Record temperatures, bad air hit Modesto area; Sonora moves football game

High heat, mixed with bad air, is going to make it a trying day for people across the Northern San Joaquin Valley.

As a second straight day of record heat is expected in Modesto, the high temperatures will be joined by bad air made worse by the encroaching smoke from the Butte fire, which has burned more than 30,000 acres in Amador and Calaveras counties since Wednesday afternoon.

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District issued an air alert for Friday even before the start of the fire.

The fire, though, has grown to more than 32,000 acres with only 10 percent containment. Cal Fire reported that more than 6,000 structures are being threatened.

It’s left a thin layer of ash across parts of Tuolumne county, and Friday morning, Sonora High announced that its football game with Hilmar would be moved from the foothills to Hilmar High.

In Calaveras County. the Angels Camp Farmers Market announced its event tonight would be canceled because of the fire.

Meanwhile, thirty-six personnel from five Stanislaus County fire agencies were sent on strike teams to assist on fighting the Butte fire, said Deputy Fire Warden Eric Holly.

At about 4 a.m. Thursday, brush rigs from Modesto Fire Department and Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District formed a strike team with three rigs from Yolo County.

Two more strike teams with Stanislaus County personnel left later.

A strike team leader from Modesto Fire headed a team with Office of Emergency Services Engines staffed by firefighters from Modesto, Stanislaus Consolidated and West Stanislaus Fire District.

Modesto Fire Department also provided the strike team leader for structure protection engines staffed by Modesto, Burbank-Paradise Fire District and Turlock Fire Department. They were joined by firefighters from El Dorado and Alpine counties.

On Thursday afternoon, Modesto and Stanislaus Consolidated crews serving as part of a strike team “were involved in structure defense and the fire made a significant run at them, very erratic fire behavior,” Modesto Fire Chief Sean Slamon said Friday afternoon. They were forced to take refuge behind a house and other structures, he said.

“A couple of fire engines suffered heat damage but the most important thing is that the crews are safe,” Slamon said. From what he’s heart – he hasn’t yet received photos – the damage was mainly cosmetic and the engines remain in service. A Stanislaus Consolidated battalion chief said one of that department’s rigs had some bubbled paint, melted plastic trim and melted hose but was fully functioning.

The firefighters did not have to deploy their personal fire shelters, Slamon added, the structures provided enough refuge. “This is a very trying time for that area and we’re doing everything we can to keep those communities safe,” the chief said.

In addition to the fire and difficult terrain, they were met with high temperatures that were expected to last through the weekend.

In Modesto on Friday, a high of 105 degrees was predicted, according to the National Weather Service.

If that holds true, it would be two days in a row for a record temperature, according to the Modesto Irrigation District.

On Thursday, the temperature reached 103 degrees, which broke by 2 degrees the record high for Sept. 10, which was previously set in 1953.

The record for Sept. 11 was set at 101 degrees in 1979, the MID reports.

Forecasters say our area should begin to cool off a little by tonight, when a breeze is expected to settle in. Highs of 97 and 95 are predicted for Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Monday should drop a few more degrees and the high for Tuesday is expected to be 84.

The hot weather has forced the postponement of some youth sporting events, and a handful of high schools are moving the start times of their junior varsity and varsity football games tonight back 30 minutes.

This story was originally published September 11, 2015 at 6:26 AM with the headline "Record temperatures, bad air hit Modesto area; Sonora moves football game."