York Fire area soaked by monsoonal storms
After Summerlin and Centennial Hills were inundated with rain Tuesday evening, heavy rainfall soaked the York Fire area Wednesday.
The fire area and rural roads on the eastern side of Mojave National Preserve were under a flash flood warning. One to 2 inches of rain and winds over 40 mph was expected, according to the National Weather Service.
Clark County said in a news release Wednesday that the increase in precipitation reduced the fire to “moderate fire behavior.”
Federal authorities wrote in a update Wednesday that despite rainfall in the area, firefighters are remaining vigilant.
“While the rain has been beneficial it has not eliminated the threat of fire weather caused by dry fuels,” the update said. “Firefighters will continue to build containment line and reinforce existing containment lines along the fires edge.”
Thursday’s forecast calls for a high of 103 degrees and low of 80 degrees, ushering in the return to hot and dry weather that will continue over the weekend.
Temperatures are expected to reach 107 degrees on Friday and 108 degrees on Saturday, the weather service said.
Clark County said these “drying conditions” could impact fire behavior.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area’s scenic loop was closed Wednesday due to debris on the road from flash flooding on Tuesday, the Bureau of Land Management said in a Facebook post. Officials hope to reopen the road Thursday by 10 a.m., according to park spokeman John Asselin.
The conservation area received an inch and a half of rain Tuesday night, according to data from the Clark County Regional Flood Control District. Other rain gauges with high totals include northwest Summerlin, which recieved 1.89 inches of rain, and a gauge near Centennial Hills Hospital received 1.02 inches. Most areas in Summerlin and Centennial Hills received less than half an inch of rain.