Carr Fire more than twice the size of Redding, grows to 83,800 acres

Correction: This story has been corrected. Small animals are not being accepted at Dignity Health Golden Umbrella, 200 Mercy Oaks Drive.

Update, 3 a.m.

Law enforcement agencies in the region continue to patrol evacuated areas in an effort to safeguard homes and businesses from theft.   

Redding Police arrested Mitchell B. Stuebgen around 10:45 p.m. on Saturday night after finding him in an evacuated part of Lake Boulevard, according to a Redding PD news release. Police said Stuebgen, wearing camouflage, was carrying a loaded handgun, a billy club, nunchucks and a concealed dagger. According to police, Stuebgen is prohibited from carrying a firearm. 

He was brought to the Shasta County Jail. 

More:Carr Fire claims sixth life; 7 people still missing

Update, 11:30 p.m. 

Smoke from the Carr Fire will help keep temperatures cooler during the day, according to the National Weather Service. Wind speed at Redding Municipal Airport is calm, while humidity is rising. The agency's red flag warning around the fire's perimeter remains in effect through Monday morning. 

Cal Fire engineer Anthony Romero told Action News Now that crews were still facing "erratic winds" while trying to contain the fire. 

More:Shasta County family on the edge as Carr Fire burns a path of devastation, destruction

The California Highway Patrol is warning drivers against running through road closures. In a Facebook post from the agency, officials wrote that officers arrested a driver attempting to get to a family member's home. 

Update, 9:46 p.m. 

Evacuations ordered in certain areas near Douglas City, Lewiston 

Additional evacuations have been ordered by officials from Highway 299 at Trinity Dam Road west to Douglas City. Instead of evacuating to Weaverville Elementary, officials now recommend taking shelter at Trinity High School in Weaverville.

• All roads and streets west of Trinity Dam Blvd and east of Lewiston Road Deadwood Road east of Trinity Dam Blvd. All residences on Baker Road including Cooper Gulch, Posey Road, Lakeview Terrace and Pine Cove Marina including Eagle Mountain Road
• Trinity Dam Road Blvd to Hwy 3 including all residences within Lewiston area to Trail Drive
• Biggers Road
• Steel Bridge Road
• Lower Steel Bridge Road
• Poker Bar Road
• River Road 
• Quad P Road
• Bridge Road
• Red Lane
• Old Highway
• Lewiston Road
• Ohio Lane
• Lowden Way
• Ponderosa Pines
• River Front Road
• Wellock Road
• S. Ponderosa Pine
• Coffin Road
• Dirt Road
• Benvenuto Way
• Browns Mountain Road
• Mountain Springs Road
• Jobe Way
• Steelhead Circle
• Rebel Road
• Quail Point Road
• Lockhart Ranch Road
• Prut Road
• Upper Salt Flat Road
• Salt Flat Road
• Goose Ranch Road
• Dredger Lane
• Bacham Lane
• Partridge Lane
• Shady Lane
• River Rock Road
• Old Oak Road
• Gulch Road
• Lewiston Turn Pike Road

This map shows some of the latest evacuation orders. It may not be completely up-to-date as more evacuation orders and advisories are issued:

Update, 9:39 p.m. 

Residents in certain areas can return to their homes:

The Shasta County Sherrif's office has announced that the following areas are no longer under evacuation and residents can return to their homes, effective immediately. 

• Canyon Road
• Ranchette Drive
• Prospectors Road
• Copper Drive
• Valley View Road
• Silverado Drive
• Windsor Lane
• Redbank Road

7:50 p.m. update

Carr Fire more than twice the size of Redding, grows to 83,800 acres 

The size of the Carr Fire has grown to 83,800 acres, Cal Fire reports. That number is up from 80,896 acres Saturday morning. The fire is 5 percent contained, same as Saturday morning. Officials say 536 structures have been destroyed,117 structures have been damaged and 4,978 structures are threatened. 

Measured in square milage, the Carr Fire has consumed 131 square miles. For reference, the city of Redding takes up about 61 square miles. 

