"Terrifying" California wildfire burns 500 structures

A forest fire that rumbled with little warning in a northern California city has made two dead and left at least 500 structures destroyed in its wake, officials said.

Residents hastily gathering their belongings described a chaotic and cluttered escape as embers rose a mile in front of the flames and fire spread across the vast Sacramento River and set fire to Redding subdivisions. , a city of 92,000 inhabitants. "I have never experienced anything so terrifying of my life," said Liz Williams, who loaded two kids in her car, then found herself stuck in a traffic jam at a loss. seen with neighbors who were trying to retreat. Redding Estates Lake.

"I did not know if the fire was just going to jump behind a bush and catch me and suck me," Ms. Williams said. "I wanted to get out of here."

The fire leveled at least 500 structures and threatened nearly 5,000 more on Friday .

Entire neighborhoods were left abandoned and 37,000 people were under evacuation orders.

Redding Police Chief Roger Moore was among those who lost their homes, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The flames were going so fast that firefighters working in conditions of heat and drought had to give up their efforts.

The fire, which created at least two burning tornadoes that toppled trees, shaken fire-fighting equipment and blown up the windows of trucks, "shook everything up," said Scott McLean, a spokesman for Cal Fire, the state agency responsible for fighting forest fires

Firefighters warned that the fire was likely going to burn more deeply in urban areas before that it is not possible to confine it. core of the city.

] Redding is located in the northern end of the central agricultural valley, surrounded by a picturesque landscape.

Rivers channel abundant winter precipitation into mbadive reservoirs used for boating and fishing. The beautiful mountains of the area, including the snow-capped Mount Shasta at 4,265 meters, are a playground for outdoor enthusiasts. Lightning and even a lawn mower have unleashed devastating fires in forests and lakes. The fire that erupted on Monday was caused by a mechanical problem involving a vehicle, according to authorities.

The fire quickly escalated on Thursday when erratic flames swept the historic town of Shasta and Keswick before launching the Sacramento River.

Steve Hobson, a former firefighter, said that the flames on the distant hill looked like solar flares on the sun.

He had planned to stay behind to save his house. Redding Lake Road. But the heat burned her skin and the smoke made it difficult to breathe. He could feel the fire sucking air around him, badping swirling embers in a "tornado of fire," he said.

He had to cross fiery embers on both sides of the street when he finally escaped. A tree fell right in front of him.

"I did not know if I was going to do it, so I'm just in the middle of the street, I went down the middle of the street through the embers and smoke. Hobson

When he returned on Friday, his fence had burned with a backyard shed and everything inside – Christmas ornaments, china and old televisions. through the harrowing night.

The other houses in the path of random destruction were not so lucky.Where a few houses stood unscathed, single walls or chimneys were all that was left of them.

An Associated Press investigation found 66 homes destroyed in the neighborhood of Hobson and 60 others in Keswick Lake Estates

Our deepest condolences to the loved ones of the fire inspector Jeremy Stoke & the whole @ reddingff_1934 they pl had the loss of one of theirs. Jeremey died fighting Carr's fire in Shasta County. Keep Jeremy's family, friends, and colleagues in your thoughts pic.twitter.com/4jGlxJrKxt

– CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) July 27, 2018

The Fire Inspector from Redding, Jeremy Stoke, was killed in the outbreak, although no details were given about what happened to him.

Another firefighter hired to try to contain the flames with a bulldozer was killed Thursday but his name was not immediately released. He was the second bulldozer operator killed in a California fire in less than two weeks.

Redding's fire crews for a time gave up hope of containing the flames and instead focused on saving lives. a fire, "said Jonathan Cox, battalion commander with Cal Fire.

" We are trying to get people off the road because it's now deadly, and it's now moving at speeds and in a way that we do not have "

Elsewhere in the state, major fires continued to burn outside Yosemite National Park and in the mountains San Jacinto, east of Los Angeles, near Palm Springs.

Press Association