The region is once again under a red flag warning, warning of a high fire risk due to strong winds and dry, less humid conditions.
Winds in the area are around 20 to 30 mph but are forecast to strengthen throughout the day, which could spread the fire and make it difficult for air crews to continue their battle from above.
Ed Fletcher, who works for Cal Fire – California’s statewide fire agency, told the BBC that this fire was different from earlier this month. He said the winds aren’t strong enough yet, and many crews are trying to contain the flames.
“It’s extremely dry and we know it’s going to be windy later,” he said. “We’ll know more in a few hours.”
Mr. Fletcher noted that the area is not densely populated and that current winds are blowing the fire toward Castac Lake, which is acting as a buffer between the Castac area, which has about 20,000 residents.
“If it jumps into the lake,” he said, “it becomes a much more dynamic situation.”
A woman who evacuated her home told NBC 4 she was stranded on Interstate 5, California’s main transportation highway that runs through the state. Interstates in the area were closed due to the fire.
“It looked like a cloud, but as you got closer, it looked like we were going to hell,” he said of the black smoke and red flames he saw. “It was pretty scary to be honest with you.”
He admitted to being on edge after the nearby Palisades and Eaton fires burned, killing at least 28 people and destroying more than 10,000 homes and businesses.
“I don’t know why they keep popping up,” she said. “It’s definitely a scary time in this area.”
