Dunsmuir residents alert and prepped to go as raging Delta Fire tops 40,000 acres

Residents of upper Northern California are becoming experts in what to do should any blaze head their way, something that is becoming more likely in a region already pummeled by this year’s devastating wildfires.

The Delta Fire, the latest wildfire to chew through heavy brush and terrain in Shasta County, has grown to more than 63 square miles since it ignited Wednesday and continues to burn without containment, prompting mandatory evacuations in both Trinity and Shasta counties and evacuation warnings in Siskiyou County.

The fire, which officials said was human-caused and forced the continued closure of Interstate 5 until at least Sunday, is leaving residents of the mountain areas on edge and ready to flee, if necessary. The fire is heading west toward Trinity Lake, according to fire officials, while also remaining active on the north and south lines.

“You know we have been dealing with the fires for about a month now. Most people know what they are going to have to do and where to get information and look out for their neighbors,” said Mark Brannigan, Dunsmuir city manager. “(Residents) are much more aware. It’s kind of unfortunate that we’ve had to get here.”

Dunsmuir, 15 miles north of the fire line in Siskiyou County, is under an evacuation warning. It’s just one of several communities in the shadow of the Delta Fire and the nearby Hirz Fire – not far removed last month’s deadly Carr Fire, which burned nearly 230,000 acres west of Redding.

“It’s closer than we like and its expected to get closer than it was yesterday, so that’s concerning,” said Brannigan, adding that some business have shuttered and some residents have already left the area. “But we also have to let the experts do what they are trained to, which is get the fire under control.”

The U.S. Forest Service, which is leading the efforts to battle the four-day-old blaze, reported Saturday evening that the fire had grown by about 15,000 acres in 24 hours to 40,580 acres, according to a Forest Service incident report.

Fire officials say they don’t expect to have containment of the fire, which started on Wednesday, until at least Sept. 22.

During a community meeting Friday night in Dunsmuir, officials said that the fire was progressing primarily to the northwest but was also “extremely active” along the eastern edge between Interstate 5 and the month-old Hirz Fire. Heat imagery tracked by satellite showed the eastern flank of the Delta Fire within yards of earlier burn scars from the Hirz Fire, which fire officials said they were using to contain the newest blaze.

Fire officials said in a statement that crews were setting dozer lines and backfires to protect Highland Springs, north of Boulder Creek, as well as Castella and Dunsmuir farther north. During a Saturday morning update, officials said containment was holding on the southern edges of the blaze near Lakehead

Evacuation orders remain in effect for Shasta County residents along the Interstate 5 corridor from Exit 707 at Vollmers north to Exit 714 at Gibson, as well as for residents in Trinity County from East Fork Road to Ramshorn Road east to the county line. Warnings remain in place for residents of Dunsmuir in Siskiyou County and for residents in Trinity County from East Fork/East Side Road junction west to Highway 3 northward to Ramshorn Road.

Evacuation shelters are setup at Mount Shasta Community Center, 629 Alder St., Mount Shasta; and Mercy Oaks, 100 Mercy Oaks Dr., Redding. The Mount Shasta Humane Society is accepting small animals of evacuees, at 1208 North Mount Shasta Blvd.

The closure for another day of Interstate 5, the West Coast’s main north-south thoroughfare, spans about 50 miles. That has forced some motorists to take hours-long detours on narrow highways and Northern California vacationers to cancel weekend plans in destinations like Ashland, Ore.

The fire ripped onto I-5 Wednesday afternoon, forcing frantic drivers to abandon their vehicles, including several big rigs. Some flames reached 300 feet in height, according to a U.S. Forest Service incident report.

The recommended detour for I-5 motorists, using Highway 299, adds 140 miles of driving. Reports by local media outlets and by CHP Officer Jason Morton on Thursday estimated this detour adds anywhere between three to eight hours of additional drive time.

The Hirz Fire, meanwhile, remained at 46,150 acres and 89 percent containment; officials report they expect full containment of that blaze, which has burned since Aug. 9, on Sunday.

A public meeting regrading both the Delta and Hirtz fires will be held 6 p.m. Saturday at the Lakehead Lion’s Club located at 20814 Mammoth Drive in Mammoth.

This story was originally published September 8, 2018 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Dunsmuir residents alert and prepped to go as raging Delta Fire tops 40,000 acres."