Calif. authorities looking for people missing amid fires
LAKEPORT, Calif. — Northern California authorities say they are seeking help from the public locating six people listed as missing from the Carr Fire in Shasta County.
Redding police Sgt. Todd Cogle said they have located 14 of 20 people initially listed as missing yesterday.
He said at least two of the six people have homes that are still standing and at least one is a transient with no address.
The massive blaze, which is about 200 miles north of San Francisco, has destroyed nearly 900 homes and killed two firefighters and four civilians.
California fire officials said they were making progress as they battle several blazes burning in Northern California and that firefighters are focused on saving lives and homes.
Battalion Chief John Messina said fire crews slowed the spread of one of the blazes into towns near Clear Lake, including Lakeport, a city of 5,000. He says the fire instead spread into the Mendocino National Forest.
Messina says fire crews focused their efforts on saving lives and homes and that’s why only 10 houses have been destroyed by two massive fires straddling Mendocino and Lake counties. No injuries have been reported.
But he told a community meeting in Lake County that people should remain vigilant because fires can easily jump containment lines.
Two summer camps near Yosemite National Park popular with San Francisco area families decided to evacuate due to smoky weather conditions from a massive wildfire.
The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department said yesterday it has temporarily closed Camp Mather, a campground for families near the park, due to poor air quality from nearby fires. The camp is scheduled to reopen Sunday if conditions improve.
Parks spokeswoman Sarah Madland said about 450 visitors to Camp Mather and 70 staff were affected, including 350 visitors asked to leave Tuesday and 100 who had canceled last week due to the air quality. All are to receive full refunds.
Camp Tawonga, a sleepaway camp for children west of Yosemite, decided to evacuate 300 campers and 200 staff Tuesday and also hopes to resume camp on Sunday.
The impoverished county about 110 miles northwest of Sacramento has been hit by several wildfires since 2015, when a wildfire destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least four people.