An inmate working on a wildfire east of Sacramento in Shingle Springs, California stole a fire engine and went on a joyride.
The 31-year old inmate did major damage to the CAL FIRE engine as he drove cross country at 12:40 a.m. Monday, did donuts, then crashed through a fence and entered the storage area for a company that manufactures truck racks.
When he got the fire engine stuck in a ditch he attempted to steal another vehicle:
From KTVU:
With the firetruck disabled, the inmate ran back toward the truck racks business and tried to steal a vehicle from a business employee who was just leaving, Varao said. They fought, but the employee was able to escape back into the business and lock himself inside, while the inmate was unable to start the employee’s vehicle.
The employee was left with “very minor injuries” but was not taken to the hospital, while the inmate was then captured by correctional officers with the help of El Dorado County sheriff’s deputies about a half-hour after the incident began.
Dotta & Sugar Fires, as seen from the camera on Beckwourth Peak, looking northeast at 7:42 p.m. July 2, 2021. The fires were being pushed by strong outflow winds from a thunderstorm cell.
Two lightning-caused wildfires are burning near Portola and Beckwourth, California north of Highway 70. A Red Flag Warning will be in effect at 11 p.m. Saturday night for more lightning and strong winds.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Dotta and Sugar Fires and the Beckwourth Complex of fires, including the most recent, click HERE.)
Map showing the location of the Dotta & Sugar Fires detected by a satellite at 3:54 a.m. PDT July 3, 2021. The red dots are the most current.
Dotta Fire
The Dotta Fire was reported at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday June 30, seven miles northeast of Portola. As of Saturday morning it has burned 533 acres. Evacuation warnings are in effect. During the satellite overflight at 3:54 a.m. Saturday it was about a mile west of Dixie Valley Road.
Dotta Fire map, 8 p.m. July 2, 2021.
Sugar Fire
The Sugar Fire started July 2, six miles east of Portola. It is very near the Plumas National Forest boundary, but the Forest has responsibility for suppression in that location, according to CAL FIRE. On Friday the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office evacuated several structures that were threatened. The latest report Saturday morning is that it has burned 250 acres.
Sugar Fire, soon after it started from lightning. Photo posted by Plumas National Forest, July 2, 2021.Sugar Fire, Friday evening, July 2. Photo by Plumas NF.
The Incident Management Team for the Salt Fire 19 miles north of Redding California announced Saturday they estimate that 27 residences and 14 outbuildings have been destroyed in the fire.
Evacuation orders and warnings are still in effect. For the latest information on evacuation orders and warnings, visit https://211norcal.org/saltfire/
The fire has moved into Campbell Creek and toward the Crane Mountain area.
9:49 a.m. PDT July 3, 2021
Map of the Salt Fire. The red line was the perimeter at 5:45 p.m. July 3, 2021. The yellow line was the perimeter about 24 hours earlier.
The Salt Fire 19 miles north of Redding, California added another 2,424 acres on Friday by spreading about a mile to the north and moving about 1/10 of a mile in some locations on the east side. The fire has now burned 7,467 acres.
From the Incident Management Team Saturday morning:
Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place for communities near the fire. Crews will work today to prioritize structure protection on the fire, including north and west of Gilman Road, and around Salt Creek. Other priorities include protecting private timber lands within the fire area, and maintaining the Interstate 5 corridor.
Firefighters mop up along Interstate 5 on the Salt Fire, July 2, 2021. InciWeb photo.
Updated 3:15 p.m. July 2, 2021
Map showing the current Salt Fire and other fires that have occurred nearby in the last 13 years.
The inversion that trapped smoke overnight on the Salt Fire north of Redding, California has at least partially broken at mid-afternoon on Friday, improving visibility and allowing more active fire behavior — as you can see in the photo below. Overnight the relative humidity rose to 60 percent but sank to 16 percent by 1:19 p.m. Friday with winds out of the southeast at 6 mph with gusts to 15.
The above map is rather striking, showing other fires that have occurred nearby in the last 13 years. The year 2018 was extremely busy for firefighters in Northern California. In order for the Salt Fire to spread much to the north it would have to burn through three year old vegetation, where it would be relatively easy to suppress, if it burns in those areas at all. To the southeast, however, on a four mile path to an arm of Shasta Lake, there is no recorded occurrence of fire between the 2012 Salt Creek Fire and the 2018 Hirz Fire.
Salt Fire as seen from the Sugarloaf camera, looking northeast at 2:31 p.m. July 2, 2021.
Updated 7:44 a.m. PDT July 2, 2021
Map of the Salt Fire. The yellow line was the perimeter at 6 p.m. PDT June 30. The red line was the perimeter at 5 p.m. July 1, 2021.
