Fire threatens Siskiyou County homes
5,000 residents ordered to leave as winds moving blaze
WEED, Calif. — A fast-moving fire in Northern California threatened hundreds of homes Friday and authorities ordered at least 5,000 residents across three communities to leave immediately.
Residents of the towns of Weed, Lake Shastina and Edgewood in Siskiyou County were told to evacuate after the blaze spread in hot and windy conditions to 500 acres in about an hour, the Siskiyou Sheriff ’s Office said in a statement. The Mill Fire had burned 1.4 square miles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Sue Tavalero, the mayor of Weed, said the fire started on the property of Roseburg Forest Products, a lumber mill north of town, and quickly burned through homes in the nearby neighborhood of Lincoln Heights and prompted evacuation orders for thousands of people.
“It has taken out a neighborhood in town,” she said but then clarified that she was not sure exactly how many homes had burned. “The Lincoln Heights neighborhood has burnt houses in it. I don’t know how many. I’m positive several homes have been lost.”
Tavalero said the evacuation orders for all of Weed and nearby areas of Lake Shastina and Edgewood covered a combined population of about 7,500 people.
Marco Noriega, brewmaster at Mount Shasta Brewing Company, said they received a notice to evacuate and he sent the 10 customers and three employees away. He said the power is out and they have received little information.
Smoke is to the north and winds are blowing from the south, keeping the fire away. He sounded calm as he cleaned up.
“I’ve been through it before. So long as the wind stays in the direction it is, I’m all right. But I know the wind switches quickly,” he said by phone.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for Siskiyou County from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday. Winds were expected to reach up to 31 mph in the Weed area, the weather service said.
In Southern California, firefighters were making progress Friday against two big wildfires despite dangerously hot weather.
Containment of the Route Fire along Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles increased to 37 percent, and it remained at just over 8 square miles in size, a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection statement said.
Firefighters were focusing on mopping up hot spots and building more containment lines, trying to get most of the hard work done before the midday heat, Cal Fire said.
California is in the grip of a prolonged heat wave. Temperatures have been so high that residents have been asked for three consecutive days to conserve power during late afternoon and evening hours when solar energy declines.
On Wednesday, seven firefighters working the Route Fire in triple-digit temperatures had to be taken to hospitals for treatment of heat illnesses. All were released.
“Excessive heat, low humidity and steep terrain will continue to pose the biggest challenge for firefighters,” Cal Fire said.
The tally of destroyed structures remained at two, and all evacuation orders were lifted.
In eastern San Diego County, the Border 32 Fire remained at just under 7 square miles and containment increased to 20 percent.
More than 1,500 people had to evacuate the area near the U.s.-mexico border when the fire erupted Wednesday. All evacuations were lifted by Friday afternoon.
Two people were hospitalized with burns. Three homes and seven other buildings were destroyed.