INFERNO

California Wildfire Explodes to 2,000 Acres, Shuts Down Highway

The so-called Delta Fire erupted in the same area where eight people were killed in another blaze last month.

A rapidly spreading California wildfire exploded to 2,000 acres within just a few hours late Wednesday, prompting evacuations and the closure of a major highway in Shasta County. The so-called Delta Fire erupted in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and quickly reached Interstate 5, just weeks after more than 1,000 homes were destroyed and eight people were killed in another wildfire in the same area. Motorists were reportedly forced to abandon their vehicles on the side of the interstate as the blaze reached the road, and footage widely shared on social media showed multiple vehicles in flames. The interstate was closed from 10 miles north of Redding to four miles south of Mount Shasta, with evacuation orders in effect for residents in areas north of Lakehead. Some 600 firefighters were deployed to battle the blaze, but it was 0 percent contained as of early Thursday morning.