The Salt Fire 19 miles north of Redding, California was active Thursday afternoon putting up a large plume of smoke. By 5 p.m. it had spread two miles to the north and about a half mile east during the previous 23 hours. During a 5 p.m. mapping flight Thursday the main fire had not crossed Interstate 5 or the Sacramento arm of Shasta Lake. At that time it had burned 5,043 acres. A satellite overflight at 3:24 a.m. Friday indicated that it had continued to spread during the night to the north for an additional half mile.
An AlertWildfire camera west of the fire showed nothing but smoke at 7:24 a.m. Friday, indicating there was an inversion, similar to the conditions Thursday morning. Later, as the atmosphere and the fire heat up, it will likely break up like it did Thursday, leading to better visibility and possibly another smoke plume.
While the Type 1 Incident Management Team is transitioning to assume command of the fire, not much information is available. This is typical — an existing team does not want to step on the toes of the new group, and the incoming team is still getting their feet on the ground. Team transitions can also lead to problems in managing the fire out in the field, but good teams are aware, and take steps to minimize any issues that could compromise the safety of the firefighters.
Map of the Salt Fire. The white line was the perimeter at 6 p.m. PDT June 30. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 1:24 p.m. July 1, 2021. (scroll down to see a map with a wider view, to get context)
The Incident Management Team announced at 3:30 p.m Thursday that the Salt Fire 19 miles north of Redding, California had grown during the day to approximately 4,500 acres. As the temperature increased and the relative humidity went down, the fire activity picked up.
The firefighters plan to keep the fire east of Interstate 5 and the Sacramento arm of Shasta Lake.
Salt Fire as seen from the Sugarloaf camera, looking east at 4:42 p.m. PDT July 1, 2021.
The status of Interstate 5 is variable depending on fire conditions. For a while overnight all lanes, north- and southbound, were closed. Thursday afternoon lane closures were in place but traffic was getting through. Check with Caltrans for current conditions.
Map of the Salt Fire (the white line) at 6 p.m. PDT June 30, 2021.
The Salt Fire 19 miles north of Redding, California spread rapidly after it was reported at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 30. It is burning just east of Interstate 5 and the upper reaches of Shasta Lake near Lakehead, spreading north towards Sacramento Peak. Rapid to extreme growth occurred on the fire Wednesday due to terrain, weather, and dry fuels.
Spot fires ignited on the west side of Interstate 5 but firefighters were able to suppress them before they grew large. The Shasta-Trinity National Forest is the lead agency handling the fire with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection assisting.
The Salt Fire was mapped at 2,800 acres Wednesday evening. It has been designated as a Type 1 incident — the highest level of complexity — and a Type 1 Incident Management Team has been ordered. California Team 2, with Incident Commander Mike Minton, is expected to inbrief Thursday afternoon.
At least 500 residences will be threatened within the next 72 hours. The Shasta County Sheriff’s was expected to assess Thursday morning how many structures have been destroyed.
The fire is very near Shasta Lake, but firefighters had to request water tenders because the lake is so low that there are few places from which to draft water to refill fire engines.
Caltrans reported at 8:20 a.m. Thursday that northbound I-5 was closed approximately 10 miles north of Redding, at Fawndale. Southbound I-5 has reopened. This is a dynamic situation and changes have occurred. Check with Caltrans for the current conditions.
The nearby Tennant Fire has burned over 9,000 acres
Updated at 7:22 a.m. PDT July 1, 2021
The white lines on the map were the perimeters of the Lava & Tennant Fires at about 11:30 p.m. PDT June 30, 2021. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 2 a.m. PDT July 1, 2021.
Lava Fire
The Lava Fire was most active Wednesday on the east side, north of Mt. Shasta, where beginning at 4:30 p.m. it spread to the east for more than a mile. It chewed up another 2,000 acres to bring the size up to 19,680 acres.
Firefighters conducted burning operations Tuesday night on the west side, south of Highway 97. On Wednesday they made progress on the southwest side with the heavy use of hand crews, dozers, helicopters, and air tankers.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Lava Fire, including the most current, click HERE.)
Resources assigned to the fire Wednesday evening included 26 hand crews, 86 fire engines, and 13 helicopters for a total of 1,273 personnel. Air tankers are used as needed and available, but are not assigned to any one fire.
No information has been released about the number of structures destroyed.
Evacuation orders are in effect; details for the Lava and Tennant Fires are at https://arcg.is/1CrfH40.
Tennant Fire
The Tennant Fire, 15 miles northeast of the Lava Fire, was active on both the east and west sides on Wednesday, spreading for about 0.4 of a mile on both sides. It has burned on both sides of Highway 97 and as of 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday had blackened 9,439 acres, an increase of about 1,300 acres over 24 hours.
The Incident Management Team reported that five structures have been destroyed.
Wednesday evening there were 278 personnel assigned to the Tenant Fire, including 7 hand crews, 14 engines, 5 dozers, 13 helicopters, and 50 overhead personnel. Air tankers are used as needed, but are not assigned to any one fire.
