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Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Green Fire grows 1,000 acres on Lake Shasta's Pit River arm in Shasta-Trinity forest
Firefighters continue to battle the fast-moving Green Fire burning in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest wilderness northeast of Redding, roughly 8 miles west of Montgomery Creek. Fueled by extreme heat and dry conditions, the fire grew to 11,643 acres by 8 a.m. Monday — up from 10,334 on Sunday, according to the U.S. Forest Service. It remained 5% contained Monday morning after it spread up against the Pit River over the weekend. Note to readers: We've made this story free as an important public service to our North State communities. If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. Your support goes a long way in supporting coverage that matters to you. Smoke from the Green Fire boosted air pollution levels over Redding and other parts of Shasta County. Pollution reached levels considered very unhealthy to any person's health around midnight Monday, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow pollution count web page, then dropped to moderate levels. The good news was that heavy smoke is cooling the air into the high 90s over the fire during the day, firefighters reported. A heat advisory remains in effect Monday in Redding and throughout the North State. Temperatures in parts of the Sacramento Valley could reach 110 degrees after a scorching weekend already dried out air and vegetation in the North State. Here's how far the Green Fire burned over the weekend, Operations Section Chief Gino DeGraffenreid said in an update. The eastern edge of the fire spread to the top of the ridge next to Rip Gut Creek. It's also burning in the creek area in the northern part of the ridge. The Green Fire continues spreading south toward the Pit River. The river is the primary means of containing the fire's southern flank, DeGraffenreid said. The northern flank reached the Smith Creek drainage, an area south of containment lines. Pushed by morning winds, the Green Fire is spreading west toward Brock Mountain Road. The northwest section of the road is serving as the primary containment on that side of the fire, DeGraffenreid said. Boaters are being told to avoid parts of Shasta Lake where two super scoopers are gathering water to mount air attacks over the fire. The forest service is using the specialized aircraft to scoop water from the lake and drop it on the blaze. Those planes need a mile of open water to refill their tanks. Recreational boaters must steer clear so they don't block firefighting operations and keep air crews safe. Besides super scoopers, the forest service and other fire suppression agencies are using nine helicopters, 26 bulldozers and 96 engines, the forest service said Monday. A total of 1,402 people are battling the Green Fire, including 27 firefighter crews. Of those 27, 18 are hotshot crews — teams of experienced firefighters with specialized knowledge regarding fire suppression in rugged wilderness. The forest service also has five field ambulances positioned throughout the area, and four suppressionboats along the Pit River. Emergency watercraft helped rescue a firefighter with a heat-related illness over the weekend and secured defense lines along a portion of the river, the forest service reported. That heat advisory for Redding and most of Northern California ends at 11 p.m. on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. While the weather will remain dry, temperatures in Redding and throughout the North State are expected to cool down into the double digits starting Tuesday night, according to forecasters. That could slow the Green Fire down and allow firefighters to build containment, the weather service said. Yes, an evacuation order remained in place Monday for a swath of land identified as zone LKH-1448-A, north of Kennedy Memorial Road and south of Wheeler Nursery Road, according to zone maps. People evacuating west can go to a collection point at the Gilman Road and Interstate 5 intersection, the county announced. People evacuating east toward Highway 299 can gather at Halcumb Cemetery, 29943 Highway 299 in Montgomery Creek, according to the county. Zone LKH-1448-B to the north of the Green Fire area is still under an evacuation warning, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office issued. That area is north of Wheeler Nursery Road. Two other zones remained under evacuation warnings on Monday: Zone LKH-1200 to the west of the Green Fire area — from north of Ski Island, south of Dekkas Creek, east of the McCloud River and west of Bully Hill. Zone LKH-1190 to the northwest — from north of Hirz Creek, south of the McCloud Bridge and east of Matquaw Flat. To find your zone, type your address into the search window at If you're away from home and not sure of your address, users can find their location on the site's map. The forest service closed trails and campgrounds near the fire, including the Hirz Recreation Complex, Chirpchatter Campground and picnic area, Potem Falls Trail and Madrone Campground and picnic area. The burn area is closed and off limits to the public, the forest service said. Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica on Record Searchlight Facebook groups Get Out! Nor Cal , Today in Shasta County and Shaping Redding's Future. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Green Fire spreads to 11,600 acres. Smoke pollution soars over Redding
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Small earthquake shakes Redding Friday morning; epicenter reported west of downtown
