Carr Fire Destroys Almost All Of The Small California Town Of Keswick, Pop. 450
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But now, the boats, trailers, and Weber grills are twisted metal in the blackened front yards of homes that are no longer there, all blanketed by an eerie, thick haze. The carefree summer has ended for the town of Keswick. No one is here anymore in the community of about 450 people in California’s scenic Shasta-Trinity area that mostly burned to the ground on Thursday.
But signs of former life are everywhere - from the portable basketball court lying on its side in the middle of the street to the tiny children’s bike next to a tree trunk, to a Bambi lawn ornament still intact in the rubble of one home.
On Friday, a muddy brownish-red smog hung over Keswick, the noise of a helicopter overhead, as the ground still smoldered, lingering proof of the intensity of the Carr Fire that has killed two people and destroyed 500 structures.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-wildfires-keswick/mangled-boats-bikes-all-that-remain-in-wake-of-california-fire-idUSKBN1KI04O
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An unnamed contracted bulldozer operator and Jeremy Stoke, Redding’s fire inspector, have both been killed by the fire. At least three other firefighters have been injured, according to USA Today. In a message sent early Saturday morning from the Igo Ono Fire Department to residents of Igo, a town near Redding, officials emphasized the need for haste.
“Time to go Igo. The fire is coming down muletown ready to hit placer. Time to go now. Leave Igo take your pets time to go,” the account wrote.
According to CAL FIRE, the Carr Fire was only 5 percent contained as of Saturday and 80,906 acres are impacted. The fire is expected to continue well into next week.
Wildfires are typical in California and many residents are used to annual blazes. But last year’s wildfire season saw record damage and officials are concerned that this year could be even worse. Nearly 300,000 acres have burned so far in 2018, marking the worst wildfire season beginning in a decade for the state.
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https://thinkprogress.org/california-wildfires-fire-tornado-14e2fb92d7bd/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-wildfires-keswick/mangled-boats-bikes-all-that-remain-in-wake-of-california-fire-idUSKBN1KI04O