeke said that local fire managers confirmed that they too had observed fires that seemed to survive the winter.

Still, it was unclear how widespread these zombie fires were — and whether they were becoming more frequent.

In a new study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, lead author Rebecca Scholten of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, along with Veraverbeke and other co-authors, attempt to answer these questions.

Overall, they found that zombie fires are responsible for just a fraction of the land burned by fire in most years.

However, they warn that they could become a force for firefighters to reckon with, as human-caused climate change loads the dice in favor of the hot, dry conditions that can trigger large wildfires.

"We will have more of these extreme fire seasons, which also means that we will likely have more zombie fires," Veraverbeke said. "So even though it's a relatively small percentage now, it's likely that it may become more in the future."

Using field observations and satellite monitoring, the study surveyed forests in Alaska and Canada's Northwest Territories during the years between 2002 and 2018.

During the years examined, the study found zombie fires were responsible for just 0.8% of the total land burned and 0.5% of the total carbon emissions released by fires in Alaska and the Northwest Territories.

However, there were some years when they made up a much more significant piece of the overall fire picture.

In 2007, 2008 and 2010, zombie fires were responsible for more than 5% of the land burned and carbon emissions generated by fires in Alaska. In 2008, a single zombie fire in Alaska scorched more than 33,000 acres as it simmered all winter, an area equal to 38% of the total land burned in the state by fires that year, the authors found.

Both regions are home to extensive boreal forests containing huge stocks of pine, spruce, fir and some deciduous tree species, as well as soils rich in the flammable mixture of decaying vegetation known as peat.

In addition to being a potent fuel for fires, the world's peatlands also store huge amounts of heat-trapping carbon. By some estimates, peatlands contain twice as much carbon as all the world's forests combined.

When peat burns, that carbon is released into the atmosphere, where it stays and contributes to global warming.

The researchers found that years that featured large fires and above-average temperatures were strongly correlated with a higher prevalence of zombie fires.

Zombie fires were observed during all six winters following the six hottest summers in the Northwest Territories, while none were observed after the seven coolest summers over the study time frame.

Since 2000, the Arctic has warmed more than twice as fast as the rest of the planet. Average temperatures in Alaska are now between 3 and 4 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than they were in the early 20th century.

And though these fires that can survive winter remain rare, the researchers argue that we should continue to monitor their occurrence, along with the other changes that are transforming these high-latitude forests.

"I think the sheer fact that this is happening really shows that this region is changing so, so quickly," Veraverbeke said. "it's really a testimony of the rapid warming in the Arctic and boreal (forests)."