A minor earthquake briefly shook the Redding area early Friday morning, awakening some Shasta County residents at least as far as Anderson and Palo Cedro. The temblor, which made an audible rumble, happened at 3:57 a.m. according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It lasted several seconds, starting with a mild shake, then growing in strength and stopping. The earthquake was centered west of downtown Redding, north of Eureka Way. A 6 a.m. update from the geological survey placed the epicenter more than 12.5 miles (20.4 kilometers) underground, at a spot beneath and between Buenaventura Boulevard to the west and Quartz Hill Road to the east, according to the USGS' earthquake map. Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. While there were no initial reports of damage, the rumbling sound the temblor made was loud enough to startle some people, who posted online the temblor sounded like an explosion. The earthquake measured 3.6 on the Richter Scale, downgraded from a 3.7 in the geological survey's initial report. It was what seismologists consider a light to moderate earthquake. That magnitude is strong enough for people to feel it, but not usually enough to cause any damage. Residents reported feeling the ground shake to the south in Anderson, and east of Redding in Palo Cedro. "It was definitely a jolt rather than a roller," George Parker of Anderson told the Record Searchlight on Facebook, but "nothing moved on shelves or fell over." More than 900 people reported feeling the earthquake and their location as of 8:15 a.m. Friday, said Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the USGS Earthquake Center. Here's a list of earthquake magnitudes and their effects, according to Michigan Technological University: Below 2.5: Generally not felt 2.5 to 5.4: Minor or no damage 5.5 to 6.0: Slight damage to buildings 6.1 to 6.9: Serious damage 7.0 to 7.9: Major earthquake. Serious damage. 8.0 or greater: Massive damage, can destroy communities (This story was updated with new information.) Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Small earthquake centered near Eureka Way shook Redding Friday morning
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Land sinking in Red Bluff, Corning: What it means for Tehama and can it happen in Redding?
Parts of Tehama County, including areas around Red Bluff, Corning, and Antelope, are sinking. — a condition that could cause damage to infrastructure and deplete groundwater permanently if the ag-producing county does not reverse it, geologists say. For those who wonder, Redding and the rest of Shasta County aren't having the same problem, in part because Shasta's groundwater is replenished by the ACID Canal, flowing from the Sacramento River. It's also because Shasta doesn't have as much agriculture stressing the groundwater supply, according to groundwater experts in both counties' public works departments. Mid- to southwestern parts of Tehama County are suffering land subsidence, a drop in the Earth's crust when too much groundwater is removed. The soil collapses into the space left by the lack of water, making the ground above it sink. One cause is groundwater partially dried up during years of heavy drought. But the main issue in Tehama County is people are pumping too much water out of the ground in places like the Red Bluff and Corning sub-basins, said Justin Jenson, Tehama's public works deputy director. More than 90% of that pumped-out groundwater goes to the county's agriculture — mostly almond, walnut and pistachios orchards, Jenson said. If Tehama County doesn't take steps to reverse the problem, repercussions could be devastating, geologists say. Most land subsidence in California and other parts of the world is caused by humans pumping too much water out of the ground, according to U.S. Geological Survey. It's a slow process that can take years to become a disaster — and can take as long to fix, when fixes are still possible. Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. Subsidence compacted the ground in parts of the San Joaquin Valley, dropping ground level almost 30 feet in the 50 years between 1925 and 1977, according to USGS geologists. Even slight shifts in ground level can cause damage to buildings and infrastructure like bridges and overpasses, Jenson said. If left unchecked, land subsidence can permanently reduce the amount of groundwater an aquifer can hold by reducing its storage space. In worst cases, that could mean less to no groundwater for people, crops and wildlife living in the area, according to the USGS. Worst case scenarios also include holes and fissures opening up as the dry, brittle ground collapses. This happened in the Mojave Desert near the now-dry Lucerne Lake in San Bernardino County. Geologists reported fissures more than 3 feet deep and 3 feet wide opened up as the ground crumbled and collapsed. Shasta County is spared land subsidence for a few reasons, according to Shasta's Public Works Director Troy Bartolomei. First, Shasta has less agriculture pumping out groundwater. Second, the county's 'very large heavy aquifers' can replenish Shasta's groundwater faster than Tehama's. The third reason Shasta isn't sinking has to do with the way it irrigates valley farms south of Redding, toward the Tehama County line. Water flows from the Sacramento River via the ACID (Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation District) canal. 'All that irrigation helps to charge the aquifer' and keep it healthy, Bartolomei said. More: After seeing land sinking in Red Bluff and Corning areas, Tehama County calls meeting ACID Canal serves approximately 800 customers and irrigates approximately 7,000 acres of farmland, according to the district's website. Future long-term drought or increasing demand for groundwater could change that delicate balance, so Shasta County participates in a voluntary groundwater monitoring program with other California counties. 'Because we have a healthy aquifer that recharges itself, we don't need expensive monitoring by the state' like Tehama County does, Bartolomei said. Tehama County's sinking problem could become irreversible if people don't make changes soon, according to Jenson. That's because as empty underground water channels fill with collapsed soil, the space for water sources to refill the underground reservoirs becomes smaller. Even during wet winters like 2024-25, there's less opportunity for those water sources to recharge those aquifers fast enough to save them. One of the areas losing groundwater the fastest is between Red Bluff and Corning, where there's a lot of competition for water, Jenson said. The good news, he said, is the problem is still likely reversible. However, it will take long-term community action to change it. That's because "both the cause of subsidence and the fix … take a really long time. If you don't pre-plan to resolve the issue then you can cause a future problem that you cannot fix." The Tehama County Board of Supervisors is trying to do just that, Jenson said. The board announced it will host a public meeting on Tuesday, June 3 to discuss possible solutions to the county's land subsidence problem. Tehama had "observable land subsidence on a scale that has never been recorded," county officials said in the announcement. Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Why Red Bluff, Corning are sinking but Redding in Shasta County is not
