California Carr Fire Update: Evacuations In Redding, Burn Victims Hospitalized, Several Trapped

UPDATE: 6:00 a.m. EDT — Cal Fire issues new evacuation orders in Redding areas including Shasta Lake City and the Shasta Dam Visitor Center. An evacuation center was set up at Cross Point Community Church. Reports suggest the Shasta College evacuation center is full.

UPDATE: 2:00 a.m. EDT — According to the latest reports, apart from the dozer operator who was killed, three other firefighters have been injured. Preliminary evacuations of Mercy Medical Center patients have begun in Redding and staff at ABC affiliated KRCR are also being evacuated. Evacuation centers were set up at Shasta College and Weaverville Elementary School at Shasta County.

UPDATE: 1:00 a.m. EDT — Cal Fire has confirmed the death of a private-hire dozer operator in the Carr fire at Whiskeytown and fact finding on the incident is going on. Officials are on the way to notify the next of the kin.

Original story:

An emergency evacuation has been ordered near the Sacramento River between Eureka Way and Keswick Dam after the wildfire that erupted on Thursday crossed the Sacramento River into Redding’s city limits in California.

According to reports, a Cal Fire battalion chief has been trapped by flames along with others at Keswick Dam and Buena Ventura and all emergency personnel are abandoning containment efforts to evacuate people.

The spokesperson of Mercy Medical Center told Action News Now that several burn victims have been taken to emergency rooms and babies and high risk patients are being prepped to be moved from Redding.

Previously, evacuation orders were issued to more than 2,200 residents west and north of Redding after the fire consumed 28,763 acres by Thursday afternoon.

Scott McLean, a spokesman for the crews battling the Carr Fire, said Thursday night the fire was "taking everything down in its path” and has burned dozens of structures including homes in the communities of Shasta, Keswick and the west side of Redding.

“The fire is moving so fast that law enforcement is doing evacuations as fast as we can. There have been some injuries to civilians and firefighters,” McLean said adding “It’s way too dynamic and burning quickly.”

Several parts of Redding are without power in order to prevent electrical equipment from sparking more fires.

This is a developing story.