Severe wildfires in southern China claim 4 lives, spawn huge pyroCb clouds
Image credit: JMA/Himawari-9, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers. Acquired at 09:50 UTC on March 16, 2024
Devastating wildfires have swept through Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces in southern China since March 15, 2024, claiming four lives in Yunnan and leading to significant evacuations and damage. Reports from March 18 indicate that nearly 4 900 individuals have been evacuated in Sichuan’s Yajiang County alone, with the fires ravaging over 10 000 ha (24 710 acres) of land.
Wildfires have been wreaking havoc in the southern regions of China, particularly affecting the Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces, since March 15. These fires have caused environmental destruction, human casualties, and widespread displacement of communities.
Authorities in Yunnan Province confirmed four deaths due to the wildfires as of March 18. The fatalities occurred in the areas of Lincang City, where three people lost their lives, and Wenshan City, which reported one death. Additionally, an injury was reported in the Lincang City area.
The impact of the wildfires has prompted significant emergency responses, including the evacuation of approximately 4 900 people from Yajiang County in Sichuan Province.
According to the JRC Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS), the total area affected by the wildfires in Yajiang County alone exceeds 10 000 ha (24 710 acres).
JMA Himawari-9 satellite image below shows pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) clouds mixed with smoke spawned by a wildfire in Sichuan on March 16. The cloud formed at around 06:20 UTC and by 09:40 UTC it extended over 650 km (404 miles) to the NNE.
Forecasters, utilizing data from the JRC GWIS, have predicted the fire danger levels for the upcoming 24 hours, indicating a range from high to very extreme over Yunnan Province.
The conditions in Sichuan Province are expected to improve, offering hope that the firefighting efforts there might soon lead to a containment of the wildfires.
References:
1 China – Wilfires – DE ECHO – March 18, 2024
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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