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
After seeing land sinking in Red Bluff and Corning areas, Tehama County calls meeting
Parts of Tehama County, including around Red Bluff, Corning and Antelope, are sinking, officials have discovered, prompting an emergency meeting to decide next steps to intervene. In a statement announcing the June 3 meeting, county officials said they found the mid- to southwestern part of Tehama had "observable land subsidence on a scale that has never been recorded." Land subsidence is a drop in the Earth's crust — sudden or gradual — into empty underground space, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In Tehama County, some of the area's groundwater dried up during years of heavy drought, according to the announcement. The soil is now collapsing into the cavity left by the absent water, making the ground above it sink. Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. Other factors are further stressing what's left of the underground water supply, according to the county. These include changes in agricultural practices and less surface water available from lakes, creeks and other water bodies. As empty underground water channels fill with collapsed soil from above, the space available for water sources to fill them becomes smaller. That means even during wet years, when there's more water, there's less opportunity for those water sources to refill or 'recharge' those underground reservoirs fast enough to save them. All this doesn't bode well for county plans to expand agriculture wells in areas where the ground is sinking, the county reported in the announcement. The Tehama County Groundwater Sustainability Agency gave county supervisors the results of their findings after monitoring groundwater levels and rate of sinking. Supervisors plan to look at the agency's latest data, figure out how serious the situation is, look for possible solutions and intervene as needed, according to the county. The meeting — scheduled for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 3 in board chambers (727 Oak St., Red Bluff) — is a chance for residents to hear the results and participate in the discussion, the announcement said. People can get more information and submit comments to Tehama County Deputy Director of Public Works Justin Jenson at 530-690-0700, extension 201. They can also email Jenson at jjenson@ Jenson didn't return a phone call from the Record Searchlight late Tuesday afternoon. Land subsidence in other parts of California is most often caused by people pumping out the groundwater for a variety of uses. These include directing water to urban centers and using it for agriculture and industrial projects, according to the USGS. For more information about land subsidence in the state, go to Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Tehama finds land is sinking in Red Bluff, Corning areas after drought
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
22 California cities north of Sacramento with slight population losses
Redding and 21 other far Northern California cities lost residents over the past year, even as the state's overall population grew. Redding got a slight population boost during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown and when state sanctions were in place; but those population gains were gone as of Jan. 1, 2025, according to state Department of Finance population estimates, released in May. While Redding lost the same number of residents or more than all but one North State city on the list, that loss made a smaller dent in the city's overall population. The Shasta County seat is home to 93,534 people, more than than any other city on the list. Anderson and Shasta Lake in Shasta County, too, were among 240 California cities where the population went down. More: 12 California cities in North Coast, North State that are growing Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. Montague, Mount Shasta, Fort Jones, Etna, Tulelake, Dorris and Dunsmuir: These Siskiyou County cities saw small declines in their population ranging from five people each in Etna, Fort Jones and Montague to 15 in Dunsmuir and 23 in Mount Shasta. Anderson, Redding and Shasta Lake: These Shasta County cities each saw population declines that ranged from 76 people in Shasta Lake and 81 each in Anderson and Redding. Gridley and Biggs: These Butte County cities each saw population declines that ranged from 25 people in Biggs and 81 in Gridley. Grass Valley and Nevada City: These Nevada County cities each saw population declines that ranged from 29 in Nevada City to 97 in Grass Valley. Eureka, Fortuna, Ferndale, Trinidad, Blue Lake and Rio Dell: These Humboldt County cities each saw population declines that ranged from 50 people in Eureka and 47 in Fortuna to 6 in Ferndale and 2 in Trinidad. Alturas: This Modoc County city saw a population decline of 5 people. Williams: This Colusa County city saw a population decline of 27 people. More: Shasta County sees more people leave while California population rebounds post-COVID Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding, other far Northern California cities losing population
