REDDING, Calif. (KRCR/CNN) – Some progress was made Tuesday morning in the massive and deadly Carr Fire in northern California that’s killed six people and destroyed hundreds of homes.
But now, crews are worried the weather could fan the flames further in the coming days.
Redding Police Chief Roger Moore said, “This is scary to us. This is something we haven’t seen before in the city.”
The monstrous Carr Fire continues to leave a path of destruction in California’s Shasta County. It’s one of more than a dozen fires burning across the state right now, but this one is so large and the temperatures are so hot that it’s creating its own weather system and can be seen from space.
Josh Lister’s family lost their home in the fire. He said, “It looked like an atomic bomb went off. After the fact, we got a few pictures from friends but it was a firestorm when we left.”
While crews are gaining ground, they say they’re dealing with the perfect recipe for the flames to spread erratically—low humidity, high temperatures, and high winds.
Those gale-force winds are whipping up what crews describe as “fire tornadoes” that are destroying everything in their path.
Don Hoff evacuated his home, saying “I saw to the right of me that vortex and that fire moving and I told my daughter get home now let’s leave. That one scares me.”
Redding Fire Deputy Chief Cullen Kreider said, “Some of our guys lost their homes as well. Probably half of our department was displaced.”
And while crews battle the flames on the fire lines, local authorities are dealing with reports of looting in those abandoned areas.
At least 3,000 firefighters are fighting to control the blaze as the community shows its gratitude.
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