SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — Investigators determined that the cause of the Salt Fire was a vehicle that was traveling north on I-5, just past the Gilman Road exit.
Investigators said "extremely hot materials separated from the vehicle and landed in dry vegetation that sparked the wildfire," according to a post by the U.S. Forest Service - Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
They believe the vehicle was in the far right lane and traveling at a slower than average speed. Investigators are trying to find the vehicle before it causes another fire. They are asking anyone who saw "any disabled vehicles or abnormally slow-moving vehicles" that were going north on I-5 in the Lakehead area between 1 and 1:30 p.m. on June 30 to call the U.S. Forest Service investigations at 530-226-2783.
The Salt Fire in Shasta County, just north of Redding, yielded no containment overnight.
Evacuation warnings and orders remain in place as the Salt Fire grew to 4,500 acres. The fire is burning near the Salt Creek exit, south of Lakehead, Calif. The fire still sits at zero containment. The increasing temperatures this afternoon, mean fire activity will pick up, according to the U.S. Forest Service - Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
The Shasta County Sheriff's Office announced a road closure of Fenders Ferry Road at Dog Creek Road.
After temporarily closing, I-5 has reopened to commuters. Caltrans District 2 said that "although I-5 is currently open in both directions, there are lane closures in place that are impacting the flow of traffic." The lane closures are from Gilman Road to Antlers Bridge in both directions because the fire is still active in that area.
The fire was held to the east side of Highway 5 Wednesday into Thursday.
"The fire plan is to keep the Salt Fire east of Interstate 5, east of the Sacramento arm of Shasta Lake, north of Gilman road, and west of the McCloud arm of Shasta Lake," the U.S. Forest Service - Shasta-Trinity National Forest said on Facebook.
Weather conditions and the terrain are making suppression efforts challenging for fire crews.
Accounts to follow:
Map of the fire
WILDFIRE PREPS
According to Cal Fire, 2020 was one of the most severe fire seasons on record as 9,917 wildfires burned 4.2 million acres. Over 9,000 structures were destroyed, and 31 people (civilians and firefighters) were killed.
California also experienced its first "Gigafire" because of the August Complex Fire, burning over 1 million acres by itself. Four of California's top five largest wildfires in state history happened in 2020.
If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris are completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.
The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and know your community’s evacuation plans best to prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.
Some counties use Nixle alerts to update residents on severe weather, wildfires, and other news. To sign up, visit www.nixle.com or text your zip code to 888777 to start receiving alerts.
PG&E customers can also subscribe to alerts via text, email, or phone call. If you're a PG&E customer, visit the Profile & Alerts section of your account to register.
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