REDDING, Calif. (AP) – Firefighters battled home-destroying wildfires Saturday in Northern California as officials throughout the drought-stricken state warned festive Fourth of July crowds against illegal fireworks and untended campfires that could lead to more damage.
Fire officials said parched brush and timber made perfect fuel for the kinds of disasters that have destroyed thousands of square miles of land in recent years, mainly in rural and forest areas.
Three large fires were burning near Mount Shasta, a towering volcano about an hour from the Oregon state line.
The greatest threat came from the Salt Fire, which broke out Wednesday near a freeway and destroyed 41 buildings, including 27 homes, in a rural area north of Redding. As of Saturday morning, it had grown to nearly 12 square miles (30 square kilometers) and was only 5% contained.
All lanes of Interstate 5 are open, but remain under threat, Shasta-Trinity National Forest officials said in an email Saturday.