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U.S. NEWS Friday 7 September 2018

Big rigs abandoned as wildfire

scorches California freeway

By NOAH BERGER and PAUL in the Mendocino area — Foster of the California
ELIAS the two largest blazes in Highway Patrol's Mount
Associated Press the state so far this year Shasta office told the Los
SHASTA-TRINITY NATIONAL — have filed more than Angeles Times. At least two
FOREST, Calif. (AP) — Truck- 10,000 claims so far totaling trucks were partially melt-
ers abandoned big-rigs $845 million. ed.
and motorists screamed The two fires destroyed or U.S. Forest Service work-
in fear as they came dan- damaged a combined ers helped the driver of
gerously close to an explo- 8,800 homes and 329 busi- one flaming truck to safe- A crane lifts a truck scorched by the Delta Fire on Interstate 5
sive wildfire that shut down nesses. ty. Truckers, firefighters in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 6,
about 45 miles of a major "The worst may be yet to and others aided more 2018.
California interstate near come," Commissioner Da- drivers.q Associated Press
the Oregon border that au- vid Jones warned at a San
thorities were desperately Francisco news confer-
trying to reopen. ence, noting that California
In a video, a passenger in wildfires are typically more
a vehicle screams: "Oh my destructive after Sept. 1.
God, I want to go!" as near- The blaze Thursday along
by trees burst into flames. Interstate 5 has blackened
"I can't breathe," the wom- 23 square miles (60 square
an says, sobbing. "Please, kilometers), prompting
guys, come put it out." mandatory evacuations.
The fire erupted Wednes- It was moving rapidly but
day afternoon in a rural was still far from any large
area and devoured timber towns.
and brush on both sides Officials from a number of
of Interstate 5 as it nearly agencies were meeting
tripled in size overnight, of- Thursday to determine if
ficials said Thursday. they can reopen the high-
Elsewhere in the state, a fire way, a key route for com-
raging in the Sierra Nevada mercial trucks, California
had grown to more than Highway Patrol Officer Ja-
7 square miles (18 square son Morton said.
kilometers) after shutting The highway runs north
down stretches of U.S. 395, from the Mexico border
State Route 108 and the through California, Oregon
Pacific Crest Trail along the and Washington state to
eastern spine of California. the border with Canada.
The Marine Corps Moun- The scattered homes and
tain Warfare Training Cen- cabins in and around Shas-
ter, campgrounds and ta-Trinity National Forest
other areas were evacu- were under evacuation or-
ated Wednesday. Ranch- ders, from the community
ers were told to prepare to of Lakehead north to the
move livestock out of the Siskiyou County line, said
area in Humboldt-Toiyabe Chris Losi, a spokesman for
National Forest. the forest.
The two fires Thursday were "It isn't a lot of people," he
raging just weeks after a said.
blaze in the Redding area The blaze was human-
killed eight people and caused, officials said, with-
burned some 1,100 homes out indicating whether it
in a frightening start to the was arson or an accident.
fire season. About 17 big-rigs were
California's insurance com- abandoned along the in-
missioner said Thursday that terstate and at least four
victims of that fire and one caught fire, Lt. Cmdr. Kyle