Interstate 5 in both directions in Shasta County was closed Wednesday as the Delta Fire roared through 500 acres north of Vollmers, reports the Sacramento Bee.
The Delta Fire, which is burning near the interstate at the Vollmers exit, exploded to 500 acres in several hours, according to officials at Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The fire is burning primarily timber and bush along the I-5 corridor and is reported as having a “critical rate of spread,” according to Joe Orosz, public affairs specialist for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
Please be advised of increased fire traffic if you’re traveling through the area and avoid the area if possible. Follow @CaltransD2 for information on I-5.
The interstate is closed from 10 miles north of Redding at Fawndale Road to 4 miles south of Mount Shasta at Mott Road, according to Caltrans. Motorists are advised to choose alternate routes. Evacuations have been ordered for areas north of Lakehead, according to the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office. An evacuation center has been set up at the Mt. Shasta Community Center at 629 Alder St.
Orosz said multiple agencies are responding – many are coming straight from the Hirz Fire, which is burning just east of the Delta Fire, less than three miles away.