Weather
The weather forecast for Thursday calls for sunny skies, almost no chance of rain, 91 degrees, 15 percent relative humidity, and in the mid-afternoon 15 mph winds out of the south gusting to 23 mph. This could, again, lead to active fire behavior after 1 p.m. The outlook for Friday is about the same.
Lava Fire as seen from the Lake Shastina camera at 8:36 p.m. June 30, 2021.
7:10 a.m. PDT June 30, 2021
Map of the Lava & Tennant Fires. The red line around the Lava Fire was the perimeter determined by an aircraft flight at 11:30 p.m. PDT June 29, 2021. The red areas on both fires represent heat detected by a satellite at 3:12 a.m. PDT June 30, 2021.
Lava Fire
The Lava Fire about two miles east of Weed, California was very active late in the afternoon Tuesday, putting up a large convection column of smoke topped by a pyrocumulus cloud. There was some growth to the north into Juniper Flats near Highway A12, but the majority of the movement was to the south and east in timber stands on the west and north slopes of Mt. Shasta. Spotting from torching trees created spot fires up to 0.75 mile out.
It was mapped Tuesday night at 17,591 acres.
The fire is burning through brush and timber which is interrupted by numerous patches of lava rock left over from many volcanic eruptions over the last 593,000 years. The fire is driven by very dry vegetation, spot fires, and occasional gusty winds.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Lava Fire, including the most current, click HERE.)
The U.S. Forest Service fire organization has entered into unified command, with CAL FIRE assuming the north branch containing the most community protection.
Convection column of smoke with pyrocumulus over the Lava Fire. Looking north from Soda Ridge at 7:38 p.m. PDT June 29, 2021. Credit: AlertWildfire and PG&E.
Approximately 3,200 residents have been evacuated in the community of Lake Shastina.
Crews initially attacked the fire when it was small, then left
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that in a town hall meeting Monday night the Forest Fire Management Officer (FMO) of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest said fire crews initially attacked the Lava Fire Friday afternoon when it was 1/4 acre.
Shasta-Trinity National Forest spokesperson Adrienne Freeman said the crews, thinking it was safe, left at 4 p.m. with plans to watch it from afar and return Saturday morning. However an hour later it flared up and spread rapidly.
“I apologize for that getting out”, the FMO said in the town hall meeting. “I’ll take the heat for that … I will own that … They got in with an initial attack and they got beat. It happens sometimes and is not the intended outcome, not what we want. We’re all disappointed that this happened, but it happened.”
Tennant Fire
The Tennant Fire first reported at 4 p.m. June 28 is 16 miles northeast of the Lava Fire on both sides of Highway 97 near Tennant Road. It is mostly on land protected by the Forest Service but is also on private property protected by CAL FIRE. The Forest Service reported Wednesday morning that it was mapped at 8,159 acres. It was very active Tuesday.
California Interagency Incident Management Team 15 will assume command of the Tennant Fire Wednesday.
The weather forecast for Wednesday calls for 98 degrees, relative humidity in the low teens, and in mid-afternoon 14 mph winds out of the south gusting to 21 mph. This could result in fire behavior similar to what was seen Tuesday. A red flag warning is in effect Wednesday for Southern Oregon 17 miles north of the Tennant Fire.
The outlook for Thursday is about the same, but the wind will be from variable directions at 2 to 7 mph.
Convection columns with pyrocumulus on both the Lava and Tennant Fires. Taken from Klamath Falls, OR June 29, 2021 by Douglas Bright.
Lava Fire, Pyrocumulus at 1:42 p.m. June 28, 2021.
These images of the Lava Fire were taken while it was making an extraordinary eight-mile run northeast of Weed, California on June 28, 2021. Except for the satellite photo, they all came from cameras in the AlertWildfire network.
Lava Fire as seen from the Hammond Ranch camera at 4:43 p.m. PDT June 28, 2021.GOES 17 satellite photo showing smoke from the Lava Fire at 5:26 p.m. PDT June 28, 2021. NASA.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Lava Fire, including the most current, click HERE.)
Pyrocumulus on the Lava Fire 1:33 p.m. June 28, 2021.Lava Fire as seen from the Hammond Ranch camera. Looking northeast at 7:31 p.m. PDT June 28, 2021.
The map shows heat on the Lava Fire detected by satellites. The red dots were detected at 2:54 p.m. PDT June 29, 2021. Light vegetation that burned and cooled before the next satellite overflight can’t be detected from 200 miles above the Earth.
The map above shows heat that was detected on the Lava Fire by satellites orbiting more than 200 miles above the Earth. This system is not nearly as accurate as mapping from a helicopter or using infrared on a fixed wing aircraft, but it can give us an idea of where a fire is.
