WEED, Calif. — A wildfire in Northern California has grown significantly and begun to pose a threat to communities.
The so-called Lava Fire is now estimated to be 19,680 acres and 19% contained per the latest update.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation orders Monday for the Lake Shastina and Juniper Valley areas. Highway 97 is also closed between the city of Weed, Calif. and the Juniper Lodge, or for roughly 30 miles. Forest Road 31 at Mud Creek has also been significantly impacted by debris flow and is impassable.
Ignited by lightning on June 24, the Lava Fire is burning north of the town of Weed in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, right at the base of Mount Shasta. Currently, 470 fire fighting personnel are tackling the blaze.
The region is under excessive-heat warnings, with afternoon high temperatures expected to range from 100 to 110 degrees.
Shooting Investigation
Officers shot and killed a man who pulled a gun as they tried to keep him out of a complex of marijuana farms in an area of far Northern California where thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate because of a raging wildfire.
The Siskiyou County sheriff said in a Facebook post that the man was trying to drive into a subdivision Monday and pointed a handgun at a group of officers. The sheriff says the man may have fired a couple of rounds and the officers killed him. (From Associated Press)
Accounts to follow for updates:
MAPS
EVACUATIONS
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.
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