Progress made against forest fires
REDDING >> Firefighters were making progress Friday against Northern California forest fires that burned several homes and forced thousands to flee communities even as authorities prepared for a hot, crowded Fourth of July weekend that could bring the threat of new blazes.
Three wildfires near the towering Mount Shasta volcano an hour’s drive from the Oregon border have burned around 60 square miles (155 square kilometers) of land.
Property damage was evident at the Salt Fire, which broke out Wednesday near Interstate 5 and prompted evacuations for some roads in Lakehead, an unincorporated community of around 700 people north of the city of Redding.
About a dozen destroyed buildings could be seen in just one area of the community.
The Salt Fire covered nearly 8 square miles (21 square kilometers), and was 5% contained, said Adrienne Freeman, a spokeswoman for Shasta-Trinity National Forest. She said official damage assessments will be made by local authorities.
No building damage was reported from two other northern fires, which erupted as California and the rest of the U.S. West is enduring a historic drought tied to climate change.
“Fuel conditions this year are looking a lot more like late August than early July,” Freeman said.
To the north, the Lava Fire burning partly on the flanks of Mount Shasta covered more than 37 square miles (96 square kilometers) but was 27% contained. Several thousand residents of Lake Shastina were allowed to return home late Thursday.