More:Carr Fire in Redding: What we know as of Sunday morning

7:20 p.m. update

Trinity River water levels rise as power plant evacuates

Emergency water releases into the Trinity River have begun at Lewiston Dam because the Trinity Power Plant has been evacuated due to the Carr Fire, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.

The agency warns water levels in the Trinity River and Lewiston Lake could both rise and fall.

"Watch out! Water levels at Lewiston Lake and in the Trinity River above and below the lake could fluctuate rapidly starting now due to emergency releases related to the Carr Fire," the bureau tweeted.

Releases from Lewiston Dam into the Trinity River are increasing by 500 cfs, from 750 cfs to 1,250 cfs.

Flooding is not expected along the Trinity River, according to the National Weather Service in Eureka.

7:15 p.m. update

Governor orders flags lowered for firefighters who died

Gov. Jerry Brown on Saturday ordered flags at the Capitol to be flown at half-staff to honor the two firefighters who died while fighting the Carr Fire.

Redding Fire Prevention Inspector Jeremiah “Jeremy” Stoke, 37, of Redding and bulldozer operator Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines were killed.

“Anne and I were devastated to learn about the deaths of these two heroes who lost their lives while protecting their fellow Californians,” Brown said.

“We honor them and all the first responders who are working day and night to protect life and property as wildfires continue to burn across the state.”

Capitol flags will be lowered for 72 hours in honor of both men.

4:35 p.m. update

Alta Mesa School public meeting

Cal Fire's Unified Incident Commander Brett Gouvea described the Carr Fire as "something we've never seen in Shasta County history."

"It has done things that we have not seen before in this county," he added.

"We have seen some things in this fire that have been tough on all of us," Gouvea said.

Gouvea was speaking to the public at Alta Mesa School in Redding.

A total of 3,410 personnel have been assigned to the fire. Nearly 330 fire engines were fighting the fire Saturday and Rick Young of the National Parks Service said 150 more engines were on the way from throughout California.

Young also said the fire has a 100-mile perimeter.

Crews have been sent to the east side of the Sacramento River in Redding to look for any spot fires that may occur from flying embers. Fire officials said it's not unusual for embers to travel a mile away and start a fire on the ground.

Fire officials say one part of the fire is at the Igo bridge in the Clear Creek Drainage.

2:45 p.m. update

Tortilla Flats is feeding firefighters

Tortilla Flats on Park Marina Drive in Redding is taking donations for families and individuals who have been displaced by the Carr Fire.

The Mexican restaurant also is giving free meals to firefighters who comes in, said Austin Lamkin, who manages the restaurant.

Tortilla Flats is open until 8 p.m. Saturday. The restaurant also will be taking donations and feeding firefighters Sunday.

“As long as we need to help out,” Lamkin said.

2:30 p.m. update

Shelter at Simpson University asks for supplies

The Carr Fire evacuation center at Simpson University is asking for individually wrapped snacks (store-bought only), hygiene products, baby products, and toys and items for children.

Food and water is available for anyone who has been displaced.

Officials do not have a need for water donations at this time, per a city of Redding news release.

The shelter has space for 160 people and is not accepting pets.

1:30 update

Win-River Casino and hotel evacuate

Win-River Casino and its hotel are being evacuated, a spokeswoman confirmed.

The hotel and casino are off Canyon Road on the west side of Highway 273 in south Redding.

1:20 p.m. update

Missing grandmother and two children confirmed dead

A family friend has confirmed that Melody Bledsoe and her two grandchildren died in the Carr Fire, bringing the death toll from the blaze to five.

Only seven wildfires in California history have killed more than five  people, according to data from the California  Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Bledsoe was babysitting her great-grandson and great-granddaughter in Keswick Dam Road and Quartz Hill Drive, just outside Redding.

Donald Kewley, 28, whose number was listed on a Facebook post about the three being missing that went viral, said Saturday he was consoling Bledsoe's husband, and the family had just returned from the Shasta County Coroner's Office.

