Officials say illegal outdoor fires at camps lead to arrests, escaped blazes
Shasta County fire agencies are reporting an increase in illegal outdoor fires this year, with some of them escaping and causing wildland fires.
During the past two weeks, officials with fire agencies in the Redding, Anderson and Shasta Lake area said they conducted patrols in areas of illegal encampments and found evidence of nearly 25 illegal fires.
"The goal of these patrols is to prevent unsafe outdoor fires, which are a common threat during the colder fall months. Illegal open fires, including small cooking fires, threaten public safety, particularly when fuel moistures are still low due to insufficient rainfall," officials said in a press release from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
In the fall, winds can be hazardous and "create conditions that are ripe for devastating fires," officials said.
Illegal warming fires in greenbelts and other outdoor areas in the Redding, Anderson and Shasta Lake area are especially dangerous this year because the surrounding grass and brush is very dry after three years of low rainfall, officials said.
So far this year, only about 6 inches of rain has fallen in Redding, which is less than a third of the normal amount for this time of year, according to the National Weather Service.
And during the past week, temperatures in the Redding area have been well above normal, with Saturday's high reaching 100 degrees, the weather service reported.
During the patrols over the past two weeks, numerous people living in encampments have either been cited or arrested in connection to illegal fires.
On Sept. 27, about 15 people were contacted and two were cited for having illegal campfires. Another person was arrested on several felony warrants.
Three more people were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of having illegal open fires, all three had previously been contacted by law enforcement for having illegal fires, officials said.
More: Cal Fire: Illegal camp fire caused 34-acre Branstetter Fire, 90% contained
Several illegal fires this year have escaped and started wildland fires that threatened nearby neighborhoods.
Last Thursday someone started the 12-acre Hobby Fire off Highway 273 near Canyon Road. There had been numerous encampments and previous illegal fires in the area this year, officials said.
The 34-acre Branstetter Fire in south Redding was caused by an escaped illegal fire on Sept. 1, officials said. Officials said the cost of suppressing that fire reached $500,000.
More: Redding man sentenced to 11 years, eight months in prison for setting fires
More: UPDATE: Hobby Fire, south of Redding, burns 12 acres, 80% contained
Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlight’s resources and environment reporter. He is part of a team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834 by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Officials say illegal outdoor fires at camps lead to arrests
