SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — Update: 8 a.m. / Saturday, Aug .24
In a Saturday morning update, Cal Fire said that the Mountain Fire remains 600 acres but is now 60 percent contained.
So far seven homes have been destroyed and four have been damaged, according to Cal Fire Shasta-Trinity Unit. Seven "other structures" have been destroyed and 2 have been damaged. Cal Fire has not specified what "other structures" means yet.
Firefighters will continue to extinguish hotspots and secure the containment lines, Cal Fire said. The damage assessment is ongoing.
Evacuations are as follows:
Mandatory evacuations for residents in these road closure areas
- Bear Mountain Rd. at Dry Creek Rd.
- Bear Mountain Rd. and all roads off of Jennifer Lane
- Squaw Grass Trail at Dry Creek Rd.
An evacuation center is open at Crosspointe Community Church at 2960 Hartnell Avenue in Redding.
Road Closures:
- Bear Mountain Rd. at Dry Creek Rd., Bear Mountain Rd
- All roads off of Jennifer Lane
- Squaw Grass Trail at Dry Creek Rd
Residents driving in the area are asked to drive with caution as fire apparatus and emergency personnel continue to work in the area.
Update: 7:06 p.m. / Friday, Aug. 23
The Mountain Fire off Bear Mountain Road and Dry Creek in Shasta County is now at 50 percent containment and 600 acres burned.
According to Cal Fire Shasta-Trinity Unit, evacuations and road closures will be getting lifted for some areas near the fire.
There will be updated road closure at 8 p.m. at Bear Mountain Road at Dry Creed Road and at Bear Mountain Road and all roads off of Jennifer Lane and Squaw Grass Trail at Dry Creek Road.
Mandatory evacuations are still in place for all residents in the road closure areas.
An evacuation center at Crosspointe Community Church in Redding will remain open.
Original Story:
A wildfire in Shasta County has destroyed three residences and threatened thousands of homes forcing evacuations slowed overnight.
The Mountain Fire in Shasta County started around noon Thursday near Bear Mountain and Dry Creek Roads, north of Bella Vista. This is rural area northwest of Redding.
Cal Fire Capt. Robert Foxworthy says the blaze quickly spread to more than 600 acres, or about one square mile, by Thursday afternoon. However, as of 8:30 a.m. Friday, the fire didn't grow and containment grew to 40 percent.
Foxworthy says a north wind drove the fire in a combination of grass, brush and some oak trees. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Cal Fire says ongoing assessments show four outbuildings have also been destroyed and one unspecified structure was damaged by blaze. As of Friday morning, evacuations and road closures remain in place. Those evacuated included an estimated 4,000 people at Shasta College.
Dry Creek Road at Hwy 299 reopened Thursday night, according to Cal Fire.
Road closures are in effect at Bear Mountain Road from Christian Way to Dry Creek Road, Squaw Grass Trail at Dry Creek Road, Elk Trail West at Dry Creek Road, northbound Intermountain Road, and westbound Alice Lane.
Here are the latest road closures and traffic conditions through from Waze:
The Shasta County Sheriff's Office is posting the latest evacuation information on Twitter.
Mandatory evacuations remain in place for all residents inside the road closure areas. The evacuation center is located at Crosspointe Community Church, 2960 Hartnell Road, Redding.
Firefighters are battling in high temperatures, expected to be above 100 degrees for the next few days.
The fire is burning not far from last year's Carr Fire, which destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Shasta and Trinity counties and killed eight people, including three firefighters
RELATED WILDFIRE CONTENT: