Weather impacting the fire fight with Garnet Fire

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Lightning and rain reached the Central Valley on Tuesday. The active weather comes as more than 1,400 firefighters continue to battle the Garnet Fire.

SkyView 30 drone video shows the billowing smoke from the blaze on Tuesday afternoon.

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Action News Chief Meteorologist Kevin Musso said this kind of climate is unusual for Central California.

"This is the summer monsoon. It comes from the opposite direction. It has some tropical regions, it tends to make things feel kind of muggy, and we're not used to that," said Musso.

It's these current weather conditions that are making the firefight difficult for crews.

"Gusty, erratic winds are definitely a challenge for firefighters. It can push the fire in multiple directions at different speeds. It makes fighting a fire fairly unpredictable at times," said Dan Patterson, a Fire Behavior Analyst with the U.S. Forest Service.

Patterson applies the weather predictions to how firefighters can best fight the Garnet blaze.

He said on top of the forecast, the mountainous terrain has created challenges for firefighters, doing all they can to get containment of the inferno.

"Out here, it's very rugged, steep topography. And I hear it's a different fuel, such as timber, brush and grass. All of those react differently, under different conditions. So basically, the incoming storms that we've been seeing, these fronts, these outflow winds, they're increasing most of the fire behavior across the landscape," said Patterson.

The planning Patterson does is important. On top of all these numerous obstacles, he said the biggest concern and challenge is making sure his planning keeps those on the front lines safe.

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