The children are identified as 5-year-old James Roberts and 4-year-old Emily Roberts, according to a post shared on Facebook after they went missing. Sheriff Tom Bosenko said the bodies have not been recovered, but there is evidence people died in the house.

The house was consumed by fire, the roof collapsed and it has covered the footprint of the house, which is preventing officials from getting inside, Bosenko said.

“Just spoke with my staff at the scene,” Bosenko said. “There is overwhelming evidence that there are decedents at the scene and that they have communicated that with family members.”

The fire was moving so quickly when it ripped through the area that it was overtaking firefighters, Bosenko said. Kewley said they're worried about other people whose families are missing as well.

"We're trying to call, and we're trying to beat the news," he said.

Police on Saturday had gone to the home on a welfare check. At the time they said they had not seen evidence anyone was dead, but they were investigating it.

Redding Fire inspector Jeremy Stoke was killed in the fire Thursday night, while Don Ray Smith, 81, of Pollock Pines was identified on Saturday as the man killed while he operated a bulldozer.

Coroner’s officials said Smith was overtaken by the fire on Thursday and his body was found in the area of Benson Drive and Rock Creek Road in Shasta, about 3 miles east of Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. His body was found by emergency personnel.

1:05 p.m. update

Haven Humane evacuating, relocating to Shasta Gateway outlets in Anderson

Haven Humane is evacuating as a precautionary measure, city of Redding officials announced Saturday.

The animal shelter will relocate to the Shasta Gateway outlets in Anderson.

Mark Storrey, chief executive officer of Haven Humane, is requesting people not call the facility.

He said the shelter has plenty of food and supplies to care for the animals and do not need drop-offs.

12:45 p.m. update

New evacuations ordered

Additional mandatory evacuation orders have been issued:

Platina Road and Buell Road: Southeast along Platina Road to Bully Choop Road including all residences to the west of Platina Road including Buell Road, Rainbow Lake Road, Rector Creek Road, Old Cannel Road, Mountainside Road, Devils Gap Drive, Baker Ridge Road, Ducket Road, Sunnyhill Road and Bigfoot Road. 

12:15 p.m. update

'We’ve been here all our lives, and it isn’t normal'

In Happy Valley, residents were loading possessions, pets and livestock within an hour of being notified to evacuate.

The Dwinell family, loaded a recreation vehicle with some belongings and a small dog. They’ve been in the area since the 1940s.

“Bad, just bad,” said Earnie Dwinell Jr., 61, . “Unimaginable, there is no rhyme or reason.”

He was helping his 83-year-old parents, Ruth and Earnie Dwinell Sr. evacuate.

“We’ve been here all our lives, and it isn’t normal,” Dwinell Jr. said about the fire. “Well, I guess it is normal now.”

His parents were glad to have an RV to load up their belongings but worried about possessions left behind — a 1964 Falcon and antique furniture.

“We have stuff in this barn going back to (the) 1940s,” Dwinell Sr. said.

Meanwhile, Cal Fire has announced a community meeting. That gathering is at 4 p.m. Saturday at Alta Mesa Elementary School at 2301 Saturn Skyway in Redding.

Fire crews from all over continue to arrive to battle the Carr Fire.

The Sycuan Golden Eagles Hot Shots out of San Diego County were heading south on Interstate 5 late Saturday morning to help battle the enormous fire.

11:04 a.m. update

Carr Fire: Police see looting. Whisketown to stay closed indefinitely.

At a Saturday briefing, authorities said the Carr Fire has forced people to evacuate from Happy Valley.

Here are all the other updates they provided:

• The National Guard has 210 soldiers on the ground, and they are manning 10 traffic control points.
• Redding Police Chief Roger Moore said his officers are reporting they are seeing some looting in the fire area.
• Sheriff Tom Bosenko says 14 people are missing in Shasta County.
• Whiskeytown National Recreation Area will be closed for an indefinite period of time.
• While electricity has been restored in Shasta Lake, numerous are still without power. Pacific Gas & Electric says 4,000 customers are in the dark.
• A total of 614 people are staying in shelters.
• Authorities say inspectors are checking out the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge spanning the Clear Creek in Igo-Ono because it is “compromised,” a result of the fire burning in the area.

