California's Carr Fire Jumps Sacramento River, Reaching Outskirts Of Redding

NPR (National) ^ | July 27, 20184:43 AM ET | Scott Neuman

[Texas Fossil]

A fast moving fire in northern California jumped the Sacramento River, sending residents in the city of Redding fleeing ahead of the flames late Thursday in one of several wildfires sweeping through the state.

Cal Fire announced the death early Friday of a private bulldozer operator, who was working on an active section of the fire.

The Carr Fire tore through nearby Shasta and Whiskeytown destroying homes and other buildings before charging into Redding, a city of about 92,000. Several firefighters and civilians have also been injured, fire officials said.

The Sacramento Bee reports:

snip, video at link

As the Carr fire burned through Shasta Co., wildfires scorched several other parts of the state. The Ferguson Fire in central California engulfed some 44,000 acres as of Thursday evening and continued to grow near Yosemite National Park. It was reported to be just 27 percent contained.

The Cranston Fire swept over 4,700 acres in just a few hours east of Los Angeles on Wednesday and another fire burned in the Mount San Jacinto area.

[Paul R.]

The big ones (older Sequoias and Redwoods) have thick fire resistant bark and can survive most any fire.

But, I suppose burning up the next generation(s) is not so good...

[Persevero]

Sequoias are actually fire dependent for survival. As I recall from school a fire is the only thing that makes them reproduce, or some such thing.

California ecosystem is a fire dependent or tolerant one. We don’t get summer rain. This is “natural” although “naturally” they were started by lightning and of course not fought.

I don’t say this to take away at all from the people here just to point out this is normal like tornadoes or flooding etc. part of the ecosystem. We have to plan and work around it just like Hawaii etc have to plan on volcanoes. It happens.

[George from New England]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Sequoia

Very good read here

[Sivad]

And thank you for your obvious genuine concern. Often
we Californians expect to be on the receiving end of
insults even with catastrophes as the backdrop for
the story. Your posts reflect honest concern here on
this thread.

There really shouldn’t be a political angle to these
catastrophic events but if you were to categorize the
politics of Redding and surrounding area you have to
declare it to lean pretty conservative. Shasta area
in general, is supportive of the Jefferson statehood
project. The movement seeks to gain fair representation
for NorCal citizens in Sacramento.

[Texas Fossil]

Thanks for clarity.

I know that CA is not the same all over and appreciate that rural America is nothing like Urban America.

I spent way over 30 years traveling outside distribution sales in fly over country. Called on my share of Urban accounts too, but my heart is withing rural West and Midwest.

In rural America sanity still prevails. Insanity seems to exude out of the seats of power in Fed and State Government. That is why Austin is so strange that they often talk about “keeping Austin Strange”. (strange in that context, means totally out of touch with the rest of the state except a few large Urban areas)