Delta Fire Approaches Charred Scar of Carr Fire, Hirz Fire 100 Percent Contained

The devastating fire season in Shasta County is close to coming full circle, as the Dleta Fire, which is currently at 53,000 acres and 5 percent containment, approaches the charred scar of the Carr Fire. The Delta Fire has already merged with the Hirz Fire and upon connection with Carr Fire, will cover a combined area of almost 330,000 acres.

Meanwhile, firefighters reached full containment on the Hirz Fire Tuesday, marking a victory in a month-long fight against the blaze on the north side of Shasta Lake. The fire finished with 46,150 acres.

Firefighters are currently dealing with difficult conditions after the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning in the area of the Delta Fire, indicating dry and very windy conditions until Wednesday night. The rough terrain has made the fire difficult to contain, although its growth has sputtered in recent days. Officials fear the winds could push the fire into a much larger area, possibly causing evacuations in Castella and Dunsmuir.

The Delta Fire continues to move northwest away from Interstate 5, allowing officials to keep the busy freeway open to through traffic following a 5-day closure. The road is currently a two-way freeway with restrictions, and motorists are asked to use extreme caution throughout the 45-mile burned area.

Although not the largest of Northern California fire season this year, the Carr Fire was by far the most devastating. On July 26, a 146-mph “Firenado” tore through neighborhoods in west Redding, burning over a thousand homes and killing 8 people. It remains the sixth most destructive fire in California’s history.

The latest acreage and containment numbers are from Tuesday morning and we will update the numbers and how the windy weather affected them as information is made available.