10:43 a.m. update

Sheriff says 14 people are missing in Shasta County

Police were checking on a home in the 11000 block of Quartz Hill Road where a Redding woman and her two grandchildren were last seen.

A post going viral on Facebook said Melody Bledsoe was babysitting her grandson and granddaughter, ages 4 and 5, on a trailer in the Keswick and Quartz Hill area when the fire spread into Redding.

She "called begging for someone to help them evacuate but traffic on I-5 was so bad they couldn’t get there fast enough and the roads were closed," the post said.

Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko on Saturday morning during a briefing said 14 people have been reported missing in Shasta County since the fire started.

10:15 a.m. update

According to scanner reports, firefighters are headed to the 11000 block of Rock Creek Road where a fire has broken out in the manzanita.

Fire officials say several homes are threatened.

10:09 a.m. update

The evacuation center at Shasta College has reached maximum capacity for people displaced by the Carr Fire.

Shasta College will not be accepting new evacuees, but the American Red Cross has opened two shelters and Grace Baptist Church also has opened its doors to evacuees and has showers.

Those who have been staying at the Shasta College shelter will continue to receive food, water and medical services, college officials said.

People who are interested in volunteering can sign up at www.redcross.org/volunteer. This service will filter for local efforts and assist in the process of registration. People who want to contribute items other than water and new blankets, can contact the following agencies:

American Red Cross at www.redcross.org

Shasta Regional Foundation Community Disaster Relief Fund at www.shastarcf.org/funds/cdrf

United Way of Shasta County Relief Fund at www.norcalunitedway.org

10:02 a.m. update

Dispatch is reporting authorities are looking to close Quartz Hill Road and Benton Drive to traffic. 

9:47 a.m. update

A fire official from Kern County stopped a reporter on Placer Road just before Muletown Road.

He said the structural integrity of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge spanning the Clear Creek in Igo-Ono is “compromised.”

The officials was driving and did not elaborate.

Evacuations are in progress in the Happy Valley area.

8:52 a.m. update

Homes are burning on Blarney Lane off Irish Creek Road southwest of Redding. 

Crews are working to stop the flames, but they say erratic and unpredictable gusts pushed the fire into structures on a hill near the end of the road. 

Firefighters are digging in and laying hose, working to save the remaining homes on the street — the majority of which are still standing. 

Meanwhile, large flakes of ash are falling from a sky choked with thick orange smoke over the town of Igo, but flames aren't visible from the town's main drag. 

Further up the road is a different story. 

The Carr Fire is pushing up against Placer Road a few miles west of town. 

A hand crew worked to hold off flames as the fire approached the road near the intersection of Diggins Way and Placer Road. 

Engines are parked in driveways of nearby homes and more firefighters — including a bulldozer — lay in wait nearby. 

8:50 a.m. update

Fire crews have stopped the forward spread of a quarter-acre vegetation fire at Irish Creek Lane and Placer Road southwest of Redding.

8:45 a.m. update

A road closure for westbound Highway 299 has been moved to Court Street in Redding, according to the California Department of Transportation.

The closure was moved east from Buenaventura Boulevard.

8:35 a.m. update

Law enforcement dispatches say a fire is moving toward Placer and Power Line roads.

Cal Fire says a number of fire-fighting air tankers from throughout the state will fly missions today as conditions allow. A total of 17 helicopters are assigned to the fire today.

The Carr Fire is at 80,896 acres with 5 percent containment.

8:20 a.m. update

Fire activity appears to be intensifying in the area of Placer Road and Irish Creek Lane, where reporters Ben Stillman and Sam Gross are on the scene and have been broadcasting live to the Record Searchlight’s Facebook page.

The fire also is approaching Cloverdale and Clear Creek roads.

Evacuations in the area are continuing.

