California's main highway reopens but forest fires

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – An interstate highway closed for five days in northern California by a huge forest fire was partly reopened Monday, but the conflagration remained largely uncontrollable.

The Delta fire, which erupted Wednesday in a canyon along the Sacramento River about 402 km north of San Francisco, has since blackened more than 47,000 acres of dry mountain wood in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. surroundings.

Although no deaths or serious injuries were reported, flames crossed Interstate 5 in Shasta County on Wednesday, chasing truckers off their vehicles before the flames muddled. the platforms.

The highway was reopened on Monday after the teams built a buffer zone between the roadway and the flames, but the movements were reduced to one lane in each direction for a distance of 17 miles south of the town of Dunsmuir. .

"Firefighters continued their efforts to strengthen control and emergency lines on all fronts. Evening priorities focused on the preparation and protection of structures at the southern end of the fire, "said US Forest Service officials on InbiWeb's fire monitoring website.

Firefighters said that the shadow of a lingering smoke covered a limited fire activity on Sunday and allowed the crews to cut the containment lines.

Much of the effort has also been focused on protecting scattered homes and small communities in the sparsely populated fire zone. Two single-family houses were destroyed and two other buildings were damaged.

The teams were hampered by steep terrain, canyons and narrow valleys that made it difficult to access the flames.

"The inversion should rise on the western edge of the fire today, introducing the possibility of increased fire behavior," said the Forest Service. "Clear skies will also open up opportunities for air drops."

About 150 people remained under mandatory evacuation orders in Shasta and Trinity counties. An evacuation notice was in effect for the town of Dunsmuir, advising some 1,600 residents to be ready to flee at any time.

Communities in Shasta County are still recovering from a devastating fire that killed eight people and cremated hundreds of homes in and around Redding during one of the most intense seasons in California and the Western US in a decade.