Lava fire swells to 13,300 acres, forcing evacuations, as blazes ignite across California

June 29, 2021 Updated 10:16 PM PT

In what is perhaps an ominous harbinger of the coming fire season, crews are battling multiple wildfires across California while much of the region remains mired in treacherous heat and bone-dry conditions.

The largest of the fires, the lightning-sparked Lava fire in Siskiyou County, forced the evacuation of at least 8,000 residents Monday afternoon as gusty red flag conditions fueled the searing flames.

By Tuesday morning, the fire had expanded nearly tenfold, to 13,300 acres, Shasta-Trinity National Forest officials said. By the evening, the fire was 19% contained and the National Weather Service had tweeted that smoke from the area could carry over to Medford, Ore.

“The fire made significant runs” Monday, said Michelle Carbonaro, a spokesperson for the fire’s unified command team, noting that the northern border saw the most growth.

More than 470 personnel were battling the blaze from the air and the ground, she said, with crews working 24-hour shifts.

Footage captured by OnScene.TV near Highway 97 in Weed showed firefighters working late into the night while nearby brush and trees cracked and sizzled in the flames.

Evacuation orders for the Lake Shastina and Juniper Valley areas issued by the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office remained in effect Tuesday. Carbonaro said crews were prioritizing the southern and western edges of the fire, which are closest to the communities.

The Red Cross has established an evacuation shelter at Jackson Street School in Yreka.

Officials also closed Highway 97 between Weed and the Juniper Lodge, about a 30-mile stretch.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that a fire official with the Shasta-Trinity National Forest apologized to residents during a town hall Monday for crews having initially left the site of the fire Friday when the blaze was no longer perceived to be a threat.

Adrienne Freeman, a spokesperson for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, told The Times that after pouring thousands of gallons of water on the fire, officials had not been able to detect any more heat and had “no indication to continue suppression actions.”

But it rekindled shortly afterward — eventually exploding to more than 13,000 acres.

“It does happen,” she said. “It’s not terribly common.”

Dangerously hot, dry weather is expected to improve as the week goes on, Carbonaro said, but crews Tuesday had to contend with another day of difficult conditions.

“The area is under that extreme heat wave of the whole Pacific Northwest,” Carbonaro said.

Siskiyou County was also battling the Tennant fire, which began Monday evening and by Tuesday evening had grown to 6,000 acres and was 0% contained, according to Kimberly DeVall, a spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service.

About 3 p.m., the fire prompted evacuations for the area east of Highway 97 to East Ball Mountain Road, as well as from Old State Highway to Bray. Orders were later expanded to include Bray, the area south of MacDoel, the residents along Old State Highway and Juanita Lake. An evacuation center was established at Dorris City Hall.

Many parts of the Pacific Northwest remained under excessive heat warnings Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Meanwhile, crews have gained some control over fires in Kern, San Bernardino and Monterey counties, as well as a brush fire that ignited in Hemet on Monday afternoon.

Two of the fires — the Shell fire in Kern County and the Peak fire in San Bernardino — have been linked to vehicle fires.

The Shell fire began Sunday after a car caught fire on the shoulder of a road, Kern County Fire Department spokesperson Andrew Freeborn said. The cause of the vehicle fire remains under investigation.

By Tuesday morning, the Shell fire had neared 2,000 acres but was 65% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Containment grew to 75% in the evening.

The Peak fire was also caused by a “single vehicle accident,” San Bernardino National Forest officials said on Twitter. In that instance, the car fire quickly spread to nearby vegetation.

The fire reached about 35 acres Monday before its progress was stopped about 2 p.m., forest officials said.

About an hour later, a vegetation fire ignited in Hemet.

Dubbed the Stowe fire, it grew to 122 acres by 5 p.m. before the spread was stopped, the Riverside County Fire Department said.

The fire damaged several power lines, spurring an outage for as many as 3,000 residents in east Hemet. Southern California Edison restored power to most residents by 5:30 p.m., officials said.

The Stowe fire was 100% contained by 8 a.m. Tuesday, Cal Fire said on Twitter.

The cause of that fire has not yet been determined.

The Willow fire in Los Padres National Forest ignited June 18. As of Tuesday morning, it was holding steady at 2,877 acres and 87% containment, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Lynn Olson said.

Olson said the fire outbreaks will probably repeat in the months to come.

“We’re anticipating a very busy season, unfortunately,” she said, pleading with the state’s residents to “recreate carefully” and avoid starting campfires or using fireworks where they’re not appropriate.

“Extreme caution is encouraged,” she added.