8 a.m. update

The Carr Fire has nearly doubled in size to 80,896 acres, fire officials said.

The fire remains 5 percent contained.

Firefighters worked through Friday evening building containment lines. The blaze has spread in all directions and made significant runs, Cal Fire says.

At the morning briefing Saturday at the Shasta District Fairgrounds in Anderson, fire officials said the blaze is expected to pick up significantly around 1 p.m., based on weather forecasts.

Air attack was scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. with planes in the northwest part of the fire, which is burning in less populated areas. A fire commander said helicopters would go up as early as possible. Conditions have limited the amount of air support that can be used.

Unified Incident Commander Brett Gouvea reminded the assembled leadership group that they are in a “marathon” situation.

He did, however, say Friday night was “ a more favorable night in comparison to the two nights prior to that.

“This is not going to go out overnight,” he said. “I need you to take care of your folks. Please, let’s also take care of the citizens of Shasta County. They’re hurting as well.”

Gouvea called the events of Thursday night “historic and unprecedented.”

Commanders also talked Saturday morning of “boxing in” the fire in the areas where it remains on the move, and cited four specific areas where they want to hold it.

Fire officials were told to expect the fire to pick up about 1 p.m.

In the most populated areas, the goal is to keep the fire:

• North of Clear Creek Road and west of Interstate 5
• From crossing into Trinity County near Hoadley Peak, which has communication towers, and from going farther north than Big Gulch, a remote area near the county line to the west of Lake Shasta.

7:30 a.m. update

The California Highway Patrol has issued new closures for the Carr Fire:

• Highway 299 at Overhill Drive
• Placer Road at Cloverdale Road
• Highway 299 at Sunset Drive
• Buenaventura Boulevard at Teton Drive
• River Park Drive at Benton Drive
• Buenaventura Boulevard at Canyon Creek Road
• Pine Grove Avenue at Lake Boulevard
• Placer Road at Cloverdale Road

7 a.m. update

Fire hand crews are at work stopping flames at Placer Road near Centerville.

The firefighters are using fire hoses, hand tools and chain saws to stop the spread of flames.

Elsewhere in Igo, it was quiet, smoky and eerily dark.

Go to Record Searchlight's Facebook page for live coverage.

ORIGINAL STORY

The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County remained at 48,312 acres and was 5 percent contained while a new round of evacuations includes the Igo and Ono areas.

"Time to go Igo. The fire is coming down Muletown ready to hit Placer. Time to go now. Leave Igo take your pets time to go," the Igo-Ono Fire Department posted before midnight on its Facebook page.

Crews have built a fire line between Centerville and Igo.

The California Highway Patrol confirmed early Saturday that an active fire was continuing to spread toward Igo. At 4 a.m., a CHP livestream said the fire was also spreading southwest, toward the direction of Cottonwood.

Some 38,000 people have been evacuated since the blaze started Monday early afternoon at Highway 299 and Carr Powerhouse Road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Cal Fire has said the fire was caused by the "mechanical failure of a vehicle."

The fire has destroyed some 500 structures and damaged another 75, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Nearly 5,000 structures are threatened by flames.

Cal Fire officials said they will give an update at 7 a.m. today.

Meanwhile, authorities are trying to locate two children and their great-grandmother who were last known to be in the Quartz Hill area, according to a report by CNN.

Redding police urge people to stay out of evacuated areas.

"We need to be able to keep neighborhoods clear of people so emergency equipment can get back and forth," the department said.

In addition, police don't want people driving to areas to watch the fire. 

"We all want to see this huge fire but all you are doing is causing more congestion and problems. Please watch from your home that is a safe distance away," police said.

Highway 299 remains closed from Buenaventura Boulevard in Redding to the Trinity-Shasta County line at Buckhorn Summit, according to the California Department of Transportation.

Highway 151 — the route to Shasta Dam — is closed from the dam to Lake Boulevard in Shasta Lake.

RELATED: Carr Fire has destroyed 500 structures; grown to 48,312 acres

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