Ponderosa fire forces mass evacuations as Shasta County declares state of emergency
Ponderosa fire, a 15,000-acre wildfire southeast of Redding, has destroyed a dozen buildings, threatening 3,600 homes and forcing more than 3,000 people to evacuate, as Shasta County officials declare a state of emergency.
The fire which began in Tehama County on Saturday quickly spread into Shasta County moving north toward the communities of Shingletown and Viola.
Chips Fire, a large wildfire that ignited in the Plumas National Forest on July 29, has grown to about 70 square miles, threatening several communities, officials said.
- The Plumas County Sheriff said it will issue Mandatory Evacuation Orders for the communities of Canyon Dam and Big Meadows. “Additionally, the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office will escalate to a Voluntary Evacuation for the communities of Almanor and Pratville. West Almanor remains under Advisement,” InciWeb reported.
Rush Fire. The massive blaze has now consumed about 400 square miles. “The fire is located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Northern California District (BLM-CA-NOD,) Eagle Lake Field Office, approximately 15 miles southeast of Ravendale, California. The fire is burning near a major natural gas line and transfer station, and power transmission lines that supply the Reno area and adjacent to Highway 395.”
Reading Fire. The blaze in the Lassen Volcanic National Park, sparked by lightning on July 23, has grown to about 50 square miles, and is reportedly 50 percent contained.
- Lightning strikes have sparked at least a dozen fires across the state since Friday.
Ramsey Fire, a 1,200-acre blaze located 8 miles East of Dorrington (Hwy 4). Photo: InciWeb.
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
Idaho, USA. Authorities ordered the evacuation of Featherville, a small mountain resort in Idaho, as smoke from the Trinity Ridge Fire in the Boise National Forest blanketed the surrounding areas raising health concerns and reducing visibility.
- The blaze, which started on August 3, has consumed about 90,000 acres and was less than 5 percent contained, as of posting.
See also: U.S. Wildfires Burning 2M Acres Across 11 States Posted August 17, 2012
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