The fire was active on Tuesday, putting up a great deal of smoke, but not nearly to the extent as on Monday. From the available cameras, most of the action appeared to be south of Highway 97.
There is little official information being made available about the fire itself.
Here is a link to a map with the latest evacuations and road closures from the Siskiyou County Office of Emergency Services: https://arcg.is/1CrfH40
Fire history in vicinity of Lava Fire, for which the perimeter on June 28, 2021 is shown. Lava perimeter supplied by Incident Management Team.
The map above shows the history of wildfires during the last 30 years in the vicinity of the current Lava Fire.
It is possible that the 2006 Hotlum Fire influenced the spread of the Lava fire, splitting into two heads. But there is also a field of lava in that area just south of Highway 97 which on satellite photos appears to be lightly vegetated, so it’s difficult to say from afar.
At Wildfire Today we covered the Boles Fire which burned through Weed in 2014.
Updated at 11:32 a.m. PDT June 29, 2021
Tuesday morning the Incident Management Team for the Lava Fire near Weed, California reported that the fire had burned 13,300 acres. Judging from the map, (see below) that number is likely to change.
Lava Fire as seen from the Hammond Ranch camera, looking northeast at 9:19 a.m. PDT June 29, 2021 at the area north of Mt. Shasta.
While the fire was burning a battle broke out between a person who was told he could not enter the fire area and law enforcement officers. The Mount Shasta Vista subdivision that was threatened by the fire is the home of hundreds of marijuana grows.
The officers tried to stop a man from driving into the Mount Shasta Vista subdivision after the fire crossed Highway 97 north of Weed, Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue said. The 1,641-lot subdivision has been converted into a massive network of marijuana grows run primarily by Hmong families.
“They made contact with the driver. And at some point, the driver exhibited a firearm, a handgun, and pointed it at the officers,” LaRue told The Sacramento Bee.
“Based upon preliminary information, it appears that there might have been a couple rounds fired from the suspect’s firearm.”
The officers, which included a sheriff’s deputy and local police officers, returned fire, killing the man, LaRue said. The dead man’s name wasn’t released. Darren Duck, who lives across Highway A-12 from where the officers shot the suspect, said he heard close to 60 rounds fired.
The newspaper said that during the fire the growers were hostile to firefighters. Not feeling safe, the firefighters did not enter the area.
The last time the city of Weed was seriously threatened by a fire was in 2014 when 157 residences and 8 commercial structures burned in the Boles Fire. It was started by an arsonist south of the community and was pushed by a strong southeast wind gusting over 40 mph.
6:56 a.m. PDT June 29, 2021
Map showing the APPROXIMATE location of the Lava Fire at 1:22 a.m. PDT June 29, 2021. This map is an early draft after the 8 mile run the fire made June 28.
The Lava Fire east of Weed, California, pushed by strong winds Monday afternoon ran 8 miles to the north.
It crossed a railroad, Highway 97, then burned five miles further north-northeast across flat ground. At 1:48 a.m. Tuesday it was at Chipmunk Road in Montague, a half mile south of the A12 road.
(To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Lava Fire, including the most current, click HERE.)
No information has been released by the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, the Incident Management Team, or the Shasta-Trinity National Forest about residences or property that were impacted by the fire after it crossed Highway 97. As this was written at 6 a.m. Tuesday, the Incident Management Team’s InciWeb page had not been updated in 20 hours.
There has been no official estimate released about the size of the fire, but by our figuring it is likely more than 4,000 acres.
Lava Fire, looking southeast from the Lake Shastina camera at 5:57 a.m. PDT June 29, 2021.
At 6 a.m. PDT Tuesday cameras showed active fire on the hill east of Carrick, east of Hilltop Lane.
You may be able to see in this photo an air tanker making a drop on the Lava Fire at 8:16 p.m. June 28, 2021. Captured by the camera at Lake Shastina.
The fire area was under a Red Flag Warning Monday from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m., stating, “Strong, gusty wind with low relative humidity and high fire danger will likely contribute to a significant spread of new and existing fires.”
The strong winds experienced Monday afternoon had been predicted at least 20 hours in advance. Sunday at 4:47 p.m. we wrote about it on Wildfire Today:
On Monday that breeze will be replaced in the afternoon by strong winds out of the south at 17 mph gusting to 28 while the temperature rises to 96 degrees with 15 percent relative humidity…. a recipe for significant fire growth unless firefighters can get a line around the fire before noon.
That forecast from the National Weather Service was exactly right.
GOES 17 satellite photo showing smoke from the Lava Fire at 5:26 p.m. PDT June 28, 2021.
According to the fire’s InciWeb page, the fire started at about 7:45 a.m. June 25 on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. It has been managed since June 28 by a Type 2 Incident Management Team, California Interagency Incident Management Team 14.
We will update this article as more information becomes available.
