Lower Fire west of Redding gives Shasta neighborhoods a scare
The fast-moving Lower Fire, which caused a scare Saturday in neighborhoods west of Redding, burned 110 acres before firefighters were able to gain control of the blaze.
Firefighters built containment lines overnight into Sunday morning. Containment around the fire grew to 35%, up from zero on Saturday evening, according to an update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
It’s unknown whether any structures were damaged or destroyed in the fire, but ‘threat to structures has been mitigated,” Cal Fire said in the update.
All told, 77 firefighters and staff were working the fire on Sunday using 10 engines and five water tenders, Cal Fire reported. Crews would continue building containment lines throughout the day.
The fire started before 3:55 p.m. on Lower Springs Road, south of Highway 299 in the community of Shasta. Flames rapidly spread from Lower Springs Road, and crossed Highway 299. Crews stopped it’s spread just south of Middle Creek Road. The highway reopened late Saturday night, although one-way traffic controls were still in place on Sunday.
Crews started making good progress on the fire around 7 p.m. Saturday. As the evening progressed, official managing the fire began to release crews and equipment.
Some of the people in the Sunset Marketplace shopping center on Eureka Way had been evacuated from their homes on Saturday afternoon due to the Lower Fire, which broke out west of Redding on Aug. 10, 2024.
Streets closed west of Redding due to Lower Fire
The Lower Fire closed some roads and turnoffs, according to the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.
Iron Mountain Road is closed to all traffic between Sanders Lane and Highway 299.
Lower Springs Road between Highway 299 and Valparaiso is also closed to everyone except residents and emergency vehicles.
Lower Fire evacuation warnings in Shasta, Keswick still in effect; one evacuation order in effect
The sheriff’s office announced Sunday morning it lifted evacuation warnings for zones in Shasta and Keswick, including SHS-2890, SHS-2880, KES-2900, KES-2750
The only evacuation order the sheriff’s office said was still in effect was in the Keswick area, KES-2790, north of Highway 299. People living in that zone can go to an evacuation center at Central Valley High School in Shasta Lake.
Evacuation warnings remained in effect for some Keswick and Shasta residents. The sheriff’s office said people living in these zones should prepare to leave if the fire grows on Sunday:
In Shasta: SHS-6520, SHS-6530-A, SHS-6530-B, SHS-6540-A, SHS-6540-B, SHS-2830, SHS-2820, SHS-2850, SHS-2800 and SHS-2870.
In Keswick: KES-2780, KES-2770 and KES-2760.
To learn in which zone you live, go to protect.genasys.com/zones and type in your zip code.
Pacific Gas and Electric reported Sunday morning, power was on to Keswick and Shasta customers.
It’s unknown what caused the fire, and fire officials said it’s under investigation.
Some residents who were evacuated watched and waited for updates from the Sunset Marketplace shopping center at Buenaventura Boulevard and Eureka Way.
Winds pick up Sunday, but soon cooler weather could help firefighters snuff blaze
Winds blowing to the north picked up around noon on Sunday afternoon, challenging firefighters working to contain the Lower Fire, especially on it’s northern flank, said Meteorologist Katrina Hand with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
Those winds will reach 10 mph, with the occasional gust up to 15 mph, Hand said. They’ll taper off Sunday night, but return again Monday afternoon.
There was good news, too.
Cooler weather this week may help firefighters snuff the Lower Fire and other fires burning in the North State. While air and grasses throughout the Redding area are extremely dry following the hottest July on record, a cooling trend this week should increase the amount of humidity in the air, Hand said.
Afternoon high temperatures in Redding and Whiskeytown won’t go above the low 90s on Monday and Tuesday. There’s even a slight chance of sprinkling rain at high altitudes in Shasta County on Monday, according to the weather service.
Temperatures may rise a few degrees to the mid-90s on Wednesday through Friday, but the weekend will be cooler, Hand said, with highs around 88 degrees.
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This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Lower Fire in Shasta west of Redding holding at 110 acres
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